Action at the Department of Interior!

April 18, 2011

BREAKING: Activists Staging Sit-in at Dept. of Interior Demanding Phase Out of Fossil Fuels

Residents from Gulf Coast, Appalachia and interior West join students and climate justice activists in calling for more action on extractive industry.
For Immediate Release

Contact: Scott Parkin; on site mobile- 415-235-0596;
Henia Belalia; on site mobile- 510-529-8927
Email— extraction@risingtidenorthamerica.org

Photos: available upon request.

Washington D.C.—Hundreds of climate activists marched to the Department of the Interior’s headquarters today, with twenty people committing civil disobedience inside, calling for the abolition of offshore oil drilling, coal mining and tar sands extraction. Reclaim Power led hundreds from Lafayette Park to the agency’s headquarters in Washington D.C. the same day after Powershift, a mass youth climate conference, ended and 2 days before the one year anniversary of the BP Gulf Oil Disaster.

The Dept. of Interior has oversight over two agencies, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) and the Office of Surface Mining (OSM), which are responsible for the BP Oil Spill, mountaintop removal coal mining and tar sands oil drilling in southern Utah. Furthermore, the Dept. of Interior just opened up over 7,000 acres of land to industry for coal extraction in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin.

“Our demonstration today is to show that Wyoming might be small in population but mighty in heart,” said Kevin Uransky, a resident from Wyoming’s coalfields and member of High Country Rising Tide participating in the sit-in. “We don’t want to just stand by and allow big corporations to destroy our homes, our way of life, and some of last open, beautiful, and undeveloped terrain left in the United States. We want to show that Wyoming has a voice not to be drowned out by those of more represented states, we have a voice, we have an opinion, and we want to be heard.”

Reclaim Power is being led by residents of residents of the Gulf Coast, Appalachia and the interior West – regions directly impacted by heinous oil, gas and coal extractive industries. Participants are calling for the Obama Administration and the federal agency to phase out harmful mining and drilling practices and facilitate transitions to sustainable local energy systems.

“The Dept. of Interior has been allowing the killing of my community and Appalachia’s mountains by the coal industry for decades” said Junior Walk from Boone County, West Virginia. “King Coal has poisoned Appalachia with toxic water, toxic air and toxic waste. It’s time for real action, not merely political posturing. I commend these fiery activists taking risks and making change for our communities and the climate.”

“For all practical purposes, Louisiana and the Gulf Coast function as a third world resource colony within the US. For a hundred years, our people and ecosystems have been sacrificed to provide cheap energy and big profits,” said Devin Martin, a native Cajun from southern Louisiana. “We pay for the hidden costs of oil and gas with our health and our lives through air pollution, oil spills, and a completely corrupted state government. We already lose a football field of coastal marsh every 38 minutes, and now rising sea levels from climate change will put my home, including New Orleans, under water permanently.”

Reclaim Power also seeks to highlight the ruthless manner in which extractive industries are allowed to treat workers and the communities they operate in. “Obama’s administration allows oil and coal to make millions from the natural resources in our communities and leave behind nothing but misery,” said Ben Kessler of Rising Tide North Texas, a participant in the sit-in. “The 11 workers who died on BP’s oil rig and the 29 who perished in Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch coal mine were killed by the same thing; corporate greed. These deaths are not accidents. They are the direct result of these companies cutting corners in pursuit of profit. Obama and his Dept. of Interior are complicit in this.”

“It’s called “public land,” not “industry land” and in Utah public land is most valuable exactly the way it is,” said Ashley Anderson, co-founder of climate group Peaceful Uprising and a student at the University of Utah. “The Dept. of Interior will not be permitted to sacrifice public land to an outdated deadly industry. Residents in Utah intend to keep the carbon in its public lands in the ground. We warn the Dept. of Interior: dirty energy is the public’s enemy, and a friend of our enemy is our enemy.”

