It’s Getting Hot In Here

With all this recent controversy over Thomas Friedman getting his “just desserts” from some humorous environmental and global justice activists - it seems like some people have become a little misguided. The ensuing debate on the tactics used by the Greenwash Guerrillas is a healthy one for our movement to have.

Shockingly, some people have been jumping to Thomas Friedman’s defense, under the banner of human rights, Ghandi-esque moral posturing, and even holding him up as a “Clean Energy Hero”.

While sure, Friedman may have lots of things to say about “clean” energy (which to him, includes nuclear and coal) - but it’s important to understand his reasons for these views. He wants to see a scale-up of “clean” energy so that the US can maintain and expand its empire - politically, economically, and culturally. Not only will his “solutions” not solve the climate crisis - his positions will only perpetuate the same systems that created the problem in the first place.

If we want to beat the climate crisis, we need to understand that it is not simply a question of pollution, or emissions, or new technology. We must build a movement rooted in an understanding of global justice; that war, racism, imperialism, economic inequality, and many other forms of domination are the root causes of the ecological and social crisis we all face.

Does Friedman really want a world where ecological values replace systems of domination? Where global economic justice replaces colonialism and capitalist globalization? Where self-determination and cooperation replaces racism and xenophobia? Where communities can determine their own best interests, rather than US ideologues?

Unless our movement wants to support eco-fascism, we would be wise to be careful what bedfellows we make. Friedman is not our friend. But don’t take it from me! Here are the choice words from the Mustached Man himself.

CHAMPION OF CLEAN ENERGY?

“I would say that geo-green is the natural successor to neocon.”

(on dealing with nuclear waste) “We’re going to have to bury it in a mountain in Nevada, and Nevada is going to have to suck it up. That’s how I would deal with it.”

“All environmentalists have their favorite “green” energy source that they think will break our addiction to oil and slow down climate change. I’ve come out to Montana to see mine. It’s called coal.”

“The truth is, I’m not against drilling in ANWR.” Continue reading ‘Thomas Friedman: Neo-liberal war monger.’

I’ve been spending this past week in Charlotte, NC - the headquarters of Bank of America. Their annual shareholder meeting is this Wednesday, and I’ve also been attending a number of Earth Day events around town - helping answer the question: What IS Bank of America doing for Earth Day?

More than a few people came to our table somehow thinking we were actually from Bank of America - before seeing giant posters of mountain-top removal and coal-fired power plants. Sadly - this is the reality of what BoA is using their customer’s money for. I even talked to a lot of employees from the bank (it is Charlotte, after all) and many were quite supportive of getting the bank to do the right now.

I’ll give credit where credit is due. Sure, they are donating a few bucks here and there for some mostly-good purposes. They have incentives for their employees to buy hybrid cars. They are building a LEED-certified skyscraper in New York (Though I wouldn’t exactly agree that any skyscraper could ever be considered sustainable in the slightest!). And they spend millions on slick marketing campaigns, public relations firms, and well-crafted speeches to convince the world that they are doing the right thing for our communities, our climate, and our future.

But to quote my friend and dedicated Charlotte activist Beth Henry: “Bank of America is watering the flowerpot while they help burn the whole house down.” What’s more important - the skyscraper, or where the billions of dollars inside that skyscraper go? Earlier this month Bank of America signed the “Carbon Principles” - implying that they might actually stop lending money to dirty coal. But also last month, they helped finance $3.2 billion to Duke Energy - helping them build two new coal plants at Cliffside, NC and in Indiana. The truth is they DO invest in clean energy. It’s just that they invest nearly 100 times more money in dirty energy like coal. Continue reading ‘What is Bank of America Doing for Earth Day?’

For the past year, thousands of activists across the country and organizations including Rainforest Action Network, Rising Tide North America, Coal River Mountain Watch, Appalachian Voices, Mountain Justice Summer, SEAC , Energy Justice Network, Blue Ridge Earth First!, and many more have joined together to pressure Bank of America to stop funding coal. From financing mountain-top removal minining, to investing in new coal-fired power plants, Bank of America is financing the destruction of our climate and communities - and no amount of green PR and marketing will change this fact.

From hundreds of rallies and protests at bank branches; guerilla theater closing ATM’s; shareholder resolutions, confronting bank executives, and direct action at their offices, Bank of America is feeling the pressure to rethink their investment policies! Come join us at Bank of America’s annual shareholder meeting this month - and make sure every one of their executives, board members, and shareholders hear our demands for a just, sustainable future!

