Coal for christmas

happy holidays


This xmas, my thoughts are with those who are unfairly impacted by the coal industry. May this unfortunate event help bring justice more swiftly.

toxic sludge pond failure covers 400 acres

You might have heard the breaking story of a sludge pond failure in Eastern Tennessee. 500 million gallons of toxic coal waste spilled down a valley and damaged 14 homes and covered 400 acres in heavy metals and other toxins.

merry christmas

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/12/23/tennessee.sludge.spill/index.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnJUSHpTm-E&eurl=http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/&feature=player_embedded

http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2008/12/22/coal-ash-slurry-pond-bursts-in-tennessee/

New "Clean Coal" add features Obama (robot)

I'd prefer to give Obama the benefit of the doubt until he's in office. But in the end he's either playing the game, or the games playing him. After all, no one makes it to the position of president-elect without having full support of the corporatocracy, including King Coal. I just hope he's paying lip service to the king until he get's close enough to his neck.

Obama has had the tendency to get us wrapped up in his well-written and emotional speeches, until he'd reach his obligatory and blood-curdling support of "clean coal and safe nuclear." (I almost choked while eating during his acceptance speech in Denver). Well, the coal industry front group, American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) has chosen a few of Obama's (or Robobama's) gems and put out a new advertisement, perhaps in response to the Reality Campaign ad's which have been getting impressive air time.

You can see the new ad at the ACCCE website, americaspower.org.

With all the good news about Obama's appointees, I guess we still have reason to be optimistic. But it's up to us to put the pressure on him, and to let him know that there is no such thing as clean coal. Maybe he just needs a little gentle support and guidance. But we should, by no means, limit ourselves.

It is of utmost importance that we successfully debunk the myth of clean coal. And, thanks to the power of media, we'll have to do it over and over again. Remember, repetition is key. Repetition is key.

Thankfully, the Reality Campain (thank you Mr. Gore) is releasing a new commercial, called "smudge." Check it out.

If letter-writing and phone calls aren't enough for you, it's time to get involved with serious grassroots organizing against King Coal. Next March, Mountain Justice Spring Break will give you the chance to learn from and stand with those most directly impacted by the dirty coal industry. What better way to spend your spring break? Keep an eye out for more information in the near future, or better yet, email MJSB to find out how to help!

Geeking out on geomagnetism

High-energy pulses of solar wind distort the Earth's magnetic field.


For some reason I felt like geeking out tonight. Reading about variations in the Earth's magnetic field, among other things. Scientists know that the Earth's magnetic field changes over time, and that complete reversals of the poles have happened many times in the past, the last time being about 700 thousand years ago. The overall field of the Earth has decreased 7% over over the last 100 years, which some scientists think might be a sign of a pending reversal. The thing they can't decide is whether the change happens quickly (over a few years) or slowly (over a few thousand years). When the fields reverse, they first collapse, leaving the Earth and it's inhabitants exposed to flares of solar radiation. The coming collapse (if it happens) will be the first to occur with a global technology-based population (that we know of). All of our satellites and other technology would basically be wiped out without protection from solar radiation. Should make for interesting times.... indeed.

Rising Tide Boston to Bank of America: We’re still breaking up with you.

While it's important to celebrate our victories, and keep a positive momentum, we know that the fight is far from over. Bank of America's new "coal policy" is nothing more than a PR ploy, and we must not be distracted.

A message, from the core of Rising Tide Boston:

Rising Tide Boston not fooled by Bank of America's "Coal Policy"; plans to break up with them this Valentine's Day

Contact: info@risingtideboston.org

Rising Tide Boston wishes to announce that the group will continue its part in the widespread campaign to pressure Bank of America to drop its involvement with the coal industry, despite the bank's recent release of a new "Coal Policy". We view this so-called policy as a PR gimmick intended to distract the public from Bank of America's ongoing funding of the coal industry. Bank of America's Coal Policy fails to commit to a timeline or any concrete action to halt their financing of mountain top removal coal mining, and the alternatives the bank pledges to support are not solutions at all.

Bank of America claims that they will "phase out financing of companies whose predominant method of extracting coal is through mountain top removal." Without having any sort of schedule, there is no way to know that Bank of America actually intends to follow through on their stated plan. If the bank's intention is a "phase out" over a number of years, what does that mean for places being bombed or covered in toxic sludge every day? If and when Bank of America does drop companies like Massey Energy, we hope they would extend this action to all companies wreaking havoc on ecosystems and coalfield communities through strip mining.

We can use the media, too

You might have seen this add on every single commercial break last night during Daily Show and Colbert. It's about time we get some screen time.



The Reality campaign is a project of Al Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection. Unfortunately the campaign materials leave out the single largest argument that there's no such thing as clean coal; AS LONG AS WE'RE BLOWING UP MOUNTAINS, it doesn't matter how much emissions are cleaned. (a good article about the ad campaign, here).

You might have caught another quick shout to the coal justice movement during Wednesday's Daily Show. During the "Lame Duck Presidency" skit, PC guy makes reference to the Lame Turduken Bush's 11th hour decision to effectively gut the Stream Buffer Zone rule, allowing mining operations to dump waste into rivers. Obama? Clean-up, aisle eleven.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Lame Duck Presidency

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

The tide may be rising, but it's also turning...

It's important to have milestones, checkpoints. Right now is such a juncture at which we can celebrate, take a mindful breath, look how far we've come, re-establish our footing, and dig in for the long road ahead. Fortunately, our pace is quickened, and our momentum is growing. Our goal is now within our site. We will see and end to mountaintop removal, and an end to coal.

