It’s Getting Hot In Here

Please donate to the bail fund at:

www.mountainaction.org

14 people were arrested today at the Twilight coal mine run by Massey Energy for shutting down the massive dragline on site. As dawn broke a group of 14 people approached the dragline. As part of the group gained the attention of the operator to get him to shut down the machine, a 4 person climb team ascended the 200 foot boom.

Suspended hundreds of feet in the air the climbers began to unfurl an enourmous banner reading, “Stop Mountaintop Removal”. On the ground the rest of the team was ensuring the safety of the climbers and everyone on site as well as unfurling other banners. After about an hour police came in and arrested those on the ground.

The climbers managed to hang on for another couple hours until workers climbed the draglines boom and began to threaten the safety of the climbers by approaching their climb gear. At this point the climbers decided to come down rather than risk their lives at the hands of aggressive workers. Continue reading ‘14 arrested for shutting down massive dragline on MTR site in West Virginia’

The true cost of oil

At least 84 indigenous people have been killed fighting to defend their traditional territories from oil exploration. As part of a free trade agreement with the US, Peru has altered their constitution and implemented new laws stripping indigenous tribes of their land rights and opening their lands to oil companies. In response there has been a massive uprising for the past month with tribes around the country shutting down major highways, rivers, oil installations, trains, and other critical infrastructure. To put it bluntly these new laws are a death sentence for the indigenous of the Peruvian Amazon.

It is often easy to get caught up in the abstractions of climate change, with our parts per millions and international treaties. This is not an abstraction. This is life and death for thousands of people. And may I add it is death being fueled by our addiction to oil. If we are serious about climate justice we need to provide solidarity to those resisting genocide in Peru.

Contact the Peruvian Embassy at:

Address:
1700 Massachusetts Ave., N.W
Washington D.C. 20036
Driving Directions
Telephone: (202) 833-9860 to 9869
Fax: (202) 659-8124
Email: webadmin@embassyofperu.us

Or organize a demo at one of their consulates around the country. They are located in:

DC, Miami, New York, LA, Chicago, SF, Boston, Houston, Atlanta, and Denver.

Denver, CO– Two Earth First! activists were arrested at a Home Depot last week in Glendale, CO. The arrests followed a banner being hung off the roof of a Home Depot store reading “Dam Home Depot, NOT Patagonia!” Supporters of the arrested activists demand that Home Depot cut all ties to companies involved in the HidroAysen megadam project in Patagonia.

The banner-drop action was intended to remind both the public and the company: “We’ve fought The Home Depot before and won.” Almost ten years ago, Earth First! groups around the country joined with Rainforest Action Network and others forced Home Depot to adopt wood product policies that removed old growth from their shelves. But their ongoing economic involvement with the Chilean interests that are proposing to dam wild rivers with the HidroAysen project in Patagonia shows their commitments to ‘green business’ practices to be merely empty Public Relations maneuvering. Continue reading ‘2 Earth First! activists arrested protesting Home Depot’s involvement in dirty energy.’

Protesters clashed with police in Copenhagen this weekend while attempting to disrupt the World Business Summit on Climate Change, a gathering of the worlds largest corporations and, not coincidentally, biggest polluters. Organized by the Danish government, the Business Summit gave corporate interests unprecedented access to the ongoing UN climate talks, including face time with UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon and so called climate “hero” Al Gore.

The group of protestors, lead by a banner reading “Our Climate is not Your Business” attempted to breach police lines in order to disrupt the meeting. The lively group of activists wanted hightlight the damaging and disruptive role that corporations play in the international climate talks. The list of corporations attending included #1 carbon emitter in the world Shell Oil, Duke Energy (#12 at last count), and BP among other climate criminals.

“The Danish government appears to be under the impression that some of the world’s most polluting companies are going to put forward tough measures to tackle climate change,” said Kenneth Haar, a researcher with Corporate Europe Observatory. “But unfortunately this doesn’t seem likely to be the case. The majority of the corporations attending the World Business Summit on Climate Change seem more intent on pursuing business as usual – with the promise that future technologies will resolve the problem at a later date. Continue reading ‘71 arrested in Copenhagen resisting World Business Summit on Climate Change’

Not feeling the online photo petitions? Is lobbying for not so bold legislation dragging you down? Don’t fret my friend, for action is the antidote to despair! Check out this admittedly incomplete list of  direct action campaigns and events happening this summer.