Please help promote this call to action, and organize your community to join us in Charlotte April 23rd!

Fore more info, visit www.dirtymoney.org or contact mleonard@ran.org Continue reading ‘CALL TO ACTION – Protest Bank of America’s Shareholders meeting!’

Fossil Fools Day is making a splash around the world. We are following dozens and dozens of actions in the US, UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand! Here’s a brief update on some of the bigger actions thus far - but more are still to come! Solid media coverage on many of these actions on Reuters, BBC, Associated Press and beyond! For the latest news all day- check out FossilFoolsDay.org

8 Arrested as North Carolina, USA Residents Shut Down Construction at Cliffside Coal Plant

At 6:30 this morning, North Carolina residents locked themselves to bulldozers to stop the construction of Duke Energy’s massive Cliffside coal-fired power plant being built 50 miles west of Charlotte, NC. “In the face of catastrophic climate change, building a new coal plant is tantamount to signing a death sentence for our generation,” said local farmer Matt Wallace, while locked to a bulldozer. The concerned citizens also roped off the construction site with “Global Warming Crime Scene” tape and held banners that read “Coal Fuels Climate Change” and “Social Change, not Climate Change.” (more…)

We’re actively looking for donations to get people out of jail!

Continue reading ‘Fossil Fools Day Highlights From Around The Globe!’

Fossil Fools Day 2008 got an early start today - with London Rising Tide “kicking” things off. In front of the Football Association headquarters in London, Rising Tide protesters issued the FA a Red Card for accepting sponsorship from E.ON - a utility company proposing to build new coal-fired power plants in the UK.

“We are taking action to prevent the fossil fuel industry from destroying our future,” said Brian Kelly from Rising Tide. “Vested interests in business and government are bent on pursuing economic growth at all costs. We need to shrink, not protect, the fossil fuel economy if we are to survive climate change.”

Rising Tide claim that E-ON are stoking up pressure on planners to grant permission for these new power stations, when the real solution is a huge reduction in the over all use of fossil fuels.

International action reports will be updated continuously at: www.FossilFoolsDayOfAction.org

Yesterday, on March 15th, 2008, nearly 1,000 people gathered in Richmond, California - as part of a series of non-violent direct actions leading up to the 5th anniversary of the Iraq War. After 5 years, $2.8 trillion dollars wasted, 600,000 Iraqi’s dead, nearly 4,000 US soldiers dead, and opposition to the war at an all-time high - it’s time to say enough is enough. Our government’s priorities are way out of line, and the corporate influence from war profiteers and oil companies is clear. NO WAR! NO WARMING!

A few months ago, a group of us revived Direct Action To Stop The War (which organized tens of thousands of people to shut down San Francisco 5 years ago when the war started), and worked in conjunction with local Richmond community groups mobilize a diverse, multi-generational, multi-issue coalition to non-violently shut down one of Chevron’s largest oil refineries in the nation.

The demonstration was endorsed by Direct Action to Stop The War, Greenaction, West County Toxics Coalition, Amazon Watch, Richmond Progressive Alliance, Richmond Greens, Community Health Initiative, Communities for a Better Environment, Global Exchange, and Rainforest Action Network. The purpose of this action was to shut the Chevron refinery down for the day - to do our best to prevent oil from entering or leaving the refinery. By boat, by bike, and by foot - we mobilized a broad coalition of groups working on climate change, environmental justice, and anti-war efforts. This action is supporting ongoing community efforts to stop Chevron from expanding its refinery, which will increase pollution and further increase asthma, cancer and rising death rates in surrounding communities. Chevron is driving the war and occupation in Iraq, refining over a million barrels of stolen Iraqi oil in Richmond a month, and actively lobbying for the privatization of Iraq’s oil fields to further increase profits for the oil industry, and maintaining our addiction to climate-destroying fossil fuels.

No War! No Warming! No Pollution! Continue reading ‘Chevron’s Richmond Refinery: Shut Down By People Power!’