There may never be a truly ethical corporation. They are programmed to do one thing, after-all, get money. But if the people organize, we can translate ethics into business terms. When it comes to the destruction of our mountains, and of our rivers, and the systematic genocide of an entire culture, business as usual ends now. Bank of America may be starting to get the picture.

Yesterday, Bank of America released its new coal policy, which appears to announce the bank's divestment from the most destructive form of coal mining, mountaintop removal. The policy states, in part:

Bank of America is particularly concerned about surface mining conducted through mountain top removal in locations such as central Appalachia. We therefore will phase out financing of companies whose predominant method of extracting coal is through mountain top removal.

This is pretty huge, considering Bank of America is currently the single largest investor in coal extraction, giving billions of dollars to the largest coal companies performing mountaintop removal, including Massey, Arch and Peabody. Of course, we'll have to see how this plays out. After all, they don't call what they're doing in Tennessee by the term "mountaintop removal."

Either way, this is a momentous occasion. It sends yet another message to the coal companies, and to other investors. Time is running out for coal.

News of the divestment came less then two days after a federal judge revoked the air quaility permit for the Cliffside plant in North Carolina. Duke energy now has 70 days to update its technology or construction will be halted by the court. (Props to our friends and allies in Asheville!)

It's been a particularly momentous last few weeks for the energy justice movement. Recent events were almost foreshadowed earlier in November. The night before the National Day of Action against Coal and Coal Finance, some of us were gathered at the house in Boston, making signs and painting banners. Word came through the interwebs that a major victory had been won. A wave of elation ran through some of us, when we learned that a court had ruled that all new coal plants must use “Best Available Control Technology." Of course, none of those currently being built or proposed are up to par, so its back to the drawing board. More than just stalling all current projects, the ruling makes coal an even riskier investment. (We can certainly help it along, and make it even riskier.)

The Day of Action went well, across the country. I was happy to watch videos of a rather impressive march in Austin, Texas, with props, costumes, and a giant Bank of America card, with scissors. Back in Boston, a small of troupe ventured out for a day of culture-jamming, street theater, and quasi-educational tomfoolery. We decided to help the banks with their green image, by marketing their investments in "green coal"...

Meanwhile, in Boston...

I'm on my way to Austin, and I just get word about a fantastic direct action that happened today in Boston. I'm so excited for my friends back home, and can't wait to get back. Boston is where it's at! I'm looking forward to hearing some personal accounts. My thoughts are with my friends and comrades who might still be in custody.

From the Understory:

150+ Rally in Boston: Not with Our Money!

posted by Debra in RAN General on October 7th, 2008

Climate crisis, housing crisis, financial crisis… more and more people are connecting the dots. I just returned from a rally in Harvard Square that put all of the pieces together in a powerful way. More than 150 people came together on a sunny fall day to protest the banks that are financing coal power, foreclosing on homes, and getting rich - all with the backing of the US government and taxpayers’ money. The demonstration (sponsored by RAN and Rising Tide Boston) was peaceful, positive and purposeful - with music and lots of energy to attract and engage the lunchtime crowd.

The multigenerational rally included women in their seventies and a baby attending his second protest. Speakers from City Life/Vida Urbana talked about how Bank of America’s irresponsible lending practices have led to a wave of home evictions in Boston, while other speakers called for Bank of America to take responsibility for the social and environmental impacts of its financing. Participants carried signs with the message “Not with Our Money,” bearing pictures of coal power plants, tar sands, and foreclosed homes. Passersby were overwhelmingly supportive and took hundreds of pieces of literature.

After rallying in front of BofA, we marched and danced our way around the corner to the Citi bank branch. Waiting for us were four young activists who had chained themselves in front of the bank to temporarily shut down one branch and send a clear message that we will not stop until the bank stops funding dirty energy and starts investing in sustainable alternatives and community solutions. We kept up the music, chants and songs as police arrested the four. It was a first arrest for each of them, and they looked calm and strong as police unlocked them and took them into custody. They’re still in custody as I write this, and some of the demonstrators have stationed themselves outside of the police station to show their support.

It’s inspiring to see more and more people taking up the call for real solutions to our financial and climate crisis. As peaceful protests spread across the country and increasing numbers of people get involved, I look forward to more afternoons like this one spent with ever-larger crowds of people who can see a better future and won’t stop until we get there.

For more pics, visit our Flickr page.

It all comes down to community, and food. An update from the road.

Sitting at a truck stop, somewhere in Mississippi, about 80 miles outside New Orleans. Just want to take a minute to write down some thoughts and update you all on what we've been up to. Most of the crew is in the truck stop restaurant right now, listening to the debate between Biden and Palin. I can only take so much of these politicians. I was, however, glad to hear a question on climate change. In his response, Biden used the two biggest oxymorons possible, "clean coal and safe nuclear." (Ackhh!) The fact is that neither of the candidates has any idea of what we need to do to solve the climate crisis, and they are all too invested in business-as-usual to see the solutions in front of us. That doesn't really bother me, though, because I have very little faith in centralized government. I know that the solutions will come from strong local communities, in the relocalization of food and energy production. "The time of the nation-state is coming to an end." (The prominent public figure who said this asked not be quoted... but it's true!)

Anyways (*breath) ... we left Knoxville yesterday, after being there for two weeks. Except for having some of the worst air quality in the country, Knoxville seems to be a great place to live. It's cheap, warm, has a great music scene; good conditions for a destitute activist. Further, I sense that the community is on the verge of engaging a sustainable and conscious world vision. There are several bubbles that have been growing. Set near the coal-fields and conservative Bible-belt of the U.S., it would be an interesting and inspiring experience to witness and take part in the transition of Knoxville into a sustainable community.