Obama’s Dept. of Interior allows the fossil fuel industry to run amok on eco-systems, communities, workers and local economies. Last year’s, Deepwater Horizon disaster killed 11 workers and spilled over 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The results have devastated local economies, fisheries and wetlands. Mountaintop removal is a radical form of coal mining in which up to 800 feet, sometimes more, of densely forested mountaintops are literally blown up to reach thin coal seams. Already, 500 mountains and 2,000 miles of streams have been lost due to this devastating mining practice. It has been recently discovered that oil companies in southern Utah greatly exaggerated the acres of land to be developed for tar sands extraction from 60 to over 30,000. The 758 million tons of coal to be extracted from the four competitive leases in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin will be the equivalent of 300 new coal-fired power plants.

Today’s march and sit-in are a preview to Rising Tide North America’s “Day of Action against Extraction” happening in two days on April 20th, the anniversary of the BP Oil Spill. The day of action will feature protests by Gulf Coast residents fighting offshore drilling, Appalachians resisting mountaintop removal coal mining, Texas, Pennsylvania and New York residents opposing natural gas hydrofracking, Canadians fighting tar sands mining in Alberta, as well as other community groups engaged in fights against extractive industries. Protests are also planned for the UK, New Zealand, and Australia.

Reclaim Power’s and the April 20th’s Day of Action against Extraction demands include:

• An immediate phase out of fossil fuel extraction and a just transition to truly sustainable forms of energy
• Community control over natural resources
• Recognizing the sovereignty of indigenous nations and their right to control resources on their lands.
• Reparations from both state and corporate entities that have profited from extraction in order to fund ecological restoration, full health coverage, and sustainable livelihoods in impacted communities.

For more information please visit www.extractionaction.net

####

Rising Tide North America is an all volunteer climate justice network with over 50 chapters and local contacts that works to confront the root causes of climate change.

Climate Reality Tour Report Back

Climate Reality Tour: Report back. Look ahead

Time	Thursday, March 24 · 7:00pm - 10:00pm
Location	Jam Jar 1719 Lamont Washington, DC
Created By	Climate Reality Tour
More Info	SAVE the DATE! * Potluck * Music * Report Back * Look Ahead * It's been three months since the UN Climate Summit ended in Cancun, and since the end of the Climate Reality Tour. Please join us for a multimedia potluck debrief of our adventure. We're excited to share videos of inspiring organizers, photos of the gorgeous bike trail, and the insights gleaned on this 9 week movement-building climate justice odyssey. We'll then cast our glance forward to the climate justice movement-building opportunities of the spring: Powershift and the March on Blair Mountain. Then we'll be graced by music from the Sligo Creek Stompers! * For those of you not in DC, we'll be posting all the final photos and videos shortly, and a summary of our report back for all to see. We hope to see you there! James + Jamie For more info, see: http://climaterealitytour.org/ http://www.friendsofblairmountain.org/

UPDATE: Two activists arrested at Massey Energy Stock Holder meeting

Activists disrupted the annual general meeting of criminal corporation Massey Energy this morning in Richmond, VA. Two of the group were arrested as they demanded an end to Massey’s reckless disregard for human life, community health, and the environment.

As shareholders entered their meeting in the main ballroom of the sheik Jefferson Hotel, activists occupied the adjacent rotunda, chanting loudly and draping a massive banner over the ornate mezzanine railings. The 10’ x 10’ hand-painted banner read, “Massey – Stop Putting Profits Over People!”

“Coal mining is dangerous. It’s dangerous for workers, dangerous for surrounding communities, and dangerous for the future of our planet. It’s time we move off of our dependency on coal and transition to a just, safe, clean energy future.” said Kate Rooth of DC Rising Tide, one of those who disrupted the meeting. “Massey Energy is notorious not only for putting their bottom dollar over people’s safety, but for driving people out their communities and poisoning their drinking water.”

Protesters loudly read an open letter to Massey (below) demanding they cease mountaintop removal coal mining, a practice that is destroying central Appalachian communities. A similar open letter was tendered by two activists who yesterday were assigned an outrageous $100,000 bail after non-violently blocking the driveway to Massey’s regional HQ in Boone County, WV.