“We All Live at Climate Ground Zero”

It is time for American citizens to take leadership & direct action and make our politicians accountable to us. To this end we announce a Citizens Direct Action Training Camp in June 2008 in Montana to oppose and confront the massive fossil fuel development of the Rocky Mountain Corridor from Fort MacMurry, Alberta all the way to New Mexico. We oppose:

• Alberta Tar Sands and Coal Development
• Development of Coal in Montana and Wyoming feeding America’s electricity appetite
• Montana Governor Schweitzer’s plan to import Alberta dirty fossils into the USA through transmission lines from coal plants in Alberta, and 7 proposed Tar Sand refineries in Montana
• Proposed massive oil shale developments in Utah and Colorado
• Transmission lines off of coal fired power plants proposed all over US
• Mountain Top Removal coal mining

The Action Training will be five day training and include skills needed to do effective Direct Action Campaigning against dirty fossil projects and for a clean energy future. Sessions will include History and Practice Non Violent Direct Action, Campaign Strategy, Direct Actions Skills, Media Skills, Community Organizing

Where: Montana - site to be announced
When: June 1st – June 6th 2008

This camp sponsored by ClimateGroundZero.org and GlobalWarmingSolution.org and is being hosted and organized by:

Mike Roselle- Founder - Earth First!, RAN, and The Ruckus Society
JR Roof - Former Director of Greenpeace International Ships and Direct Action Division, Co-founder The Ruckus Society, ClimateGroundZero.org

For further information or to apply to attend - contact: JR Roof at jr@globalwarmingsolution.org Continue reading ‘ClimateGroundZero.org - Citizens Direct Action Camp June 1st - 6th’

This article is a guest piece, written by my pal Kevin Smith - from Carbon Trade Watch over in the UK. Kevin and other members of the Durban Group for Climate Justice are just about to wrap up a 2-month speaking tour across North America, facilitating critical discussions on carbon offsets and emissions trading systems.

OFFSETTING DEMOCRACY

By Kevin Smith Carbon Trade Watch/Transnational Institute

(first published in March/April 2008 Resurgence Magazine)

Carbon trading and offsets distract attention from the wider, systemic changes and collective political action that needs to be taken in the transition to a low-carbon economy. Promoting more effective and empowering approaches to climate change involves moving away from the blinkered reductionism of free-market dogma, the false-economy of supposed quick fixes, the short-term self interest of big business.

Continue reading ‘OFFSETTING DEMOCRACY’

Hot on the heels of an amazing speaking tour by members of the Durban Group for Climate Justice - a coalition of mostly California-based groups spoke out today opposing carbon-trading schemes. Issuing The California Environmental Justice Movement’s Declaration Against Use of Carbon Trading Schemes to Address Climate Change - the groups argued that such systems are inadequate to confront the climate crisis; marginalize front-lines communities fighting environmental justice battles; and are designed to benefit corporate interests - not communities or the climate.

Endorsing organizations include California Communities Against Toxics, California Environmental Rights Alliance, Carbon Trade Watch, Communities for a Better Environment, GreenAction, Rainforest Action Network, West County Toxics Coalition and many more.

Interesting factoid - Does anyone know what organization had the largest delegation in Bali? It wasn’t the usual suspects of Greenpeace, or Friends of the Earth - it was the pro-carbon trading lobbing group - the International Emissions Trading Association. Why? Because the idea of creating a trade-able commodity of our atmosphere means trillions of dollars - in a market that working-class people have no access to - but multi-national corporations, banks, brokers, and investors are giddy over.

In addition to the myriad reasons to oppose carbon trading - here’s a big unintended, but very real consequence. We have a hard enough battle in the climate movement already fighting the lobbying interests of Big Oil, King Coal, and the Big 6. But a carbon trading scheme entails a whole new cadre of lobbyists - the brokers and traders and middle-men who have a vested interest in trading away our atmosphere and our future. A zero-carbon economy doesn’t leave many carbon credits to play and profit with - and they will help further delay our transition to a clean energy future.

• Press Release - Download PDF
• California Environmental Justice Movement’s Declaration Against Use of Carbon Trading Schemes to Address Climate Change - Download PDF
• Signatories - Download PDF
• Factsheet: The Cap and Trade Charade for Climate Change - Download PDF
• Article - “Cap and Charade: The political and business self-interest behind carbon limits,” Wall Street Journal, March 2007. - Link to article.

See the entire press release below - or visit www.ejmatters.org to learn more or sign the declaration!

Continue reading ‘Environmental Justice Movement says NO to Carbon Trading!’

So, big news on Wall Street today regarding coal and our climate. Three of the largest investment banks (Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, and JP Morgan Chase) announced the formation of the “Carbon Principles” - a set of guidelines the banks will follow when lending money to carbon-intensive projects, such as coal-fired power plants.

While the banks don’t go so far as to say they WON’T finance coal-fired power plants - if I were the CEO of a utility or coal company - I’d be worried. Here’s my analysis of these principles: Continue reading ‘Wall Street announces “Carbon Principles” - but what do they mean?’