During outreach and organization for the Knoxville event, we made solid connections with several groups and individuals which are playing a part in transforming this small city. We had a chance (?) encounter with Tracie, an organizer of the Knoxville Permaculture Guild. At the Roadshow, Tracie delivered a workshop on urban gardening. Her partner, Chad gave an intro to permaculture. Over the two days, we had a rather solid workshop schedule, diverse and well attended. We also had workshops on water catchment, biodiesel, mountaintop removal, and of course, mushrooms!

While we were in Knoxville we received much support in the form of food donations from Beardsley Community Farm and the Three Rivers Market Co-op. Both are conscious local businessess and centers for the community. I didn't get a chance to visit the farm, but the co-op was warm and welcoming, and had a great organic herb section!

I gotta toss in a shameless plug for Smith & Associates Geothermal. They install geothermal home water-heating units in Eastern Tennessee. These guys were super chill and supportive of our project. I hope that we helped them get a little business. We also had Big Frog Mountain Solar powering our solar stage. (You might have seen these guys before. It's the same solar rig that powers the solar stage at Bonnaroo.) They drove a couple hours to be part of our event, and only charged us for travel expenses. They hooked us up. (...I guess that's a pun.)

We had a hard time booking food vendors for the event. It was something that was worrying me all along, because, you can't have a good gathering without good food! Fortunately, at the last minute, two groups pulled through and supported us. Knoxville Food Not Bombs pulled through on Sunday and served some tasty chutny, chile, and Panera pastries. I was glad we could have FNB there. They are actively building sustainable community and setting an example; take advantage of waste, care for your neighbors.

Yawah from Organic Roots Cafe was able to attend and serve her delicious and unique meals on Saturday (forbidden rice and beans... amazing!). She was so excited about our project and thankful to us for coming to Knoxville. I have to say that Yawah is one connected individual. I could feel her calming energy when talking with her. I'm glad I got a chance to meet her, and I'm glad that Knoxville has been blessed with such an individual. On our way out of town, she sent me a text message, which was well timed for myself and a close friend:

"So divinely is the world organized
that every one of us in our place and
time is in balance with everything else."

These are the types of connections I was sure I would make on this journey. With all the daunting crises, the constant bad news, and nihilistic outlooks trying to creep in and pull me back down into apathy and fear, it's so important to connect, explore and be inspired by the good individuals with positive intentions, who are "being the change" in each of there own ways. There are so many of us out there. It's important to remember that.

I've only been able to briefly touch on the connections and experiences I had in Knoxville. I still need to let you all know about the ACE conference that some of us attended in Abingdon, VA, and about my time at the UMD house. Hopefully I have time again, soon. We are actually, at this time, driving through the Ninth Ward in New Orleans. This is about to get intense, and I think we might be lost. Time to look out the window and get off this computer.

Peace, and thanks for reading.

Resolving the paradox of energy versus water

I came across an interesting article on energy and water. It's been said that before the wars over oil are completed, we will be fighting over water. This article provides a holistic analysis of how water issues are intertwined with energy issues, and provides an inspiring set of solutions and steps forward towards a just and sustainable system.


Energy versus Water: Solving Both Crises Together

Water is needed to generate energy. Energy is needed to deliver water. Both resources are limiting the other—and both may be running short. Is there a way out?

By Michael E. Webber

Water and energy are the two most fundamental ingredients of modern civilization. Without water, people die. Without energy, we cannot grow food, run computers, or power homes, schools or offices. As the world’s population grows in number and affluence, the demands for both resources are increasing faster than ever.

Woefully underappreciated, however, is the reality that each of these precious commodities might soon cripple our use of the other. We consume massive quantities of water to generate energy, and we consume massive quantities of energy to deliver clean water. Many people are concerned about the perils of peak oil—running out of cheap oil. A few are voicing concerns about peak water. But almost no one is addressing the tension between the two: water restrictions are hampering solutions for generating more energy, and energy problems, particularly rising prices, are curtailing efforts to supply more clean water.

Read the full article here

Traveling band of eco-friendly educators comes to UT

From the Tennessee Journalist

The Sustainable Living Roadshow's goal is to educate and inspire anyone who is interested in making the world a greener place.

www.SustainableLivingRoadShow.org

www.SustainableLivingRoadShow.org

The Sustainable Living Roadshow's goal is to educate and inspire anyone who is interested in making the world a greener place.

By Robert Baldus

published: September 24 2008 07:43 PM updated:: September 24 2008 09:28 PM

Don't know much about living green? No problem. The University of Tennessee will host the Sustainable Living Roadshow Sept. 27-28 on Fiji Island.

Everywhere the "Be the Change" national SLR tour stops, a group of dedicated eco-friendly volunteers do their best to inform inquisitive residents how to most efficiently live green.

Marty Driggs, A spokesperson for the SLR, said the caravan hopes to bring "edutainment" to campuses like UT. By creating an arena to focus on different aspects of sustainable living, the SLR hopes attendees will feel engaged and motivated, but not preached to.

The group achieves this "edutainment" feel by bringing information to the consumers in a fun and festive atmosphere.

To that end, several bands will be playing at this weekend's event:

• Artvandalay
• Ga-Na-Si-Ta
• The Andy Show
• Natti Love Joys
• The Charles Butler Experience
• Grandpa's Stash
• Booze Hound Gandy Dance
• DJ Snack Attack & special guests
• Beats Antique
• Monkey Spores
• Thomas Clever

"People think green living is a sacrifice, but by taking a holistic approach to green living, you don't see it as a sacrifice," Driggs said. "Instead, you see that there is a whole community to rely on. There is a lot to gain from it."

