James Hansen: 46 Years of Science and Courage
Dr. James Hansen, the top climate scientist in the US has just announced his retirement from NASA.
He's been one of the best advocates a planet could ask for -- he even gave us our name when he wrote that 350 parts per million is the safe level of CO2 in the atmosphere.
If you're on Facebook, please SHARE this image to thank him for his work.
Breaking news about an old friend.
Dear friends,
Big news has just emerged: Dr. James Hansen, the planet’s premier climate scientist, announced his retirement as head of NASA’s Goddard Institute of Space Studies, where he began his career in 1967.
If 350.org has a patron saint, it’s Jim. It was his 2008 paper that gave us our name, identifying 350 parts per million CO2 as the safe upper limit for carbon in the atmosphere.
But as much as for his science, we respect him for his courage. He’s always been willing to speak the truth bluntly, from the day in 1988 when he told Congress that the time had come “to stop waffling so much and say the planet was warming,” to all he’s done to bring attention to damaging projects like Keystone XL -- even to the point of risking arrest to do so.
I have no doubt he’ll go on doing science, and speaking plainly -- indeed, he told the New York Times that one reason he’s leaving the federal payroll is so he can take on the government more directly.
But this is a big moment, and we need to mark it. Here’s what I hope you’ll do: honor Jim’s lifetime of work by making a public comment to the State Department about Keystone XL and tell them to reject the pipeline.
In this case, speaking out is simple -- click the link below to go to the page to submit from. There’s a list of ten arguments to choose from - you can mix and match or put it in your own words and just speak from the heart.
Click here to submit your comment: act.350.org/letter/a_million_strong_against_keystone/
Sending a message to the State Department might not seem like much, but I think it’s actually quite fitting tribute.
One reason we’re fighting the pipeline is because Jim Hansen did the math to show that if we combusted the tar sands on top of all else we burn, it would be “game over for the climate.” So far that message hasn’t gotten through: the State Department hired a bunch of compromised oil industry analysts to ‘review’ KXL, and unsurprisingly they decided it would have ‘minimal’ environmental impact. We need to get them to take reality seriously, and change that assessment.
Maybe -- just maybe -- with a truly overwhelming flood of comments, we can break through. Together with our friends across the movement, we’re aiming for an ambitious target of 1 million comments to the State Department to stop the pipeline.
Beginning this comment push is all the more timely after the disasterous tar sands pipeline spill in Arkansas, where thousands of gallons of toxic oil ran freely through the streets of a suburban community.
Jim Hansen has been to jail twice to try and block KXL. When I saw him in handcuffs, I cringed. I don’t mind going myself, but it seems crazy that we have to send our best climate scientist off in handcuffs; in a sane world he’d never have to leave the lab. And in a sane world we’d just be toasting his retirement from NASA with well-deserved champagne.
But it’s a crazy world, heating fast, and so we need to mark this historic day in a way that really counts.
Thanks,
Bill McKibben
P.S. - This article about Jim's work in the New York Times is supurb -- please take a moment to read and share: nytimes.com/2013/04/02/science/james-e-hansen-retiring-from-nasa-to-fight-global-warming.html
RE-volv Launches First Revolving Fund for Community-Based Solar Energy Projects
guest post from Andreas Karelas, Executive Director, RE-volv
When it comes to climate change, many people are concerned about the problem but don’t know what they can do to address it. The problem is so big that it can feel overwhelming to individuals acting alone. Thankfully 350.org has led the global charge organizing an incredible grassroots movement that brings people together to find creative ways to solve the climate crisis. Now we can add an additional tool to the mix: a collective investment effort for clean energy.
RE-volv, a non-profit organization based in San Francisco, offers an exciting new way we can reduce carbon and build the clean energy future we want as part of a collaborative effort. RE-volv has started a revolving fund, called the Solar Seed Fund, to finance solar energy projects for community-serving organizations. The revenues earned from one solar project go to pay for the next one, allowing the fund to continuously grow over time. The money to finance the projects is raised through crowdfunding, so we all can be a part of solving the climate crisis and building renewable energy in our communities.