As activists disrupted events inside, several hundred unionists and environmentalists rallied in the rain outside – albeit separately – to demand accountability for Massey’s despicable record of dangerous mine conditions, and its devastating social and ecological impact. Rally-goers pointed to the recent explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine in Montcoal, WV that killed 29 miners, and its mountaintop removal operations throughout Appalachia in their indictment of Massey’s corporate greed.

The activists arrested today in Richmond, Kate Finneran and Oscar Ramirez, remain in custody as Massey Energy continues jeopardizing workers’ lives and blasting apart mountaintops and communities throughout Appalachia.

Slide Show:

New Press Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 05/18/2010

Contact: Lacy MacAuley, (202) 445-4692, lacymacauley@gmail.com

James Ploeser, (202) 253-9274, james.ploeser@gmail.com

Update: Two mountain justice supporters arrested at site of Massey Energy stockholder meeting with shouts, banner

“Massey: Stop Putting Profits Over People” said banner

Richmond, VA – Two activists were arrested at the location of the Massey Energy stockholders meeting after unfurling a banner from the mezzanine above the elegant grand foyer of the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Virginia. The banner reads, “Massey: Stop Putting Profits Over People.” The arrests occurred toward the beginning of the meeting. The activists were reading an open letter (below) to Massey Energy demanding that the company cease mountaintop removal coal mining, a practice that is destroying central Appalachia. Several hundred mine workers and environmentalists are rallying outside the building on the street to demand that Massey Energy value mine safety.

[VIEW PHOTOS of arrests, banner on Flickr*]

The two individuals, Kate Finneran, 22, and Oscar Ramirez, 25, both members of the environmental group Rising Tide DC, were brought to Richmond City Jail at 501 North Ninth Street. According to Ramirez and Finneran, who were able to make phone calls from the jail, both were to be released this afternoon on their own reconnaissance and charged with a misdemeanor trespass charge.

"Coal mining is dangerous. It’s dangerous for our workers, dangerous for surrounding communities, and dangerous for the future of our planet. It’s time we move off of our dependency on coal and transition to a just, safe, clean energy future.” said Kate Rooth of Rising Tide DC. “Massey Energy is notorious not only for putting their bottom dollar over people's safety, but for driving people out their communities and poisoning their drinking water."

Massey, a company with a terrible track record of safety violations was also responsible for the April mine disaster at Upper Big Branch mine in Montcoal, West Virginia which resulted in the death of 29 workers. In 2008, Massey made a $20 million settlement with the EPA for 4,500 Clean Water Act violations filed between 2000 and 2006. Now, in 2010, they are back in court for polluting America’s waterways again, this time for 971 Clean Water Act violations in 2008 and 2009.

The activists occupied the mezzanine level in the main foyer of the Jefferson Hotel and the banner they unfurled was a 10’ x 10’ hand-painted banner.

Over 500 mountains in the US have already been destroyed by mountaintop removal coal mining.

More photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dcrt/sets/72157623962766237/

SDS and DC Rising Tide join forces to FUNK the WARMING!

Jan 29: Funk the Warming - Down With the Fossil Hawks

Mon, 01/11/2010 - 22:15 — DCSDS

bringing the ruckus against climate chaos and corporate resource wars from stolen Native American land to Iraq and Afghanistan

8.5x11" b&w flyer
11x17" poster
quarter sheets

>> Who?
. You, your fly crew, and your dancing shoes
. mad rowdy young people and our allies
. DC Students for a Democratic Society & DC Rising Tide
in alliance with the Peaceable Assembly Campaign

>> What?
funkadelic youth & student-powered mobile street party
bringing down the corporate lobbying machine

>> When?
Friday January 29th, noontime

>> Where?
Lafayette Park
Washington, DC

>> Why?
Last month, Fossil Hawks celebrated two great victories: the US-led failure of the Copenhagen climate summit and Obama's escalation of the War on Terror in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Thanks to their aggressive lobbying, the world's worst CO2 emitters, companies like Shell and Exxon, are free from new international pollution regulations and fixing to reap huge profits from Obama's expanding resource wars in the strategic oil and natural gas-rich war zones of the Middle East and Central Asia.