The SLR heavily promotes the idea of community-based living. Driggs advocates locally grown produce and meats. "By focusing on having a local diet, you see a big reduction in pollutions. For areas that can't grow their own produce year round, there are other options like canning and food fermentation, and the SLR is looking to create workshops about these methods of storing food."

The SLR focuses on a holistic view of the green lifestyle, which includes natural health, green technology, localization of food and power, consumer choices, and alternative transportation. It does this through various elements:

• Solar sound stage - A venue for local and national acts powered solely by the sun.
• The Conscious Carnival - Eight interactive games including a nine-hole "global warming mini-golf course."
• Green Screens Film Festival - An opportunity for event-goers to watch and discuss videos concerning environmental and social issues.
• Workshop tents - Speakers from across the world will be leading discussions about everything green.
• The Green Market Place - A medium for introducing various eco-friendly companies to consumers.
• Natural Health and Healing Farmacy - An area dedicate to selling a wide range of natural healing aids.
• The Eco-Info Zone - The caravan's mobile bookstore.
• Clean Energy Showcase - The road show's biofuel buses and vehicles are used to show viewers ways to improve energy usage.
• Awakened Art Garden - A gallery of various art mediums themed about the environment

Tossing fossil fuels is a prevalent topic of the road show's discussions, Driggs said.

But isn't a mobile caravan adding to the problem of using fossil fuels? According to SLR's Web site, all of the tour's buses run on sustainable biofuels, the events use power from solar and biofuel generators, and the events are "zero-waste."

The next question one might ask is: isn't that more expensive?

Driggs explained, "The dichotomy between the economic and environmental solutions is quickly becoming outdated. The costs of externalities from fossil fuels are much higher. Switching over would actually cost less."

But setting up a mobile education festival is by no means cheap. Driggs estimated setting up each event, including fuel to the event, would cost around $10,000.

And yet, the event is free for everyone. So how do they afford to travel from campuses to conventions?

A large portion of the groups funds come from large individual donors, Driggs said. But volunteers do their part as well. Local farmers and co-ops donate food. The SLR does sell some merchandise.

The group went out to thrift stores, purchased affordable used T-shirts, and printed the SLR logo on them. The road show also sells books on everything from alternative medicine to vegan cookbooks.

"The real goal of the SLR," Driggs explained, "is to make itself obsolete. It should serve as a model for people around the country. We all sense something isn't right. Realizing that there's others out there with the same way of thinking as you is empowering. Going to the show makes you more motivated to be green."

The Methane Time Bomb

This article is making its way around the climate action community. Looks like those feedback loops are kicking in....here we go!

Tuesday 23 September 2008

by: Steve Conner, The Independent UK

Arctic scientists discover new global warming threat as melting permafrost releases millions of tons of a gas 20 times more damaging than carbon dioxide.

The first evidence that millions of tons of a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide is being released into the atmosphere from beneath the Arctic seabed has been discovered by scientists.

The Independent has been passed details of preliminary findings suggesting that massive deposits of sub-sea methane are bubbling to the surface as the Arctic region becomes warmer and its ice retreats.

Underground stores of methane are important because scientists believe their sudden release has in the past been responsible for rapid increases in global temperatures, dramatic changes to the climate, and even the mass extinction of species. Scientists aboard a research ship that has sailed the entire length of Russia's northern coast have discovered intense concentrations of methane - sometimes at up to 100 times background levels - over several areas covering thousands of square miles of the Siberian continental shelf.

In the past few days, the researchers have seen areas of sea foaming with gas bubbling up through "methane chimneys" rising from the sea floor. They believe that the sub-sea layer of permafrost, which has acted like a "lid" to prevent the gas from escaping, has melted away to allow methane to rise from underground deposits formed before the last ice age.

They have warned that this is likely to be linked with the rapid warming that the region has experienced in recent years.

Methane is about 20 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide and many scientists fear that its release could accelerate global warming in a giant positive feedback where more atmospheric methane causes higher temperatures, leading to further permafrost melting and the release of yet more methane.

The amount of methane stored beneath the Arctic is calculated to be greater than the total amount of carbon locked up in global coal reserves so there is intense interest in the stability of these deposits as the region warms at a faster rate than other places on earth.

Read the full article.

MLK Speech on Civil Disobedience, I mean, “Terrorism”

Cross-posted from GreenIsTheNewRed.com

Sep 24th, 2008 by Will Potter

I’ve written before about how Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. would be labeled a “terrorist” for his tactics, and radical politics. But when I heard these speeches by Dr. King about his opposition to the Vietnam War (when others were urging him to remain “single issue”) and his unwavering support for civil disobedience… well, it gave me chills.

I certainly found this at the right time. I was in dire need of some inspiration like this. Funny how it always seems to come along right when you need it most. Here’s a link to the MP3 from Democracy Now (the excerpt below is near the end).

"I say to you, this morning, that if you have never found something so dear and precious to you that you will die for it, then you aren’t fit to live.You may be 38 years old, as I happen to be, and one day, some great opportunity stands before you and calls upon you to stand for some great principle, some great issue, some great cause. And you refuse to do it because you are afraid.

You refuse to do it because you want to live longer. You’re afraid that you will lose your job, or you are afraid that you will be criticized or that you will lose your popularity, or you’re afraid that somebody will stab or shoot or bomb your house. So you refuse to take a stand.

Well, you may go on and live until you are ninety, but you are just as dead at 38 as you would be at ninety.

And the cessation of breathing in your life is but the belated announcement of an earlier death of the spirit.

