350.org - Movement Dispatches and Climate News

The Climate Referees Go National: First stop, Boston!

Jamie Henn — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:54:50 +0000

We just sent out this press release about another great referee action in Boston organized by the 350.org Action Fund, our amazing 350.org volunteers in Boston, a whole host of local environmental groups, and the Occupy Boston movement. Check out some of the photos and the news below -- the referees are spreading!

Today: 60 Keystone XL Referees Protest Scott Brown; Opposition Moves into Districts

BOSTON -- Over 60 people dressed in referee outfits protested outside Sen. Scott Brown’s district office in Boston this afternoon to “blow the whistle” on the unseemly reality that Sen. Brown has taken over $1.9 million from fossil fuel interests since being elected and now supports moves in Congress to revive the Keystone XL pipeline, expand offshore drilling, gut the Clean Air Act, and to put taxpayer money towards subsidizing the fossil fuel industry.

The action is part of an evolving strategy on the part of pipeline protesters, who are looking at new ways to take the pipeline fight off of Capitol Hill and back into districts across the country.

This week, climate action campaign 350.org put out a call for people across the country to organize their own group of referees to throw conflict-of-interest penalties at members of Congress who take money from the fossil fuel industry and support the pipeline. Dozens of rallies are now in the works. Next up on the list are protests in Nebraska, California, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin.

“This fight has become very much inside the halls of Congress, but people across the country need to have their say, too,” said 350.org Campaign Director, Phil Aroneanu. “Keystone XL is the type of extreme energy project that could be showing up in everyone’s back-yard if we don’t get off of fossil fuels now.”

In Boston, 350.org volunteers teamed up with local groups and the city’s Occupy movement to call out Sen. Brown on his dirty energy money connections.

“If the head referee at the Super Bowl had taken $1.9 million from the New York Giants, the people of Boston would have taken to the streets in protest. This is no different,” said Occupy Boston member Shoshana Blank, who wire a referee outfit this afternoon. “Scott Brown cannot objectively vote on the Keystone XL pipeline when the fossil fuel industry has paid him off.”

350.org is just three years old, but has quickly grown to one of the largest grassroots environmental networks in the country, with hundreds of thousands of members spanning all 50 states. The group’s founder, Bill McKibben, who led the initial Keystone XL sit-ins and protests at the White House last year, explained that the pipeline has become a key way to test the commitment of politicians to environmental priorities.

“Over the last six months, this has emerged as the most important environmental issue of Obama's first term,” said McKibben. “It's the issue on which most normal Americans will judge our politicians backbone in standing up to fossil fuel interests.”

Solidarity for a friend in trouble.

Bill McKibben — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:33:18 +0000

We've spent the last 36 hours talking with all kinds of our 350.org friends in the Maldives. The situation changes frequently, but its basic outlines are clear: our ally President Nasheed was forced at gunpoint to resign in what seems to be a coup carried out by police forces. Several of his aides and associates have been hospitalized after beatings, and an arrest warrant has been issued for Nasheed -- with one official for the new government promising that he will spend the rest of his life in prison.

At a moment like this, we need to show the kind of solidarity we'd all hope for from our friends and allies. Please spread this action to get more people to sign onto our statement of support. You can share it on Facebook here, spread it on Twitter here, or just pass along this link: www.350.org/nasheed

We're communicating urgently the US State Department and other key diplomats in the UK, EU and India to press for a peaceful and democratic resolution of the struggles in the Maldives.The surge of Democracy that swept the Arab world last year really began a few years before in the Maldives, an entirely muslim nation -- and Nasheed's op-ed in the New York Times explains just how difficult this kind of transition can be. The video below offers a real insight into the history of this threatened, fragile nation -- and the political struggles that will shape its future:

We also received this touching note from Ayesha, a friend of ours from Maldives:

"To the 350 family: thank you for your support and for insisting on the safety of President Nasheed and all Maldivians…I plea for my friends who fight for climate justice to help us bring peace to our nation. By helping us bring peace and justice to this nation, you will help strengthen our resilience to climate change which is crucial for our very existence."

When people are free to speak there minds, crucial issues like climate change rise to the fore. We need to make sure that people in the Maldives and elsewhere can be a full part of the global debate on the most important issues the world has ever faced.