The importance of challenging the violence and treachery of corporate power is becoming increasingly clear to the Climate and Anti-War Movements. If we want to turn the tide of climate chaos and corporate resource imperialism, then 2010 must be a year of unprecedented cooperation between our movements in creative resistance against the Fossil Hawks.

With the US military's ranking as the world's #1 gas guzzler (oil consumer & user), buying from the top polluting transnationals, the problem runs deep. The annual CO2 output of the Iraq War is greater than 139 (60%) of the world's countries. It gets worse, but much of the toxic output from the War on Terror is hard to put a number on. We know that US bombs release heavy doses of other greenhouse gases, and pollutants like depleted uranium (DU) are in regular use. There is a long history of US military-industrial eco-devastation: trench warfare gases in WWI, nukes in WWII, agent orange in Vietnam, DU in Gulf War I, and it'll keep coming 'til we bring them down.

>> Fossil Hawks, WTF?
Fossil Hawks are the war-making corporate climate criminals and the politicians who serve them. They are the mining companies, energy companies, weapons manufacturers, military logistics companies, and mercenaries who profit from resource wars and lobby to sabotage US and UN environmental regulation. Many are at the top of the 122 companies responsible for 80% of global CO2 output. They are diversified corporations and lobbies invested in war and environmental exploitation.

* Exxon is expanding natural gas operations using Halliburton's "fracking" process, poisoning North American aquifers while selling jet fuel to US forces bombing Afghanistan until it's "stable" enough for pipelines moving Caspian natural gas.

* Shell simultaneously profits from Iraqi oilfields and from the fuel US tanks burn to protect them while clear-cutting for tar sands in Alberta and lobbying for "Clean Coal" technology in DC.

* Caterpillar sells the same monstrous gas-guzzling D-9 bulldozers to Massey Coal for mountaintop removal mining in West Virginia that US tax dollars buy for Israeli Military demolition of Palestinian homes.

Climate justice activists march on polluters and lobbyists in downtown Washington DC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sBfv4LBYj8

Posted Nov 30th, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 30, 2009

Contacts: Lacy MacAuley, (202) 445-4692, lacy@massey-media.com

Nadine Bloch, (202) 412-7611, nbloch@igc.org

Morgan Goodwin, (413) 884-5240, morgan.goodwin@gmail.com

Climate justice activists march on polluters and lobbyists in downtown Washington DC

Feisty unpermitted march blocks traffic, marks the tenth anniversary of the WTO shutdown in Seattle, demands “Corporations out of Copenhagen” one week prior to the UN climate summit

Washington DC – Climate justice activists this morning marched through downtown Washington DC to visit climate polluters and the K Street lobbyists who represent them, joining thousands more in cities across the country for actions marking the November 30th Mobilization for Climate Justice. The march occurred just one week before the beginning of international climate negotiations in Copenhagen and marked the tenth anniversary of the historic day when activists converged in Seattle to non-violently shut down the meetings of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

[Click to view PHOTOS of today’s climate justice march in Washington DC]

“Oil companies, lobbyists, and banks are driving climate change and using their influence to prevent us from taking swift action to stop climate change. They are accelerating us off of a climate change cliff by promoting business as usual. They’ll just save themselves with their golden parachutes, leaving the rest of the world in free fall,” said organizer Lacy MacAuley, “We are calling for ‘Corporations out of Copenhagen,’ asking businesses and their lobbyists to step aside and let us create meaningful solutions to climate change, solutions that place people before profit.” Continue Reading »

video

Pepco(al) Under Fire for Sourcing Electricity from Coal

DC Rising Tide activists hold a street theater event in front of the headquarters of Pepco in Downtown Washington, DC, to demand that Pepco stop sourcing their electricity from Mountain Top Removal coal.


