Print This Post
A report from Bill McKibben at 350.org
Here’s Bill McKibben, speaking for the 350.org crew:
Two days ago we scored a landmark victory in the fight against the dirtiest of our energy sources–and your statements of solidarity drove our success home.
Please check the 350.org website for more news.
There’s still lots to be done to build a movement against coal, a crucial step that gets us back to a safe climate and a 350 world.
But for now let’s check the day’s scorecard:
1) Largest anti-coal action yet in the United States: Thousands and thousands of people flooding the streets around the Capitol Hill power plant.
2) Largest demonstration in many years where everyone wore dress clothes: The point was to stress that there’s nothing radical about shutting down coal-fired power. In fact, there’s everything radical about continuing to pour carbon into the air just to see what happens.
3) Smallest counter-protest in world’s history: By my count, the Competitive Enterprise Institute managed to muster four demonstrators for its “celebration of coal” rally, which is about the right size. (But they were kind of sweet; they had signs that said: “Al Gore, Not Evil, Just Wrong.”)
4) Number of arrests: None, zip, zilch, nada.
The police said so many demonstrators showed up that they had no hope of jailing them all. So we civilly disobeyed all afternoon, blocking roads and incommoding sidewalks and other desperate stuff, all without a permit or a say so. We shut down the power plant for the day. And we’d pre-won our main victory anyhow, when Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid preemptively cried uncle last week and announced that coal wouldn’t be burned in their plant any more.
5) Quantity of broad smiles afterwards: Almost unlimited. And in the air, there was the strong sense that we can do this. Really. What fun.
P.S. A few more things before I forget:
- People noticed us–this event certainly made it outside of the choir. There were articles in Time Magazine, CNN, the AP, and amazing photos and videos on the official site for the Capitol Climate Action.
- The action in Washington DC is just a part of a global movement against coal–check out recent anti-coal actions from our partners in Greece and India
- This fight is far from over, and you’ll be hearing from me shortly about how we’ll build upon this victory–and make 2009 a year marked by unprecedented action. Stay tuned.
——————————————————————————-
350.org is an international grassroots campaign that aims to mobilize a global climate movement united by a common call to action. By spreading an understanding of the science and a shared vision for a fair policy, we will ensure that the world creates bold and equitable solutions to the climate crisis. 350.org is an independent and not-for-profit project.
The silence from mainstream media was deafening. And, ever time I visit your site using Firefox, it crashes.
Finally, there is hope for the world! Well done 350.org team and everyone else who has stepped up to the plate. I’m amazed at the local response we’ve had in our ultra-Conservative riding. Churches, businesses, schools, college students, etc onside. Too bad there are only 8 days to go. Here too, the help from the print/news media has been dismal. Their bosses must be runing scared at the global uprising , if they are at all tuned in to the net!
Small efforts often lead to more efforts and sometimes greater efforts. And pretty soon, each of us is a part of the solution in our own way. And best of all, most of the time it’s fun.
In the course of planning this climate action I have experienced the power of taking action – like a pebble falling in water, the ripples never stop reaching out.