W&M Students Protest Outside Bank of America

 

-Crossposted at WeArePowershift.org

Students at the College of William and Mary assembled at a Bank of America location in Williamsburg, VA on May 1 to protest the bank’s funding of mountaintop removal. Alongside local activists, the students waved signs and chanted outside the building, while participants with Bank of America cards went inside to close their accounts. A couple members of the group simulateneously handed out fliers at nearby businesses. As the location was along a major thoroughfare, the protesters frequently heard supportive honks from passing cars and observed locals curiously reading their signs. After spending a couple hours spreading awareness, the activists dispersed, pleased with their work and eager to do more.

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Climate Dots Connect Across MD this Saturday

 

This Saturday 5/5/12, people across Maryland and the world will take action to “connect the dots” between climate change, extreme weather and other climate impacts that are already affecting our lives. Organized by 350.org, Climate Impacts Day is shaping up to be another powerful demonstration of the grassroots determination to spur global action on this most urgent of global crises.

Here in Maryland we got off to an early start with our efforts to connect the dots when I traveled to Annapolis this week to chat with hardcore, Annapolis-based sailor Matt Rutherford.

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Earth Week in Virginia

Cross-posted at WeArePowershift.org

 

On April 22, 1970, students participated in an massive action declared by Gaylord Nelson, a senator from Wisconsin. Motivated by the recent Santa Barbara oil spill, teach-ins were held at college and university campus across the United States to protest environmental degradation. “Earth Day,” as the event was known, later became a prominent, annual avenue for citizens to discuss important issues affecting both their local communities and the wider world.

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The Moral and Climate Crises

I can’t remember ever participating in so many actions on an issue organized by religiously-based groups over such an extended period of time. It is a very hopeful sign that among people of faith, many different faiths, there is a clear stirring into action on this huge moral issue, this threat to human civilization and the ecological systems that have allowed for its development over the last 10,000 years.

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Letter to the Editor: Coal an unstable foundation for Southwestern Virginia's economy

-Cross-posted at WeArePowershift.org

-Written by Dakota Thomas, a senior at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise, in Wise County, Virginia

Link: http://www.highlandcavalier.com/2012/04/20/letter-to-the-editor-coal-an-unstable-foundation-for-swva-s-economy/

 

One can’t make it ten feet down the street of Wise without seeing a “Friends of Coal” sticker on a bumper or a sign espousing that “We keep the lights on.” And while coal is the driving force behind our economy today, people of the area’s minds are captivated by it as though the coal industry can do no wrong. But the coal industry is above all else a business. They make a profit by developing new, cheaper (read: less human dependent and more robotic) technology, or by securing legislative outcomes that favor them rather than good policy.

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Virginia Beach activists act out Big Oil vs. the Rest of Us

Commemmorating the 2nd Anniverary of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and prolonged, enormous oil leak, residents of Virginia Beach demonstrated this past Friday. 

Led by Oceana Virginia, the action included a mock oil spill, a fisherman whose livelihood was suddenly threatened, a sickened oil-covered dolphin, and a greedy oil tycoon profiting while people and wildlife suffer. Rarely do we see such a clear contrast between the risks of dirty energy for many and the wealth it brings a few.

Now is a critical time to note the dangers of offshore oil development. Offshore seismic testing threatens Virginia’s coast. Offshore seismic studies for oil and gas clearly signify a first step toward drilling. We know that would only prolong our dependence on fossil fuels and cause more climate pollution, so please take action to oppose seismic testing. If you are able to attend the hearing in Norfolk this Tuesday, we are counting on you to tell the federal government that we cannot allow seismic testing for oil and gas. To stop global warming, slow sea level rise, and protect our coast, we need to develop renewable energy now.

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Lessons from the Unknown Rebel

 

On Saturday, I helped lead Richmond’s 99% Spring Training Workshop. Among the many incredible lessons from the event, my greatest takeaway came via a pre-recorded video on the history of non-violent civil disobedience. Watching the history of America’s greatest social movements unfold reminded me of the incredible power of non-violent civil disobedience, when done correctly. Ironically, the weekend before, I was moved beyond words by Chris Hayes’ monologue on the same topic during his weekly cable television show.

Throughout the week, my mind has traveled through time in remembrance of the most courageous and effective strategies of social change. From women’s suffrage to the civil rights movement, non-violent civil disobedience has been used effectively to effect positive change in our society. However, the most memorable image of all, and a moment in courage I will always remember, belongs to “Tank Man”.

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Fracking: what happened in Annapolis?

 

Despite the threat of earthquakes and flammable drinking water and contaminated rivers, the Maryland General Assembly this week failed to pass a bill protecting Marylanders from the worst dangers of hydraulic “fracking” for natural gas. Our lawmakers failed to pass a simple bill that would have funded basic safety studies before any such drilling would be allowed in our state. How did this failure happen? The answer is simple: the American Petroleum Institute happened. 

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