October 26, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Pepco(al) under Fire for Sourcing Electricity from Coal

Contact: dcrisingtide@riseup.net

Slideshow of photos: http://s694.photobucket.com/albums/vv309/dcrisingtide/street%20theater%2010-26-09/?albumview=slideshow

Video from the event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ0yJ-n8O3w


Washington, D.C.
DC residents with the activist group DC Rising Tide today publicly presented their demands that Pepco stop sourcing electricity from coal, and particularly coal from Mountain Top Removal coal mining. The activists made their demands for renewable energy with a theatrical fight between “Pepcoal” and wind power in front of the headquarters of Pepco and its parent company Pepco Holdings.


The "Pepcoal" smokestack, Wind Power, and Mountains at Pepco's office in DC

“As a DC resident receiving my power from Pepco, I am outraged that most of that electricity comes from burning coal, especially from coal from the Mountain Top Removal coal mining destroying Appalachia,” said Erica Madrid.

The activists demonstrated the role that Pepco Holdings plays in the destruction of mountains and valleys in Appalachia by enacting a fight between coal and a coal-burning power plant and wind energy, with the mountains and the planet representing the stakes in the fight.


"Pepcoal" battles with Wind in front of Pepco's office building


Wind knocks out "Pepcoal" to save the mountains

“Pepco is supporting the destruction of Appalachian mountains, communities, and streams, as well as the destruction of the global climate by using all that coal,” said Andrew Thomaides, as he handed out fliers to Pepco staff.


DC Rising Tide activists handing out fliers to staff and passerby's

In 2008, the electricity that Pepco provided to DC residents came mainly (53%) from coal, and only 0.5% came from wind energy. A large part of the coal burned for Pepco electricity has come from Mountain Top Removal mining in Appalachia. In addition, the parent company Pepco Holdings, Inc. owns two coal- fired power plants and a number of other fossil fuel plants. Pepco Holdings renewable energy facilities represent less than 1% of the generating capacity of the facilities it owns. The company is even planning the construction of two new fossil fuel power plants.

The DC Rising Tide group’s demands include that Pepco Holdings stop sourcing electricity from Mountain Top Removal coal mining, replaces that electricity with renewable energy, and stop construction of new fossil fuel power plants. The public demand today comes several weeks after the group sent a letter with their demands to Pepco Holdings. The group received a letter in response that failed to respond to their key demands.


Banner reads "Pepco: Stop using Mountain Top Removal Coal! - DC Rising Tide"

Mountain Top Removal coal mining means blowing off most of a mountain and pushing the fill into the valleys. MTR has destroyed over 500 mountains and over 2,000 miles of streams in Appalachia. Mining and burning of coal also represents one of the greatest sources of greenhouse gas pollution, which is fueling the climate change that threatens life on Earth.

DC Rising Tide, an all-volunteer collective organizing for climate justice, is making its demands of Pepco Holdings in solidarity with the communities of Appalachia that are struggling and taking action to stop the destruction of their mountains.



DC Rising Tide activists march in front of Pepco, chanting "no more coal!"



More photos here.

dcRT hosts coal film festival-- next Tuesday (10/13)

Join DC Rising Tide for the...

**STOP MOUNTAIN TOP REMOVAL film fest!**

Come learn about Mountain Top Removal coal mining, and how folks in Appalachia are taking action to stop it!

**When? Tuesday 13 October at 7PM
**Where? Belmont House in Adams Morgan, 1830 Belmont RD. NW, Washington DC (located between columbia rd and 18th st. nearest metro: woodley park)


Find out how you can join DC Rising Tide in fighting MTR and fighting for climate justice right here in DC!

This night of short films about coal, environmental justice, and direct action is ***FREE***

For more info e-mail dcrisingtide@riseup.net


--
What is DC Rising Tide? We are part of the Rising Tide North America (www.risingtidenorthamerica.org) collective. Rising Tide is a grassroots network of groups and individuals who take direct action to confront the roots causes of climate change and promote local, community-based solutions to the climate crisis.

