See You in Jail: It's Not Symbolism When You Live in D.C.

Why I’m joining 2,000 people for a global warming mass arrest on Monday

On Monday I’m going to get arrested just two blocks from the U.S. capitol building. I’ll peacefully block the entrance to an energy plant that burns raw coal to partially power Congress. My motivation is global warming. My colleagues in civil disobedience will include the poet Wendell Berry, Country western singer Kathy Mattea, and Yale University dean Gus Speth.

Up to two thousand other people from across the country will risk arrest, too. We’ll all be demanding strong federal action to phase out coal combustion and other fossil fuels nationwide that threaten our vulnerable climate.

This mass arrest might seem symbolic and radical to many Americans. Symbolic because it’s purposefully organized amid the iconic images of Washington, D.C. And radical because, well, isn’t getting locked up kind of out there? And isn’t global warming kind of vague and distant?
Continue reading

Ask the Governor

Yesterday I called in to WTOP‘s monthly “Ask the Governor” show with Gov. Tim Kaine.

I’ve called many times before and don’t always get on but this time I was able to ask my question on the air.

Save the Ales!

Apparently, catastrophic sea level rise due to global warming is just not enough to destroy our quality of life. Now anthropogenic climate change is messing with my future ability to consume beer. This is just not right.

So some back story. Last weekend, some lovely friends of mine told me that climate change makes it harder to grow hops in traditional hops-growing areas (parts of the US and Europe) because earlier springs and hotter summers make it peak too early, and therefore reduce output.

Frank Kratovil luvs Green Jobs

Here at CCAN, the MD team and the VA team had a friendly bet going on about competing Town Hall Meetings that we worked on organizing (with some help from coalition partners) – which team could get the most people to turn out to the event? Well, the jury is still out on that one (our headcount is higher, but it was pretty close), but more importantly, this was a great opportunity to chat with MD’s newest Congressman, the Honorable Frank Kratovil.

Above is a picture of Mr. Kratovil, speaking to a packed house about green jobs and clean energy, and how awesome they are, and what is in the simulus package to help create them ($87 billion of investments in clean energy and 1.7 million new green jobs created, if you were wondering).

It was pretty inspiring, all this green talk, and not just from the Congressman. Our other panelists were Dr. Kevin Sellner of the Chesapeake Research Consortium, who had all kinds of fun facts and figures about the terrible things global warming will do to the Chesapeake Bay, and Benjamin Goldstein from the Center for American Progress, who talked about green jobs and clean energy potential right here in MD. Oh and me, I also spoke, so you KNOW that it was awesome.

Didn’t make it, but want to take action? Then send a thank you note to your legislators who supported the green stimulus bill (and if they didn’t support it, we’ll send them a spank you note instead). And spread the word – tell your friends, because it’s time to build a clean energy army!

Continue reading

Senate Committee Passes Global Warming Bill!

Exciting news! The Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductions Act – GGERA (pronounce that with hard g’s – “gugera”) – was passed by the Senate Education Health and Environment Committee yesterday! That’s the first milestone in getting this bill passed, and it did amazingly well, passing 7-2.

The reason I’m EXTRA excited about this is that Andy Harris (remember him? 9% Andy?) supported the bill, making it officially a bi-partisan effort. It’s about time too, because really, global warming effects all of us, regardless of race or gender or political party.

So what’s next, you ask? The Senate floor. Which is where all y’all awesome grassrootsy folks come in. We expect the Senate floor to take up the bill early next week.

Nonviolence Trainings for March 2

The momentum continues to build for the March 2 action at the coal-fired Capitol Power Plant. 75 organizations have now endorsed, and it is clear that thousands of people will be taking part in this action from around the country, including 150-200 or more people connected to CCAN!

Do you want to find out more about the plans and legal issues for this action? Do you want to learn, or be reminded, about the basic nonviolence principles and tactics that are guiding this mobilization? Do you want to be as prepared as possible for this historic day? We hope the answer is yes, and we hope that, accordingly, you will plan to be part of one of the pre-event nonviolence trainings. You have several options.

The first option is to join Kolya Braun-Greiner, Deepa Isac from Greenpeace and myself this Saturday, February 21, at an in-person training from 10 am to 1 pm in Takoma Park. If you can do this please be in touch. Please email me to RSVP.
Continue reading

Prayer Vigil for Capitol Climate Action

ghandiOn March 2, a mass action will occur at the coal-fired power plant that brings energy to Capitol Hill, bringing attention to coal’s contribution to the climate crisis and its threat to the health of future generations. The Capitol Climate Action, www.capitolclimateaction.org, represents the beginning of a mass mobilization for climate justice and energy solutions.

Participants engaging in civil disobedience at the coal plant are committing themselves to practice the nonviolence principles of Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. Just as the civil rights movement was rooted in nonviolence, much was inspired and sustained by the faith community. In keeping with this tradition the Capitol Climate Action will be preceded by a prayer vigil offering an opportunity for people of various faiths to offer prayers for the success of this action and calling upon their spiritual resources to ground them in this important work for a cleaner, brighter, future for all of creation, in what Dr. King would call “the fierce urgency of now.”

The Prayer Vigil will occur at the staging area for the action, at Spirit of Justice Park (about three blocks from the coal plant), C St. SE & New Jersey Ave. SE (two blocks west of Capitol South Metro), from 12:30 to 1 pm, on Monday March 2. Banners from worship communities are welcome.

  • Opening: Lakota prayer to the 4 directions/Chant –Rose Khalsa 5 mins.
  • Prayer: Muslim –Ibrahim Ramey 3 mins.
  • Song: Bright Morning Star– Rev. Fred Small 3 mins.
  • Prayer: Rabbi Arthur Waskow 3 mins.
  • Singing: Emma’s Revolution “Peace, Salaam, Shalom” 3 mins.
  • Prayer: Rev. Graylan Hagler 3 mins.
  • Reflection: Rabbi David Saperstein 3 mins.
  • Testimonial: Pete Ramey (Appalachian Mountain Stewards) 4 mins.
  • Mountain Prayer- Kolya 1 min.
  • Song: Luci Murphy “The Tree of Life” 3 mins

James Hansen joins voices calling for action

“I think it’s time we take a stand on global warming,” says James Hansen in this video calling on all of us to take part in the March 2nd civil disobedience on Capitol Hill. Just days after the Washington Post reported that the pace of global warming is likely to be much faster than recent predictions, the scientific community is calling on all of us to ramp up our efforts.

Join us on March 2 as we participate in the largest civil disobedience on global warming in history.