You died when you refused to stand up for right.

You died when you refused to stand up for truth.

You died when you refused to stand up for justice.”

Wild-rice, Horses and Environmental Justice

After a wholesome meal of wild rice and wild-crafted mushrooms, I find myself inspired to recount my experiences at the Anishinaabeg reservation, home of the White Earth Land Recovery Project, a program founded by Winona Laduke. And with the excitement of recent actions against Dominion coal still ringing in my head, her words carry a timely significance; "If I can stop a few coal plants from being built, or put up a some wind turbines, I can go the Creator knowing that I tried."

We met Winona at the Ripple Effect concert at the RNC. She enjoyed the fun yet sophistacted spectacle that is the Sustainable Living Roadshow, and invited us to her reservation. They were having a pow-wow that weekend, and would be blessing a piece of land set to receive a new structure, a symbolic device offering a degree of independence for the reservation: a 20 kW Mitsubishi wind turbine. It was a momentous and appropriate invitation, we could not refuse.

I woke up on the bus in the early morning, having fallen asleep during the late-night ride to the res. I walked outside into a field, immediately struck by the air. I wasn't prepared for this kind of cold.

The people of at the pow-wow welcomed us warmly to this cultural event. Rotating crews of men beat drums and sang unfamiliar words with powerful and hypnotizing voices. Men and women in traditional and semi-traditional clothing danced their respective dances in circles, in a sort of competition. The dresses of some women jangled as they walked. Their clothes had many ribbons, with small cones of metal hanging from their ends. I was intrigued to learn that sometime in recent history, a woman was instructed in the dream to replace with traditional sea-shell dangles with aluminum can lids, rolled into cones.

The kids at the pow-wow were off the wall, to say the least, free to run around and have fun. Ofcourse, with our games and free giveaways we were honored by their constant attention. It was cool seeing 8 year-olds running around with RYSE stickers on them. Three little kids were interested in our Dr. Bronner's soap samples. So interested, in fact that they ended up opening the packets and squirting them at me.

By the end of the day, I was exhausted. The bitter cold had returned, but fortunately a man at the pow-wow was selling winter hats! I spent some time hanging out with a veteran named Doug, while others chilled at a small fire. I turned in early. We had another important day ahead of us.

We had been invited to see a part of the long process of obtaining wild rice. Unfortunately the timing wasn't right in order to see the harvest, where canoes are used to float by the rice, and sticks are used to knock the rice into the boat. It's a skillful art as old as time. The process of rendering the final product, however, has been modernized to an extent. We were brought to the processing facility, where a half-dozen men (and one boy) operate decades-old furnaces, shaking and rotating machines. The grain pods must be heated, rotated, heated again, filtered and separated. I can't imagine how much work it took before the machines. Of course, these people are making more rice then they can ever eat. They sell the high-quality wild rice to small health-food stores and individuals across the country via their website.

Proceeds from rice sales constitute a major source of income for the people of the reservation. They are able to continue their ancient practice of harvesting and share their gift with the world. This gift, however is being threatened by industrial agribusiness. In an attempt to streamline the production of the highly-valued rice, the University of Minnesota is attempting to grow genetically modify "wild rice" to make it easier to harvest and process. There, of course, would be no control of genetic contamination, which could cross-pollinate with and effectively take the "wild" out of the rice.

Wild rice sales (and other Wild Harvest products) help to fund the White Earth Land Recovery Project, which has been fighting agribusiness corporations to keep the rice GMO free. The Project is set up as a land trust, buying up land previously inhabited by the Anishinaabeg tribes.

The Project is also working to address issues of environmental and energy justice. Like the people of Southern Appalachia, Native populations have been continuously oppressed by the energy industry. Native reservations are disproportionately affected by uranium and coal mining, processing, and waste.

Recognizing the true cost of coal, the White Earth Land Recovery Project and members of the reservation have worked to make their homes more efficient, install solar water heaters, and will soon be getting more of their electricity of locally produced wind power.

In order to prepare the land for a new 20kW wind turbine, a ritual was performed which, according to an elder, had not been performed for over 100 years on that land. Our crew was lucky enough to be invited to participate in the ritual. I will close this post with my previous recollection of that event.

"Thirty-three living beings stood in a circle, meditating, blessing this piece of earth. Twenty-nine humans and four horses. These four special individuals stood facing the four directions, wearing the four colors of the four races of man, linking us all to our past and to the Creator. These strong and dependable creatures took part in the ritual with a solemn humility. We could all sense an enchanting connection with those great beings. It was as if they knew of our intent, and encouraged us with their blessing.

This horse ritual had not been performed on the land for more than 100 years, and its revival was as momentous as it was mesmerizing. It was performed in order to prepare the earth for a landmark of both purpose and function. On that spot will soon stand a new wind turbine."

Obama: New Hope or just New Packaging?

"Clean coal." He said it. His acceptance speech sounded so good until he got to that phrase. To hear such a beautiful and inspiring speech be soiled by such a dirty myth, I couldn’t help but immediately respond by shouting expletives.

But it’s not like I didn’t see it coming. Walking the streets of Denver during the Democratic National Convention I was constantly insulted by messages of "clean coal." That’s because the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) spent more than 2 million dollars this week on a pervasive advertising campaign, targeting delegates and attendees of the DNC. During the blaring heat of the late summer days, paid programmers of the coal industry passed out cardboard fans, which read, "I’m a fan of coal." They even passed out water bottles stating "someday, coal will be as clean as this water." This is what we’re up against, people.