Solutions: Transition Towns in Sonoma Valley!

May Boeve — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:18:39 +0000

Last week, one of my heroes was profiled in his local paper for helping spearhead a new Transition Town in Sonoma, California. I couldn't be prouder, since that hero is my dad, Tim Boeve, and Sonoma is the town where I grew up. Sonoma is new to the Transition Town fold, which got its start in the UK and emphasizes resilient community solutions to climate change.

We became enamored of the Transition model in the early days of 350, because we are making coming cause in helping knit together millions of activists around the world who are creating change at the local level. This week, we're kicking off a new platform for local groups to share what they're doing. It's easy to find: local.350.org and we hope you'll register your efforts today!

My favorite part of the article sounds a whole lot like something I've read somewhere else: "Boeve points out that local communities have inherent power when they come together at the grass roots level." One of my earliest memories is walking door to door with my dad, asking our neighbors to support a school bond measure. I still have the button I wore that day, pink with a giant blue "A" on it. He was my first teacher about community organizing, and now our efforts are coming together again.

Thank you to Dad/Tim, Ed, and Melinda, and all the Transition leaders out there who are providing great ideas and inspiration!

Is Arch Coal About to Mine Historic Blair Mountain?

Jamie Henn — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:54:25 +0000

In 2011, we saw the power everyday people can have when we work together to stop a devastating project like the Keystone XL pipeline. But Keystone XL isn't the only major fossil fuel project that the industry is pushing. From building a major new coal plant in Kosovo to fracking in the north-eastern United States, the fossil fuel industry is going to any length to keep this dirty energy economy going.

One of the biggest fights here in the US is over mountaintop removal -- the dangerous form of coal mining that involves literally blowing off the top of mountains to get at the coal underneath. Blair Mountain in West Virginia has become ground zero for the struggle to end mountaintop removal -- a Keystone XL style symbol of an industry run amok.

We just got the press release below from our allies at Friends of Blair Mountain, the Sierra Club, the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, and others who are working to save this important national treasure. According to some reports on the ground, it seems like Blair might be under threat once again (for a detailed look at all the different news coming out, check out this article by Ken Ward). Please take a minute to read about the latest threat to the mountain and share it with your friends to help spread the word:

Is Arch Coal About to Mine Historic Blair Mountain?

Local and National Groups Rally to Townspeople’s Defense

Logan, WV - Residents of Blair, West Virginia have noticed increased activity from mining company Arch Coal around the historic Blair Mountain Battlefield site. Members of the town have become more and more concerned about Arch’s activities and fear they are moving forward with plans to mine the Blair Battlefield site. There have been reports of proposed buy outs of resident’s property, increasing industrial activity in the area and other preparations indicative of a move towards mining operations on the battlefield itself. Blair Mountain is the site of the largest civil insurrection in American history since the Civil War. In 1921 more than 10,000 coal miners fought forces backed by mining interests in an attempt to organize unions in Logan and Mingo County.

“In the late 1990s, Arch Coal came through and destroyed much of Blair with one mountaintop removal mining operation. The town went from about 700 people to about 90 today. Mountain top removal poisons the drinking water, destroys communities and makes people sick.” says Friends of Blair Mountain executive director, Brandon Nida, who currently lives in Blair. “For the sake of all that is good and right, we must save the people in this town, protect their homes, and save this historic mountain from the decimation and poison of mountaintop removal mining.”

Arch Coal, the second largest coal producer in the United States, has four planned operations that intrude into the Blair Mountain battlefield. They have already begun operations on the Left Fork surface mine, which sits directly adjacent to the battlefield.

According to retired coalminer Joe Stanley, “We know that they are moving quickly in the Blair area. We know that they have land agents trying again to buy from people who have already refused them. And we know they are blasting on the Left Fork permit. So, time is running out for the people of Blair and the battlefield.”

Appalachian filmmaker and Friends of Blair Mountain board member Mari-Lynn Evans says, “Arch Coal is moving the chess pieces in so that they can come in and blast away our heritage. If we wait until they are on the battlefield, it is too late. And they know that.”

The Battle of Blair Mountain was the largest civil uprising after the Civil War, fought due to protracted grievances between coal miners and the coal operators. It was finally brought to a halt after five days of heavy fighting along the Logan-Boone county lines. Federal troops were called in to quell the conflict.