Climate Ground Zero, West Virginia, All Summer

Come to West Virginia to take direct action against mountaintop removal coal mining. CGZ will be coordinating action training camps and organizing actions against coal companies destroying the mountains and communities of WV. We will have non-violence and other trainings, a kitchen and people who can explain the corrupt practice of MTR. We are hoping to shut down the sites on an ongoing basis all summer long. But we need your help.

www.climategroundzeron.org

Contact Guin at 304-854-7372, guinstigator@yahoo.com

Cascadia Summer 2009

The Pacific Northwest is looking hot for direct action this summer with plans for massive public lands logging on the table. Thanks to a scheme called the Western Oregon Plan Revisions (WOPR) passed by Bush at the last minute around 25,000 acres of public lands will be cut. That’s a 436% percent increase in logging. Aside from the horrific impacts on the local ecosystem the logging would result in releasing 180 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere. The equivalent of putting one million cars on the road for 132 years.

Fortunately Oregonians are gearing up for a summer of resistance with several action camps and direct actions planned throughout the summer:

May 23-25 Cascadia Summer Campaign Action Camp

June 20-26 Trans and Womyns Action Camp

June 29-July 6 Earth First! Round River Rendezvous

July 8-July 15 EF! Climbers Guild Intensive Climb Camp

For more information contact forestdefensenow@gmail.com

www.forestdefensenow.org
Continue reading ‘Get some action this summer!’

Join the action www.stopcliffside.org

Dear Mr. Rogers,

Next Monday, we and many others will march to Duke Energy headquarters
and seek your written agreement to stop construction of the Cliffside
coal-fired power plant and turn all efforts toward climate protection
through clean, efficient energy. Many of us feel called to conscience
so strongly that we are willing to peacefully risk arrest in order to
prevent the crime against humanity that would result from Cliffside
opening in 2012.

We again urge you to become the leader depicted by your public relations
team, and use your extraordinary influence to stem the health, economic
and environmental damage caused by the use of coal, including an
accelerating climate crisis that is already causing devastation in many
parts of this nation and around the world. We are compelled to act for
several reasons:

* Duke Energy’s use of coal is destroying our Appalachian
mountaintop communities and waters.
* Duke Energy’s coal combustion is poisoning our children with
unnecessarily high emissions of mercury and other pollutants.
* The new Cliffside unit has been proven unnecessary in several
ways, most recently by Dr. John Blackburn, retired chair of the Duke
University Economics Department – using your own data.
* Your Save-a-Watt scheme indicates you are not serious about
energy efficiency. We urge you to stop opposing the NC SAVE$ ENERGY
bill.
* Duke Energy’s corporate influence over elected and regulatory
officials is subverting our democracy – as fully evidenced in the
Cliffside case. We hereby withdraw consent from critical public
decisions being dominated by Duke Energy’s corporate interests.
* Coal combustion is fueling a climate emergency that continues to
accelerate beyond predictions of just two years ago.

Continue reading ‘Mr. Rogers, we’re coming to your neighborhood. An open letter to Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers’

With just 2 weeks to go until we hit the streets of Charlotte, NC todemand that Duke Energy cancel the Cliffside coal plant, renowned climate scientist James Hansen has endorsed the Cliffside Climate Action that will take place April 20.  In his words, ” Stopping Cliffside is the best thing North Carolina can do to stop global warming.”

We couldn’t agree more. But this is more than a fight for North Carolina, this is a national and indeed global fight against dirty energy and for climate justice. Thats why folks from as far as California, DC, the coalfields of Appalachia, and Florida are coming to Charlotte to fight this “climate change time bomb.” Please come to Charlotte April 20th to support us in our struggle to defeat the dirty cliffside coal plant.

We will be hosting nonviolent direct action trainings during the day April 19th in Charlotte followed by action briefings and speakers that evening. Then we’ll hit the streets on April 20th. Housing is available.

RSVP for the action at: www.stopcliffside.org

Check out the new CCA video! Continue reading ‘Dr. James Hansen endorses Cliffside Climate Action! 2 weeks until we take direct action against Duke Energy’

Wednesday, April 1^st

Asheville, NC – In response to the North Carolina Division of Air Quality (DAQ) ruling that Duke Energy’s Cliffside coal plant is a “minor source of emissions”, 30 protesters gathered at noon today outside Governor Perdue’s Western North Carolina office in downtown Asheville to demand that she revoke the plant’s permit.

In a demonstration organized by Asheville Rising Tide, protesters set up a bed in front of Governor Perdue’s office with people in business suits representing Duke CEO Jim Rogers, DAQ head Keith Overcash, and Governor Perdue under sheets and covered in money. Banners reading, “Governor Purdue in bed with Duke Energy” and “Stop Cliffside” were held in the background. Protestors also roped off the office entrance with Global Warming Crime Scene tape.