The industries that are killing us are lying to us. This, of course, comes as no surprise. But it is utterly alarming to see such an aggressive campaign of disinformation at what is believed to be one of the most progressive turning points of our time. And to hear the symbol of hope for the future, the O man himself, plug "clean coal" in the forefront of his energy plan (followed by nuclear, and then solar, as a remote footnote)... all I can say is, "Oh Man!" No actually I can say a lot more than that.

It’s a reality of the corporate-governmental structure, that anyone who speaks out directly against the most powerful and polluting industries could not make it to the office of President. If Obama spoke out against coal, he wouldn’t get the coal states. It’s that simple. But why is he is actively propagating the destructive and deceiving myth of clean coal?

I’d like to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he’s taking their money and paying them lip service, just so that he can get into a position of power where he can change things. Maybe one if his first acts as President will be to ban the practice of mountaintop removal coal mining and then to take up Al Gore’s challenge of freedom from fossil fuels by 2018. But then again… maybe not.

I don’t want to get too far out here, but perhaps this is all part of the Empire’s plan. Give the people a leader that they are happy with. Someone articulate, charismatic, someone who can relate to their struggles, someone who promises change and everything they want to hear. Lull them back to sleep, back into apathy. And then continue on with business-as-usual.

Look at how involved people have become in response to the ridiculousness of the Bush regime. People (youth, especially) are actually starting to give a damn about the state of the world. Won’t it be so much easier to sleep at night when you trust the man in charge? Don’t worry. He’s got it under control. Go back to school. Go back to work. Go back to sleep.

Let’s hope that’s not the case. Perhaps what he says about McCain is also be true about himself. "It’s not that he doesn’t care, it’s just that he has no idea." Maybe we just need to help him understand. Let's offer him and Michelle a romantic flyover of the Appalachian Moonscapes of Southern West Virginia. Let's get him in the same room with Larry Gibson or Maria Gunnoe and have them tell their stories.

Whatever the case is with this particular presidential candidate, one thing is clear: we have our work cut out for us. Those promoting the myth of clean coal have all the dirty money in the world at their disposal. And the fact that they are spending as much as they are to spread lies tells us something: They are threatened by the work that we are doing. They are threatened by what we have, which they will never have: the Truth. And they know the more people know the truth, the less powerful they become.

Defeat the myth. Spread the truth. By whatever (non-violent) means necessary.

Fun at the DNC, day one

It was an arduous trip from Berkeley to Denver, but we made it here last night. The city was nice enough to great us with a fireworks show. So nice of them.

Denver seems like a nice place. The people are friendly, the city is visually appealing, and with the exception of the temporarily excessive police presence, it's seems like a pretty chill place to be. We spent the day today running our "Conscious Carnival" games as part of the Green Frontier Fest, which was mostly an expo of green businesses, clean energy, and "sustainable" consumerism. (If only we could buy our way to sustainability.)

I had a lot of fun running the "Toss out Fossil Fuels" bean bag toss game. Something about encouraging small children to hurl chunks of simulated coal in order to "take out the power plants," as I like to put it, brings a tingle to my heart.

Being so busy with the Roadshow, I figured I'd miss the action that was bound to ensue at the convention, but, by chance, I heard a report of a "riot" breaking out not two blocks away from the Green Fest. I decided to borrow a bike and ride over to check it out. The "riot" consisted of a couple black flags, and a few dozen storm troopers, in full regalia. As I expected, the only visible signs of violence were embodied in the weapons of the authorities. I bet they've been waiting all year to show off their new toys! People looked on in awe, hesitating to jay-walk for fear of being pepper sprayed or hit with rubber bullets and batons. Quite the demonstration of power. Let's not forget who's in control. "Who's streets?" Their streets, clearly.


Back at the festival, I decided to spend some time canvassing for RAN's agribusiness campaign. After a few minutes talking to the festival-goers, I found that the people were incredibly responsive to the mission and strategy of RAN. Nothing like flipping the ratio, and getting 9 out of 10 people to sign your list! I walked around, casually meeting people, and talking about rainforest destruction for palm oil. I've never had such an easy time talking about such heavy material. (Ironically, as I type this, I realize that the almond butter sample tubes that I've been enjoying for days contain... you guessed it, palm oil.)

As the event ended, and we began to break down, a couple familiar faces appeared. As they began to talk in wacky voices, accompanied by a camera crew, we realized they were correspondents from the Daily Show. They were doing a bit about the giant windmill blade, and how the DNC is so green that they trucked the gigantic blade all the way from Texas. We watched them shoot and reshoot the take several times, and then some of us decided to make a move. Donning the "GMO Freakshow" posters, three of our eco-carnis silently approached the crew. It was just awkward enough to totally weird them out, and they were somehow convinced to give us some air time, with an impromptu interview! Watch the Daily Show this Tuesday, as they totally rip us into pieces! There's now such thing as bad press... right?

OK, well, that's just the end of day one at the DNC. 5 hours to sleep before a long day setting up for our full-blown eco-carnival on Tuesday. I'm also pretty psyched to be giving a short talk at the end of the "Procession for the Future," which I still have to prepare for. I'll let you know how it goes!

San Francisco kick-off party kicked something!

Just want to leave a note and record about send-off party we had on Sunday night. It was held at CELLspace (Collective Exploration Learning Labs) in San Francisco. Its a shared space for artists and activists, supplying a "public environment for the exploration of art, education, performance and community building." It's existence is due in part to 8 years of hard (and unpaid) work by SLR co-founder, Jonathan Yout. An old industrial factory of some sort, with high ceilings and beams, the space has been built up physically and energetically, to create quite a fun arena and gathering place. (And check out the Hunab Ku logo!)