"Blair Mountain is a national treasure and a critical piece of America's history," said Mary Anne Hitt Director of the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign. "Workers fought and died on its slopes for the simple right to represent themselves and win fair working conditions. We will not stop our fight to defend that land and their memory no matter what tactics Arch Coal may use to try and destroy it."

“Not only is our rich West Virginia history being destroyed by out-of-state coal operators, but the people around me here in Blair are being sickened, blasted, and generally run out of town. It’s not easy watching a town being killed, and unless something is done soon to stop the out-of-control companies, there won't be a Blair left in six months, or a Blair Mountain,” says Brandon Nida.

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350 Friend and Ally Removed from Office in a Coup

Alex Bea — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:03:55 +0000

UPDATE: (Feb 9, 2012, 08:00 UTC): President Nasheed in his own words in a New York Times Op-ed (with video too): click here.

UPDATE (Feb 8, 2012 ,13:50 UTC): President Nasheed and his supporters held protests against the coup today, and we've just received reports that he has been arrested (and possibly released again but injured). We continue to be immensely concerned for his safety and the safety of his staff and supporters. Please continue to share this news and call for diplomatic pressure to avoid further violence and restore democracy: click here.

Also, Al Jazeera has the first online video we've seen of President Nasheed since before the coup. Here it is:

The Maldives Democratic Party today issued the following information about the overthrow of the Maldives’ first democratically elected President, Mohamed Nasheed.

The overthrow occured after small numbers of police and army personal, in response to a call from leading opposition figures, Abdulla Yameen (former President Gayoom’s half brother) and Umar Naseer (former security officer in the regime of President Gayoom), joined with a group of protesters in the centre of Male, protesting against the arrest and detention of a judge accused of corruption.

These police and army personel, especially those from the notorious Star Force established by former President Gayoom then, ignoring the chain of command, moved around the capital in full riot gear, attacking MDP headquarters and the houses of MDP MPs and government officials. Many MDP members and government officials were badly hurt. Some are unaccounted for. MDP-associated property continues to be attacked.

In this climate of chaos and fear, the rogue elements of the police and army helped to take over the main national TV channel, MNBC, replacing it with President Gayoom’s old TV Maldives, and also moved to take control of key installations.

During this time, ex President Gayoom’s allies moved to retake control of the army and police.

The opposition, supported by the army and police, then offered an ultimatum to President Nasheed: step down or be faced with a bloodbath in the capital.

President Nasheed thus resigned in order to protect the public from further violence. His resignation was involuntary in that he had no choice.

ENDS

TAKE ACTION TO HELP OUR FRIEND HERE

President Nasheed at the Copenhagen climate talks calling for 350 ppm for his people's survival:

Our thoughts go out to a hero of our time

Will Bates — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:26:46 +0000

It's still hard to tell exactly what is taking place today in the Maldives. What we do know is that President Mohamed Nasheed has had to resign. Frighteningly, we are hearing reports that this was a coup, and for that reason our thoughts and prayers go out to all in his administration who now seek safety.

Bill McKibben wrote the the following in response to the news: "No government has been more forthright in the climate fight than President Nasheed's. He is a hero of our time."

And now it seems that President Nasheed's resignation could have been his latest act of courage -- attempting to seek peace over violence in a dangerous moment for the Maldives.

Click here for more stories regarding President Nasheed's tireless efforts to combat global climate change. There is even a new film documenting President Nasheed's story that you can learn more about here: www.theislandpresident.com.

"I can't wait to be a leader in this vision!"

Aaron Packard — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:34:45 +0000

We've had four action packed days here at the New Zealand Climate Leadership Workshop. 25 climate leaders from around the country have come together to learn new skills, share in creating campaign and project plans, and to double the climate movement in New Zealand this year. Here's a quote from one of our participants, Alejandra Jensen:

"The skills I learnt in the climate change workshop will allow me to be actively involved in creating a positive sustainable world! I can't wait to be a leader in this vision!"