Check us out at
dcrisingtide.blogspot.com

in Charlotte, NC, 44 arrested protesting Duke's Cliffside Coal Plant, including 4 activists from dc rising tide

North Carolina ups the ante against coal. 44 arrested protesting Duke Energy’s Cliffside coal plant

April 20 300 people took to the streets of Charlotte, NC to demand that Duke Energy stop the construction of the 800 mw Cliffside coal plant in Rutherford County, NC. After rousing speeches from coalfield residents and local church leaders the crowd marched to Duke Energy’s headquarters. Shouts of “No new coal!” and “Cancel Cliffside” echoed off the skyscrapers of the nations second largest financial center, as the crowd wound its way through the lunch hour traffic.

Full article: http://www.risingtidenorthamerica.org/wordpress/2009/04/06/mass-rally-and-civil-disobedience-to-stop-the-cliffside-coal-plant-join-the-cliffside-climate-action-april-20-charlotte-nc/

For updates check out www.stopcliffside.org

one of dc rising tide's activists arrested at the the protest

Local Activists Expose Chevron as Fossil Fool

On Fossil Fools day, local DC activists
launched a Greenwash Guerrilla action
to help Chevron be a bit more honest in its advertising...

Today, on Fossil Fools Day, local DC activists launched a Greenwash Guerrilla action to help Chevron be a bit more honest in its advertising. The group decided to re-work Chevron’s hypocritical metro and bus stop ads that appeal to the public to reduce their individual energy consumption. A clarifying phrase was added to the ads, which portray people declaring that they will “use less energy,” “unplug stuff more,” “leave the car at home more,” etc. The phrase “While Chevron pollutes” was added to the bottom of each declaration using transparencies and clear packing tape.

“Chevron execs are Fossil Fools indeed if they think they can fool the public into thinking they are doing good things for the environment,” said one activist.

Outside of insinuating that the buck stops with individual action only, these ads are also interesting suggestions from a major fossil fuels company whose environmental record boasts such egregious and largely un-acknowledged atrocities as the dumping of more than 19 billion gallons of toxic waste water into Ecuador over a period of twenty-two years, or the releasing of around 3.8 billion pounds of toxic air and water pollutants into Richmond, Virginia each year. Or what about having been found complicit by the Nigerian government in gross human rights violations related to their oil production facilities there? Or taking over a company in Burma accused of assisting the Burmese military junta in the torture, murder and rape of villagers during the construction of a pipeline? Of course, there is much, much more (chevrontoxico.com/assets/docs/chevron-fact-sheet.pdf).

Clean up your act, Chevron!

See more photos at www.flickr.com/photos/dcrisingtide/

video, photos and media coverage from yesterday's action

dc rising tide interrupted the "world coal to liquids conference" here in washington, DC yesterday. see below for more information.

here is a video from the action: http://www.youtube.com/dcrisingtide

photo's: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dcrisingtide/

media/blog coverage:
dc indy media
its getting hot in here
infoshop news
coal is dirty
current
WSQT indy radio
rainforest action network
chesapeake climate action network
the small axe
causecast
TIGBlog
guerrilla news network

dc rising tide disrupts coal to liquids conference

Activists expose coal-to-liquids as a false solution

DC Rising Tide disrupt and denounce coal conference

March 26, 2009

Washington, DC. – Local activists with DC Rising Tide and their allies interrupted a coal industry conference today to denounce coal-to-liquids as a corporate scam that would continue the destructive path of the fossil fuel industry.

“ We have had enough of corporations trying to keep us hooked on polluting fossil fuels. They seek to profit from climate change and the destruction of Appalachia.” said Amanda Duzak of Rising Tide.

Activists stood in the audience and loudly presented speeches to refute the statements of coal and oil executives from Chevron, World Coal Institute, World Petroleum Council and Consol Energy. The advocates of clean energy called for an end to the use of fossil fuels and for adoption of clean, renewable, community-based energy sources. Protesters deployed banners in the conference to highlight that “Coal kills” and “Coal takes lives” and we need “Renewable energy now.”

“Pound for pound coal produces more CO2 than almost any other form of energy production. If we’re serious about tackling climate change, we absolutely must stop mining and burning coal. Coal to liquids technology is a step in the wrong direction for our air, water and climate.” said Michael Weber of Rising Tide

The activists explained that even if the unproven, expensive, and dangerous carbon capture and storage techniques were in place, coal-to-liquids technology, which would convert coal to oil for transportation, would generate twice as much greenhouse gas emissions as oil. It would also lead to an increase in coal mining that destroys rivers and mountains and threatens community health.

