Climate Pledge of Resistance » rising tide

N30: International Day of Climate Justice Action

deadlyvine — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:51:14 +0000

Today, on November 30, one week before the UN climate negotiations in Copenhagen open, and on the 10th anniversary of the World Trade Organization (WTO) protest in Seattle in 1999, major demonstrations, teach-ins and civil disobedience are taking actions place in cities around the U.S

Reports are now starting to come in from:

Chicago, Illinois: Activists target Carbon Trading @ Chicago Climate Exchange – 12 arrested
Denver, Colorado: Citizens ‘Die-in’ at Department of Public Health and Environment in Coal Protest
Greensville, SC: Blockade of shipment of generator to Cliffside Coal Plant, 4 arrested
New York City, NY: Occupation of the Natural Resource Defense Council Office with James Hansen exposing their ties to industry
San Francisco, CA: San Francisco Climate Justice Action at Bank of America; 200 Rally with at least 23 Arrested
Whitby, Ontatio: Sit-in for Climate Justice at Finance Minister’s Office
Washington, DC: Downtown march targets major polluters and lobbyists

Many more updates are coming in from Boston, Palm Beach, Bangor, Burlington, Seattle and other locales – you can read all the details at the Mobilization for Climate Justice (MCJ) website - www.actforclimatejustice.org.

Donations are needed for arrestees! Your support is needed:

Your Support is Needed!

Also, check out an interview interview with MCJ’s Ananda Tan and David Solnit on today’s broadcast on Democracy Now!

With the corporate media unlikely to give major coverage to such actions, we need you to spread the word! You can see the combined and growing photo gallery here and follow updates on facebook or twitter.

The Mobilization for Climate Justice is a broad and diverse coalition of organizations working for social, environmental, economic and racial justice is calling for urgent action on the global climate crisis, based on equitable, democratic and science-based solutions.

As world leaders gather in Copenhagen, the people hit hardest by this crisis and the least responsible for its cause—working class, Indigenous and people of color communities around the world—have been systematically excluded and are demanding a voice at the table.

Meanwhile, the world’s major corporations have been dominating international and domestic climate policy – as they did in the international trade policy arena. Carbon-trading and carbon offset projects have already allowed these polluters to avoid cutting emissions and expand their markets into poor countries, accelerating corporate take-over of the world’s resources at the expense of local and Indigenous communities.

“We cannot allow the world’s largest corporate polluters to continue robbing our children’s future,” stated Carla Perez of Movement Generation Justice and Ecology Project, who will be marching with her daughter in a parade of children and the Raging Grannies. “US corporations have been holding real climate solutions hostage, while burdening our communities with ongoing attacks on our health and livelihoods.”

Citizens Block Shipment of Generator to Cliffside Coal Plant

deadlyvine — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:54:10 +0000

Breaking News: Two people are locked down to the Cliffside generator in Greenville, SC. Press release below and more info coming. Also keep track at:http://twitter.com/RisingTideNA

Update: Four have been arrested: 2 who were locked down and 2 others. About 20 others are still at the site with banners. Pictures coming soon.

For Immediate Release

November 30, 2009

Press Contact: Liz Veazey 919-627-7324 ashevillerisingtide@gmail.com
Onsite Contact: Attila Nemecz 919-889-1261www.asheville.risingtidenorthamerica.org

Concerned citizens block shipment of generator to Cliffside Coal Plant.

Greenville, SC Two protestors have locked themselves to the 1.5 million pound generator destined for Duke Energy’s Cliffside coal plant in Rutherford County, North Carolina. Protestors are vowing to prevent the generator, which has been traveling across South Carolina on a 300 foot trailer, from reaching the coal plant. “Our nation has no choice, we must stop burning coal. The only choice that we can make is whether we do that in time to still have breathable air, drinkable water, a livable climate, and standing mountains,” said, Catherine Anne. Protestors also draped a large banner from the top of the generator reading, “Stop Cliffside.”

The controversial Cliffside coal plant would emit over 6 million tons of carbon dioxide ever year in addition to toxic levels of heavy metals such as mercury, greatly exacerbating global warming and our abysmal air quality. Duke Energy is seeking to raise electricity rates in order to pay for the construction of Cliffside at a time when record numbers of families are struggling to put food on the table due to the recession.

This act of civil disobedience comes a week before world leaders meet in Copenhagen to hash out a global climate agreement. “Any agreement made in Copenhagen will be meaningless if the US continues to build coal plants such as Cliffside. It is time to tear down coal plants, not construct new ones,” said Rachel Scarano. There are currently 43 coal plants proposed or under construction in the US, though over 100 others have been canceled due to widespread protests.

Since it was first proposed, there has been massive opposition to Cliffside. In the past year and a half over 60 people have been arrested protesting the plant, and they vow to continue the fight. “Since politicians and corporations refuse to take serious action to stop climate change, citizens must step in to shut down coal plants,” said Attila Nemecz. The protest was organized by Asheville Rising Tide and Croatan Earth First! and is part of a national day of action with dozens of protests around the country including Chicago, New York City, Washington DC, and San Francisco.

Directions to site: From I-85 in Greenville, exit onto US 25/ White Horse Rd. Go South on 25 for 2 miles. Left at Augusta Rd. Protest is .5 miles down the road on right.

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350 Reasons Carbon Trading Won’t Work Project

deadlyvine — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:05:08 +0000

Rising Tide North America, with Carbon Trade Watch and the Camp for Climate Action would like you to join us on the October 24th day of global climate action to spread the word about the biggest financial scam in history – Carbon Trading.

In order to stabilize the climate before billions of people around the world suffer the consequences, it is imperative that carbon-trading schemes are stopped and real, democratically determined solutions are implemented.

http://www.350reasons.org/

Climate Activists Expose Carbon Trading Scam for “350” Global Day of Action

Tens of thousands of people gathered at 300 simultaneous events in more than 170 countries around the world today, for the 350 international day pf climate action. One of the leading concerns raised this day was that corporate-driven “Carbon Trading” schemes have been blocking efforts to solve the climate crisis and prevent the devastating impacts of climate chaos on the poor.

www.350Reasons.org

“In order to stabilize the climate before billions of people around the world suffer the consequences, it is imperative that carbon-trading schemes are stopped and real, democratically determined solutions are implemented,” said Hilary Moore of the Mobilization for Climate Justice, “that’s why we have compiled an international list of well-documented reasons showing how carbon trading is failing to deliver.”

Led by Rising Tide North America, Carbon Trade Watch, the Camp for Climate Action and the Mobilization for Climate Justice, activists from around the world helped compile hundreds of reasons exposing the fallacies and failures of carbon-derivatives markets and offsetting programs – such as the displacement of food crops, the burning of valuable resources and massive subsidies given to oil, coal and other major climate polluters.

“We cannot afford to waste any more time and resources on such trading scams when so many lives and livelihoods are at stake,” said David Nishizaki of Rising Tide North America, “ We are hopeful this information will serve to dispel the many myths of carbon marketeering, encourage an outright rejection of such false corporate solutions, and move us towards democratic, scientific and affordable strategies that show tangible, local benefits.”

Many Domestic and international climate policy arenas, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, are prioritizing protection for corporate profits and carbon-intensive industrial growth – through the marketing and offsetting of greenhouse gas emissions. This is not only restricting resources for popular, climate justice solutions, but actually serving to increase current levels of climate pollution.

An online video report showing 350 such reasons why “carbon trading” is failing to work, as well as printed materials are available for download at: www.350reasons.org.

Press Release, 24 October 2009
Contact: Brian Frank: tel 971.533.7483
falsesolutions@RisingTideNorthAmerica.org