New Zealand might carry the image of being "clean and green", and our government has a glitzy tourism campaign that tries to claim that NZ is "100% Pure", but the reality is per capita, we are one of the greedier fossil fuel users. Although our population is relatively small, we have our fair share of local fights against fossil fuel dependency. Like the massive reserves of lignite in Kosovo, at the bottom of New Zealand's South Island, lies billions of tonnes of the nasty stuff. The fossil fuel industry - supported by the government - now has plans to dig that up. There's already a movement in the local area to put a stop to it, and during our workshop, we spent time planning for a nationwide campaign to stop the lignite.

One of the most exciting discussions was about running a Powershift in New Zealand in December this year. Powershifts have mobilised thousands of young people in Australia, the United States, the UK and other places. Our vision is for 1000 young people to come together for 3 days in December from all over New Zealand, and the Pacific, to kick forward the call for a 100% renewable energy future for New Zealand.

We're not only working with young people though. At the workshop we had a range of ages - because to solve the climate crisis, we need all ages stepping up and powering forward alongside us. Despite the scale of the challenge we face, we've got so much to look forward to this year, as we crank this movement forward at pace. We hope you'll keep with us!

If you are keen to join a climate leadership workshop near you, check out the programme of workshops around the world at workshops.350.org

Our Referees have gone Viral! Join the Movement to Call out Dirty Energy Reps

Jenny Marienau — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:35:59 +0000

In January, activists rejoiced as President Obama made the tough decision to deny the Keystone XL pipeline permit. It was a victory in which, for the first time in a long time, we felt like our interests were being represented in Washington. It’s not surprising that this decision has been attacked, and attacked hard, by Legislators from around the country – Legislators who gladly accept millions from the Big Oil industry (to learn how much your Representative takes from the Dirty Energy industry, check out www.dirtyenergymoney.com).

That’s why in the past couple of weeks, activists have been coming out in droves to protect our Representative Democracy by calling “FOUL!” on our Legislators. Climate crusaders from North Carolina to Colorado, from Minnesota to New Mexico, and from New Hampshire to Ohio are showing their stripes and decrying their legislator’s profitable connections to the fossil fuel industry. Dressed in Referee shirts and holding penalty cards, whistle-blowing activists are working to break the political influence of dirty energy money with these viral protests.

Click here to plan your own Referee Event.

The Refs in North Carolina!Since 2010, when the Supreme Court declared that corporations were entitled to pour unlimited money into political elections, we’ve seen a shift in Washington. Legislators like Colorado’s representative Gardner (accepted $301K from dirty energy companies) and Minnesota’s Representative Kline ($208K), have turned their backs on clean energy solutions. Instead, we have seen them bending over backwards to promote dirty energy interests, contributing to Big Oil’s record-breaking profits and King Coal’s stranglehold on our energy portfolio.

In North Carolina, Community leader Alan Burns lamented, “I travelled all the way to Washington, DC last August and November to stop the Keystone XL pipeline. When Rep. Myrick accepted $284,000 from the fossil fuel industry and then supported the pipeline, I stopped trusting her to put her constituents and the environment before her dependence on dirty energy money.” Sue Myrick’s support of dirty energy in North Carolina is characteristic of a breed of politicians who consistently place personal gain before the public interest.

The refs go to New Hampshire!According to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, the 112th Congress has been the most anti-environment Congress in history, with an unbelievable 191 votes against environmental protections. It’s not a coincidence that this congressional bad behavior comes on the heels of the 2010 citizens united decision. Our legislators are being paid to fight against the health of Americans and our planet.

Bill McKibben sums it up following this Super Bowl Sunday with a common-sense analogy: “Look, I'm a Patriots fan, but if Bill Belichick was caught paying off the refs for the Super Bowl I'd be outraged and so would everyone else. So why, really, is it okay that members of Congress take huge sums from companies and then vote on their interests?"

Game on!

Onwards in Kosovo

Will Bates — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:03:07 +0000

The following letter was sent in by our close ally, Nezir Sinani, in Prishtina, Kosovo working with a coalition of groups to lead the fight for alternatives to coal in Kosovo.

Dear friends around the world,

It is with great delight that I write this post. I write to thank the 350 international network for standing together with our communities here in Kosovo, and for everyone who signed the online petition at 350.org to the World Bank, The US Embassy in Kosovo and to the Kosovan Parliament to oppose a proposed lignite coal power plant. (It’s not too late to send your support if you haven’t already. Sign here: www.350.org/kosovo).