“Its time to stop investing in false solutions. We are facing a climate crisis. It is time to stand up and fight for a sustainable future.” said Emma Cassidy of DC Rising Tide.

Rising Tide DC is a grassroots group of activists working towards climate justice by debunking false solutions and advocating a community-based, clean energy future.

activists hang banner at "world coal to liquids conference." banner reads "coal takes lives. renewable energy now"

activist escorted out after interrupting the conference

activist stands on chair in protest as part of the "people's filibuster" during the world coal to liquids conference

activists post action. all activists were asked to leave the conference, but no arrests were made.

dc rising tide- established march 2009

dc rising tide is a local group for Rising Tide North America, based in Washington DC. the local group was established in March 2009. for more info and to get involved, email dcrisingtide@riseup.net


more info on rising tide north america (RTNA)
------
(from the rising tide north america website)

What is Rising Tide?

Rising Tide is an international network born out of the conviction that corporate-friendly and state-sponsored “solutions” to climate change will not save us. As a matter of survival, we must decrease our dependence on the industries and institutions that are destroying the planet and work toward community autonomy and sustainable living.

Who is Rising Tide?

Rising Tide is a grassroots network of groups and individuals who take direct action to confront the roots causes of climate change and promote local, community-based solutions to the climate crisis. Rising Tide was formed in the Netherlands in 2000 to bring a more radical voice to the COP6 (UN Conference of the Parties) climate talks that attempted (unsuccessfully, largely due to the efforts of the US delegation) to salvage what of substance was left of the Kyoto Protocol. Employing popular education and direct action to address the root causes of climate change with a focus on climate justice, Rising Tide now spans three continents.

Rising Tide North America’s strategy is based on a no-compromise approach of stopping the extraction of more fossil fuels and preventing the construction of new fossil fuel infrastructure. Equally important, we must phase out our current fossil fuel use and make a just transition to sustainable ways of living. What this means in terms of local organizing depends on the specific conditions unique to each town and bioregion. Rising Tide’s tactics are diverse and creative, taking a bottom-up approach to connecting the dots between oil, war, capitalism, coal, and the destabilization of the global climate.

Changes will be made by people, not institutions. For this movement to succeed, local communities need to take initiative and make this global struggle relevant to their towns and bioregions. We need to start thinking strategically about how to spark a nationwide uprising against the fossil fuel industry that not only disrupts business as usual, but inspires widespread resistance.

Practical solutions exist; it’s time we start using them and making them more widely accessible. We must dismantle the systems of oppression that permeate our culture and ourselves, and work toward real solidarity across lines of race, class, gender and sexual orientation. When we begin to build a culture of mutual aid and community autonomy, we demonstrate that we don’t need the government, and certainly not giant corporations, to survive. We just need a livable planet.

Climate Justice

As we have witnessed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the people most affected by climate change are the same people who have been exploited and oppressed throughout the history of civilization – those outside the dominant race and class. On a global level, the regions expected to be hit the hardest by severe droughts, storms and rising sea levels are generally places with the least fossil fuel infrastructure – in other words, the people least responsible for creating climate chaos.

The potential for environmental racism on a scale we’ve not yet seen is downright scary; we got a taste of the future in New Orleans, where environmental refugees attempting to flee a drowning city by crossing the Crescent City bridge to the un-flooded and affluent suburb of Gretna were turned back by gunshots by the remnants of the suburb’s police force. Such an environmental future cannot be allowed to pass; it’s high time we step up our efforts to build real relationships with poor people and people of color who stand the most to lose from climate change.

RTNA aims to build strong links with those who are already being affected by climate change, and to ally ourselves with environmental justice groups fighting pollution from refineries, power plants and coal processing facilities.

PDF of RTNA pamphlet: Intro to RTNA

Also check out:

• Rising Tide UK
• Rising Tide Australia