Over 1,000 Sit-in at White House (+ Top Activism Stories)

Check out these top tar sands activism stories, followed by the most recent email from 350.org on this topic and more activism news:

Tar Sands

  1. The Weekend Wonk: Bill McKibben in Conversation with Thom Hartmann
  2. James Hansen Interview: Tar Sands, Jail – and the Energy Imbalance
  3. Ralph Nader: Tar Sands Pipeline Would Usher in “Corporate Dictatorship”
  4. Tar Sands Action Day 14: Canadian Native And American Indian Leaders Arrested During Protests On Indigenous Day Of Action
  5. Tar Sands Action Day 13: Former Obama Campaign Staffers And Volunteers Arrested Outside White House
  6. McKibben: Pipeline Decision Tells Us “Whether It Would’ve Made Much Difference If We’d Elected Hillary Instead.”
  7. Gore Pushes For Obama To Block Keystone XL Pipeline
  8. Center for American Progress on Keystone XL Pipeline Permit: It Is Not in the National Interest, Nor in Humanity’s Interest
  9. From Tim DeChristopher to Tar Sands Protests, the Environmental Movement Steps Up Civil Disobedience

Now, 350.org’s email today:

Dear friends around the world,

Remember that feeling Tahrir Square gave the globe earlier this year? Of hope, and peaceful revolution? There’s a glimmer of that in Washington, DC right now.

As I type this, over 160 people are in front of the White House sitting in and standing tall against the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline. They are continuing a historic wave of daily peaceful protests that began two weeks ago — It’s being called the biggest green civil disobedience campaign in a generation.

Let’s show the activists in DC that they have the support of a global movement. Stand in solidarity by signing and sharing the petition to President Obama to say “Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline!

tar sands activists white house

There’s a good reason that activists are focusing on President Obama: he has the power to sign — or not sign — a permit that would allow the 2,700 kilometer pipeline to be constructed. The pipeline would run all the way from Alberta, Canada, down to the Gulf of Mexico, carrying nearly one million barrels of oil per day right through America’s heartland. The tar sands are among the most environmentally destructive projects on the planet, and contain the second-largest pool of carbon on the planet (after the oil fields in Saudi Arabia). One of the world’s leading climate scientists, James Hansen of NASA, has declared that burning all of the oil stored in Canada’s tar sands would be “essentially game over for the climate.” Those are strong words, and they deserve to be heeded.

In just 24 hours, we’ll join our partners at a public rally outside of the White House, and deliver a giant petition signed by hundreds of thousands of people from around the world. Your signatures will be added to a mega-petition from a strong coalition of organizations, including many of our closest allies. Will your name be on the petition when we deliver it tomorrow?

The momentum from the campaign is inspiring — here’s just a sample of the recent developments:

  • This week has seen the biggest days yet of the “Tar Sands Action” civil disobedience — and the numbers of protestors are growing every day. It’s inspiring to see many protesters holding solidarity messages sent by350.org members from Egypt to the Maldives to Turkey and beyond.1 And you should hear the activists in DC cheer when they hear about the solidarity actions in New Zealand2, Canada, South Africa, Mexico, and elsewhere around the world.
  • The movement against the pipeline is getting a huge amount of media coverage: in the last few days the issue has been featured in front page articles in The New York Times and The Huffington Post, and we’ve had great coverage from CNN, NBC, AP, Reuters, and more. It was the very top story on Google News this week — and one of the most widely viewed stories on the Internet.3
  • Yesterday, Al Gore praised the bravery of folks sitting-in at the White House and then went on to strongly condemn the Keystone XL pipeline:“This pipeline would be an enormous mistake. The answer to our climate, energy and economic challenges does not lie in burning more dirty fossil fuels — instead, we must continue to press for much more rapid development of renewable energy and energy efficient technologies and cuts in the pollution that causes global warming.”

The message from the activists in Washington, DC is about much more than a pipeline: it’s about courage and commitment in the fight for a livable planet. To be honest, there’s no guarantee that we’ll stop this pipeline — but whatever happens we’ll be calling on this newfound courage and commitment again soon.

If the revolution in Cairo taught us anything, it’s that change doesn’t have to take forever. If enough people push, and you seize the world’s attention, you can tip the balance in mere weeks. For now, we’ve got 24 hours to amplify the voices of the brave in DC and beyond.

Let’s see what we can do,

May Boeve – 350.org

P.S. With all the excitement in DC, it’s hard to believe that “Moving Planet” — the big global day of climate action many of you are working on —  is coming up in just three weeks on September 24! From the tar sands to dirty coal, we’ll use that one day to connect the whole world with the kind of energy we see in DC. Please do get involved by starting or joining an event in your community.

More Activism Stories

Smog Standards

  1. Why Obama is wrong on smog standards
  2. Obama Administration Undermines EPA Efforts on Smog Protections

Other

  1. Follow my expedition into the Himalayas
  2. Help Save One of America’s Heirloom, Non-GMO Seed Houses
  3. Feds Set Stage for Critical Action to Help Chimps
  4. Cairn’s oil spill response plan: Hope there’s no oil spill

 

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