This week RE-volv announced the signing of its first solar lease agreement with the nonprofit Shawl-Anderson Dance Center in Berkeley, CA. RE-volv will finance the solar installation using money raised from a recent and highly successful crowdfunding campaign. The nonprofit SunWork Renewable Energy Projects will install a 10kW solar energy system that will cover nearly 100% of Shawl-Anderson’s electricity usage. Shawl-Anderson will make no upfront investment, will save thousands of dollars on their electric bill over the course of the 20-year lease, and will own the system at the end of the lease. On top of that, the lease payments, when invested through the Solar Seed Fund, will finance an additional three community-based solar energy systems during the lease term.
Through crowdfunding, anyone can contribute to the Solar Seed Fund and be a part of this community effort to create a clean energy powered world. Together, we’ll serve numerous community-based organizations with solar energy, reduce their carbon footprints, save them money on their electric bills, and educate their community members about solar. We’ll be setting into motion a revolving solar fund that grows on its own for the purpose of serving countless communities with solar.
RE-volv is now looking for the next community organization to partner with for its second solar project. You can help RE-volv in its efforts by donating to the Solar Seed Fund, joining our mailing list, helping to spread the word about us on Facebook, and volunteering. To learn more, visit www.re-volv.org or feel free to get in touch with our staff.
Pembrokeshire community urges Nick Clegg to keep tar sands oil out of Europe
This article has been re-posted from the UK Tar Sands Network website.
From left to right: Lucy Patterson (Push Europe), Eleanor Clegg (Pembrokeshire Friends of the Earth), Isobel Braithwaite (Healthy Planet UK), Philippa de Boissiere (UK Tar Sands Network), Emily Coats (UK Tar Sands Network), Nicolò Wojewoda (350.org). Photo by Suzanne Dhaliwal.
Today Eleanor Clegg, Llangolman resident and member of Pembrokeshire Friends of the Earth, was joined by a coalition of concerned citizens and campaigners to present a petition to Nick Clegg in Whitehall, London. The petition, organised UK Tar Sands Network, 350.org, Campaign Against Climate Change, People & Planet, and Pembrokeshire Friends of the Earth, urged the Deputy Prime Minister to support the EU Fuel Quality Directive (FQD), legislation which will discourage imports of tar sands oil to Europe. The petition pointed out that increasing amounts of tar sands oil are expected to be imported to the UK, especially via Valero‘s refinery in Pembroke. Valero, a key supporter of the Keystone XL pipeline which would take tar sands oil to Texas, has also been the target of recent protests in the Gulf Coast. The petition had 4,000 signatures, and was received by the Deputy Prime Minister’s office, who claimed they were unaware of Valero’s plans to import tar sands oil to the UK.
The Canadian tar sands industry has received a barrage of international criticism from environmentalists and human rights campaigners for its devastating effects on nearby Indigenous communities, decimation of local ecosystems and contribution to global climate change.
A key issue of concern in Europe is the Fuel Quality Directive (FQD), which, if implemented as planned, would label tar sands as highly carbon intensive, thereby cutting off the EU market from tar sands-derived fuels and potentially setting a precedent for other markets to refuse tar sands oil. The legislation has been met with unprecedented lobbying from the Canadian government and oil industry, delaying the proposal significantly. The UK government has been one of several member states reluctant to support the proposal, abstaining at the last vote in February 2012. Another vote of EU member states is expected in October 2013.
“I have travelled to London today on behalf of my community because Pembrokeshire is likely to be the first port of call for tar sands oil to enter the UK,” said Eleanor, from Pembrokeshire Friends of the Earth. “Our community is strongly opposed to a fuel derived from such an environmentally damaging source being refined and used in Britain, and we certainly don’t want it imported through local ports. The Fuel Quality Directive is our best chance at slowing the rate of tar sands expansion and we urge Nick Clegg to step in and ensure the UK supports it.”