I started the night setting up a RAN table, showing off some literature about Bank of America and Citi, and how they fund climate change. We also set up the "GMO Freak Show," an element of the carnival where you stick your face in a wacky poster and someone takes a picture. After setting up, I got started helping with food preparation. If you're going to have a gathering, you've got to have food! We threw together all the veggies we had, and made a pretty decent soup, if I do say so myself.

I was not prepared for the calibur of the entertainment that night. The music and visual acts totally blew me away. I particularly enjoyed the sounds of Beats Antique, an electronic amalgam of ancient and ritualistic musical elements. I was not surprised to learn that they'll be opening for Bassnectar on his upcoming tour.

There were also some sick visuals projected during the later performances. They were oddly familiar to the visuals I had seen the night before during the Bassnectar performance, between sets of STS9 at the Greek Theater (great freakin show, btw). I learned that it was in fact the same visual artist that performed at the show. Among other things, he used scenes from Baraka and the online video, techno plants.

The was closed out by the Extra Action Marching Band. They really know how to get a crowd going. Blaring horns, pounding drums, and a rather, umm... visually stimulating color gaurd. I think I'm going to find myself a horn somewhere along the road and get my chops back in shape... They made me miss marching band, that's for sure, although I don't remember it being quite like that, epecially the color gaurd.

The night was not only filled with amazing entertainment, but also some quality people. It was so great to see everyone come together to wish us luck on the tour. Hopefully next year we'll be able to take them all with us!

The journey has just begun...

The Sustainable Living Roadshow is ready to roll!





Hello blog world! Marty here, checking in from Berkeley, CA, where the crew of the Sustainable Living Roadshow is making final preparations before embarking on its first national tour, "Be The Change 2008." We are a caravan of entertainers, educators and activists, traveling the country in a fleet of renewable fuel vehicles, setting up off-the-grid eco-carnivals, empowering and inspiring communities to work towards a sustainable and just future. There'll be carnival games like "Toss Out Fossil Fuels," workshops, demonstrations, and some amazing musical acts. It's time to make sustainability fun!

Over the next 11 weeks, I'll be bringing you updates and pictures from the road. I'm lucky enough to be representing Rainforest Action Network (RAN) and RAN Youth Sustaining the Earth (RYSE) on this epic journey across the US. I'll be giving workshops on climate action and RAN's campaigns, and getting youth fired up about challenging corporate power with RYSE. I'm also taking an active role in logistical planning for the tour, networking with student groups along the route, and organizing educational materials. It takes a lot of work putting on a roadshow, but its going to be an incredible ride!

We're hitting the road on Thursday, two bio-diesel busses and a box truck. First stop: the Democratic National Convention in Denver! (If you'll be there, don't miss our benefit party on August 26th, featuring the Motet Trio and reggae legend Luciano.) Then it's on to the RNC in St. Paul, followed by a handful of stops at universities and festivals across the country, including, Chicago, Knoxville, New Orleans, and Austin. Check out our schedule for details as they become available.

We're looking for volunteers at all of our events, so please let us know if you can help!

Well, that's it for now, time to get back to work. See you on the road!

"WE ARE ONE, AFTER ALL,
YOU AND I.
TOGETHER WE SUFFER,
TOGETHER EXIST,
AND FOREVER WILL
RECREATE EACH OTHER."
Pierre Teilhard De Chardin

THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR COAL

Earth Policy Institute
News Release
April 2, 2008

THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR COAL
A Long Year in the Life of the U.S. Coal Industry

http://www.earthpolicy.org/Updates/2008/Update70_timeline.htm

Lester R. Brown and Jonathan G. Dorn

With concerns about climate change mounting, the era of coal-fired electricity generation in the United States may be coming to a close. In early 2007, a U.S. Department of Energy report listed 151 coal-fired power plants in the planning stages in the United States. But during 2007, 59 proposed plants were either refused licenses by state governments or quietly abandoned. In addition, close to 50 coal plants are being contested in the courts, and the remaining plants will likely be challenged when they reach the permitting stage.

What began as a few local ripples of resistance to coal-fired power plants is quickly evolving into a national tidal wave of opposition from environmental, health, farm, and community organizations as well as leading climate scientists and state governments. Growing concern over pending legislation to regulate carbon emissions is creating uncertainty in financial markets. Leading financial groups are now downgrading coal stocks and requiring utilities seeking funding for coal plants to include a cost for carbon emissions when proving economic viability.

On March 11, 2008, Representative Henry Waxman of California introduced a bill to ban new coal-fired power plants without carbon emissions controls nationwide until federal regulations are put in place to address greenhouse gas emissions. If Congress passes this bill, it will deal a death blow to the future of U.S. coal-fired power generation. Yet even without a legislative mandate for a moratorium, the contraction in financial support for new coal-fired power plants is escalating toward a de facto moratorium. The timeline that follows is witness to what may well be the beginning of the end of coal-fired power in the United States.

------------------------------

---------------------------------
A Long Year in the Life of the U.S. Coal Industry -- Timeline
On-line at www.earthpolicy.org/Updates/2008/Update70_timeline.htm.

26 February 2007 - James Hansen, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies and a leading climate scientist, calls for a moratorium on the construction of coal-fired power plants that do not sequester carbon, saying that it makes no sense to build these plants when we will have to "bulldoze" them in a few years.

26 February 2007 - Under mounting pressure from environmental groups, TXU Corporation, a Dallas-based energy company, abandons plans for 8 of 11 proposed coal-fired power plants, catalyzing the shift from coal-based to renewable energy development in Texas.

2 April 2007 - The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the authority to regulate carbon dioxide and that EPA's current rationale for not regulating this gas is inadequate.