My name is Nezir Sinani, and I am a Kosovan activist working with the Institute for Development Policy, based in Prishtina, Kosovo’s capital. In fact, it was just a few years ago that I was working for the state-owned power company. I often served as a representative to the media describing the frequent power outages that plague our country. Over time, I came to learn about more than just the inconveniences of our energy infrastructure -- I learned about the damages to our country’s health, environment, and our global climate. Eventually, I couldn’t continue to be involved in the continuation of our coal-based energy system, and I began to search for ways for our country to move beyond coal.

At the same time, our government, in collaboration with the United States State Department and World Bank, began a process to try and build a new coal plant here. In response, a number of groups in Kosovo and internationally, including my organization, who believed that alternatives to coal were possible joined together to explore the alternatives to coal. What we discovered is that the alternatives aren’t only possible, but they are faster, stronger, and cheaper options for ensuring a secure energy future for our country, not to mention cleaner and safer for our health and climate. If you’re interested in the details you can download the most recent and most definitive report by Dr. Daniel Kammen of the University of California Berkeley here.

Just last week we were joined by Dr. Kammen here in Prishtina, and we held meetings with the Head of Parliament in Kosovo, the Ministry for Economic Development, the World Bank, and others to make the case for investing in alternatives not in coal. And let me tell you, your support is having an impact on these meetings as well. The media in Kosovo has picked up on the news of international activists around the world joining in against the proposed coal plant here, and the institutions pushing for the coal plant are increasingly aware that their actions are being held accountable not just by those of us here on the ground, but by an international movement.

Click here to continue reading.

Perhaps the greatest sign of progress to date came from the meeting with our head of parliament. In that meeting he agreed that it was time for parliament to reconsider our energy policy, which currently is an out-dated policy based almost entirely on coal. Now we’ll begin to look at alternatives in earnest. That’s a huge step forward, but sadly the current coal plant proposal puts at risk any real progress we might have in re-thinking that policy.

Unfortunately, an “expert panel” at the World Bank just released a crucial internal report on Wednesday announcing their recommendation to the World Bank directors to proceed with the proposed coal plant. No doubt, that report makes our efforts far harder than they were just one week before. But in no way does it diminish our resolve to achieve an energy future for Kosovo that moves beyond coal. It’s a tremendous boost to us to know that at the same time that the “expert panel” report was released, nearly 6,000 messages from 120 countries were also delivered to the World Bank directors via 350.org standing in solidarity with those of us on the ground fighting for clean energy solutions.

Rest assured, the movement will charge ahead here in Kosovo. We have protests planned for this weekend (weather permitting -- we’re possibly expecting our second blizzard in two weeks!), and we charge ahead with increased strength thanks to all of you who stand together with our struggle.

Oh, and we should hopefully have fresh action photos to share in the days and weeks ahead, but for now we thought you might enjoy seeing a few of our faces behind the work here in Kosovo. The photo to the right is from our Moving Planet cycle mobilization this past September and you can see more on Facebook here.

A big thanks to all again, and on we go.

In solidarity,

Nezir Sinani

Abu Dhabi Puts Solar On It ahead of White House

Sarah Rifaat — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:24:34 +0000

On October 5th 2010, President Obama announced that he would be installing a solar array on the White House roof in the spring of 2011. This announcement came as a triumph to many in the climate movement, who earlier in the year had written letters, sent in petitions and, along with our very own Bill Mckibben, embarked on a Solar Road Trip across the U.S. to convince the Obama administration to re-install the solar panels that were on the White House's roof during Jimmy Carter's presidency. The White House initially declined the offer, much to everyone's disappointment, so Obama's statement a month later was a welcome surprise that meant we had one less world leader to convince to Put Solar On It.

Over a year has passed since Obama's promise, and as of yet there are no solar panels on the white house. However, according to this article in the Green Prophet, HH Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan - the crown prince of the oil-rich gulf state of Abu Dhabi - has beaten Obama to the punch and installed a solar array in record-time on the roof of his court. Not only are these photovoltaics fully operational, but the electricity they produce also feed into Abu Dhabi's national grid.

If oil-rich Abu Dhabi can symbolically commit to renewable energy, one is left to wonder why the White House cannot follow through with its promise?