While Beverly Perdue publicly opposed Cliffside during her campaign for the Governorship, following the DAQ’s ruling she sent out a press release defending the decision to classify Duke’s new coal plant as a “minor emitter.” A report released last month by the Civil Society Institute found that Duke Energy contributed nearly $30,000 to Gov. Purdue’s election campaign and $40,000 to Lt. Governor Walter Dalton. Since the report was released there have been calls for corruption inquiries into the relations between Duke Energy and Purdue. “We know who Governor Purdue and the DAQ are taking their marching orders from,” stated Jill Walker of Asheville Rising Tide. “With this ruling it is clear that they are more interested in protecting Duke’s bottom line than the health of North Carolinians.”

Throughout Duke’s application process, the DAQ, controlled by the Governor’s office, has consistently showed favoritism to the industry they are charged with regulating, at the expense of public health, water conservation, and attempts to curb climate change. “It is absurd that the DAQ could rule that the dirty Cliffside coal plant, which will emit millions of tons of pollutants each year, including greenhouse gases, mercury and other heavy metals, could even be considered a minor source of emissions,” stated local farmer Tobias Wolfe. “Still, it is not too late for Governor Perdue to do the right thing for the people of North Carolina and call for the cancellation of Cliffside.” Continue reading ‘Asheville Rising Tide declares NC Gov. Perdue in bed with Duke Energy. Happy Fossil Fools Day!’

Whats next? We saw the power of thousands taking the streets to say no to coal in Washington. Now its time to take the fight against coal from DC to NC!

Cliffside Climate Action

Mass Rally and Nonviolent Civil Disobedience

To Shut Down Duke Energy’s Cliffside Coal Plant

April 20, 2009 – Charlotte, NC

www.stopcliffside.org

This Earth Day join hundreds from across North Carolina and beyond as we converge on Duke Energy’s headquarters to demand that they cancel their climate change time bomb; the new 800 megawatt Cliffside coal plant. If built, Cliffside would emit 6 million tons of CO2 each year, and would be fueled by coal from mountaintop removal mines.

It is clear that coal is killing us. We cannot stand by as Duke poisons our air, destroys the Appalachian mountains, and fans the flames of climate change for the sake of profit. We demand a sustainable, livable planet, free from dirty energy. Honor the Earth this year by coming to Charlotte, NC to take action to stop Cliffside, mountaintop removal, and all new coal plants. The future is up to us. We will stop this plant!

The convergence starts Sunday, April 19^th with a day of trainings in nonviolent direct action, strategic organizing, and other skills. On Monday April 20^th, we will hit the streets and take direct action at Duke Headquarters. Continue reading ‘Mass Rally and Civil Disobedience to Stop the Cliffside Coal Plant. Join the Cliffside Climate Action April 20 Charlotte, NC’

On Saturday, January 10, seventeen Earth First! activists were arrested for entering the Barley Barber Swamp to demand the protection of Florida old growth ecosystems. The Barley Barber Swamp is one of the few remaining old growth cypress swamps in the Southeast. Several of the bald cypress trees in Barley Barber are over a thousand years old. They are the oldest in Florida and the entire Southeast region.

(click here to see a short video clip of Barley Barber and the 1100 year old bald cypress:  )

Barley Barber Swamp is being killed by the massive 3750 megaWatt MartinCounty power plant that hovers over it and the seventeen mile cooling pond that surrounds it.

Following a five day standoff, six activists entered the swamp through a public waterway and chained themselves to trees. Eleven other activists
were swept up by the police in a frivolous attempt to quell the
protest. Currently, Everglades Earth First! is confronted with the immediate need to raise
$18,000 to bail these courageous activists out of Martin County jail.

Direct action is a community effort that goes well beyond the risk of
arrest. It requires broad support from those who wish to see grassroots
efforts succeed. We hope to go to the jail on Monday with the funds to bail
all seventeen activists out. We know times are tough but if everyone
pitches in we can ensure that these folks don’t sit in jail for the next
thirty days. Can you contribute to this effort? Just go to our website at
www.evergladesearthfirst.org/ and click on the “Donate” paypal link
on the left hand side of the page or make out a check to Everglades Earth
First and send it to 822 N C Street, Lake Worth, FL 33460

(Click here to a video on the standoff on the mainstream news Continue reading ‘17 Arrested protesting Florida Power and Light. Support needed’