3 May 2007 - Washington Governor Christine Gregoire signs a bill that prevents new power plants from exceeding 1,100 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per megawatt hour of electricity generated, creating a de facto moratorium on building new coal-fired power plants in the state.

30 May 2007 - Progress Energy, an energy company serving approximately 3.1 million customers in the Southeast, announces a two-year moratorium on the construction of new coal-fired power plants.

2 July 2007 - The Florida Public Service Commission denies Florida Power & Light the permits needed to move forward with the massive 1,960-megawatt coal-fired Glades Power Park, citing uncertainty surrounding future carbon costs.

13 July 2007 - Florida Governor Charlie Crist signs an Executive Order establishing "maximum allowable emission levels of greenhouse gases for electric utilities." Under the emissions cap, building new coal-fired power plants in the state seems unlikely.

18 July 2007 - Citigroup downgrades the stocks of Peabody Energy Corp., Arch Coal Inc., and Foundation Coal Holdings Inc., prominent U.S. coal companies. The decision reflects the growing uncertainty surrounding coal's future in the United States.

18 August 2007 - After opposing new coal-fired power in Nevada, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says that he is opposed to building coal-fired power plants anywhere.

18 October 2007 - The Kansas Department of Health and Environment denies Sunflower Electric Power Corporation air quality permits for two proposed 700-megawatt coal-fired generators on the basis that carbon dioxide is an air pollutant and should be regulated.

3 January 2008 - Merrill Lynch downgrades the investment ratings of Consol Energy Inc. and Peabody Energy Corp., two leading U.S. coal companies.

22 January 2008 - The Attorneys General of California, six eastern states, and the District of Columbia submit a letter to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control opposing the proposed 1,320-megawatt Pee Dee coal-fired power plant. They note that emissions from this plant would "seriously undermin[e] the concerted efforts being undertaken by multiple states to address global warming."

30 January 2008 - Citing escalating costs, the Bush administration pulls the plug on federal funding for FutureGen, a joint project with 13 utilities and coal companies to build a demonstration coal-fired power plant that captures and sequesters carbon.

4 February 2008 - Investment banks Morgan Stanley, Citi, and J.P. Morgan Chase announce that any future lending for coal-fired power plants will be contingent on the utilities demonstrating economic viability under future carbon costs. Demonstrating economic viability would require speculation of future costs, imposing a risk on the investment.

8 February 2008 - The U.S. Court of Appeals overturns two EPA mercury rules covering coal-fired power plants, thus requiring new coal-fired plants to implement the most stringent mercury controls available. Compliance is expected to raise the considerable costs of 32 proposed coal plants, some already under construction.

12 February 2008 - Bank of America announces that it will start factoring in a cost of $20–40 per ton of carbon emissions in its risk analysis when evaluating loan applications from utilities.

19 February 2008 - The federal government suspends a low-interest loan program for rural utilities seeking assistance for new coal-fired power plants.

11 March 2008 - Representatives Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Edward Markey (D-MA) introduce a bill that would block the EPA and states from issuing permits to new coal-fired power plants that lack state-of-the-art carbon capture and storage technology. Since this technology is at least a decade away from commercial viability, if this bill passes it would essentially place a near-term moratorium on new coal-fired power plants.

---------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Earth Policy Institute, www.earthpolicy.org, April 2008.
Additional details and references at www.earthpolicy.org/Updates/2008/Update70_timeline2.htm.

# # #

For a strategy on how to phase out coal-fired power generation worldwide by 2020, see Chapters 11 and 12 in Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization, available for free downloading at www.earthpolicy.org.

Additional resources at www.earthpolicy.org

For information contact:

Media Contact:
Reah Janise Kauffman
Tel: (202) 496-9290 x 12
E-mail: rjk (at) earthpolicy.org

Research Contact:
Janet Larsen
Tel: (202) 496-9290 x 14
E-mail: jlarsen (at) earthpolicy.org

Earth Policy Institute
1350 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 403
Washington, DC 20036
Web: www.earthpolicy.org

5 Cauac

I woke up at 4am from a dream. I was working in a gift shop with drastically uneven floors. Fragile items kept falling from the shelves, shattering. I felt frustrated and helpless, in a pointless and unfulfilling job. After thinking about the strange dream for a few moments, I wrote the following.

We are living in a crazy dream,
with our heads in the clouds,
completely disconnected from reality.
So why not walk the edge of insanity?
Why not push that reset button?
question assumptions
disregard conditioning?
because this myth isn't working anymore.
We are not in charge
we are not separate from creation
we can not dominate and pollute without killing ourselves
there is no technological fix for a fatal world view.
this grand flying machine we invented,
that makes us feel so high,
it's not soaring in the sky
its in free-fall, falling fast
and a few of us see the ground coming

I don't want to be part of this lie
at all costs, I'm abandoning ship
put on my parachute for a graceful decent
because we're doing ourselves in
this stage of evolution is coming to an end
we can't run from the truth any longer
well you can. but it's going to kill you.

not everyone is willing to wake up.
"some people have been in the matrix for so long
they're willing to die to defend it.:
they simply can't be unplugged.
and that's fine, that's evolution, baby.
I'm not going to go along with the lie.
I will transcend. I will ascend,
and will only concern myself with one question;
"who's coming with me?"

I'd like to believe that we can make it.
that it's not too late,
that there can still be a massive awakening,
a global shift in consciousness,
that we can change our game before time is up.
But I would be much more comfortable, much more sane
praying for the souls on the ship
from the safety of my lifeboat.
Hoping for the best.
Preparing for the worst.