Eleanor from Friends of the Earth Pembrokeshire and Emily from UK Tar Sands Network to present petition to Nick Clegg. Photo by Suzanne Dhaliwal
“It is absurd that our government has been so receptive to the aggressive lobbying from the Canadian government and oil industry,” said Philippa de Boissiere, from the UK Tar Sands Network. “The vote in October will be a pivotal moment for both the tar sands industry and the reputation of the Liberal Democrats, who can expect to see an escalation of campaigning on the issue by the climate movement in the UK. Will Clegg drive a stake through the expansion of the world’s most destructive industrial project– or through his own reputation as a green force in the Coalition government?”
Coloradans Protest Sen. Bennet’s Keystone XL Vote & Gov. Hickenlooper’s Tar Sands Trip
Here's an update from our 350.org Colorado organizer Micah Parkin on two great actions that just took place:
Coloradans Protest Governor's Trip to Tar Sands in Canada for Energy Development and Bennet's Pro-KXL Pipeline Vote
By Micah Parkin
Today in Denver, Colorado, around 100 protesters gathered for a "Don't Frack Colorado for Tar Sands Oil" action in front of the Governor's Mansion and then marched to Sen. Bennet's Denver office to express disappointment with his pro-Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline vote Friday. We dressed in black and staged "human oil spills" at both locations.
Today's event was scheduled initially as a send-off for Governor Hickenlooper, who is travelling to Canada March 26-29, leading a delegation of 20 including representatives from the Canadian Consulate Office, on an "energy-focused mission", with a stop by the tar sands. That likely means that the Governor plans to promote the use of fracked gases from Colorado to develop tar sands oil. Huge amounts of natural gas and fresh water are used to superheat the tar sands in order to get the oil out, and natural gas condensate is used to viscosify the sludgy tar sands oil so that it will flow in pipelines.
So we gathered at the Governor's Mansion, held signs, chanted, rapped, and formed a human oil spill. Multiple group leaders spoke including folks from Idle No More, Eco-Justice Ministries, GoFossilFree CO campaigns, Earth Guardians youth group, 350 Colorado and more.
Then, since Senator Michael Bennet's deeply disappointed us with a pro-KXL pipeline vote last Friday, we decided to extend today's event and marched six blocks from the Governor's Mansion to Bennet's office to express ourselves. Tens of thousands of Coloradans have written letters, made phone calls and attended events urging our leaders to oppose the KXL pipeline. More than 1,000 people joined our #ForwardOnClimate/No KXL Pipeline event last month at Civic Center Park. 29,000 Coloradans have signed letters urging Senators Bennet and Udall to reject the pipeline. 40 people dropped off a sign-on letter at Bennet's office this past Monday signed by 1,811 businesses, organizations and families.
And yet Sen. Bennet still voted for the KXL pipeline. So who is he representing with his pro-KXL vote? We can only imagine that the vote has to do with the hundreds of thousands he has taken from oil and gas companies.
Bennet's staff came out to front steps wrapped in "Global Warming Crime Scene Tape", asked us to stop chanting so loudly (they have neighbors who might call the police), and explained that the vote Friday was a procedural vote simply stating that the KXL pipeline would have budget implications. What? Well that's certainly not how everyone else is interpreting the vote, so we asked if he supports the KXL pipeline. No answer. We asked if he would write an op-ed explaining his vote. Crickets. The crowd repeatedly asked why he would vote in favor of the KXL pipeline. No explanation.
Our Italian friends share: Climate change, it’s not just a bear issue!
The Italian Climate Network - 350.org partners - have been working to put climate change into the Italian context and their message? "Climate, it's not just a bear issue!"
Of course we know that one of the most vulnerable parts of the world to climate change and experiencing some of the most dramatic effects is the arctic, and therefore the polar bear has often become symbol for climate change campaigning. BUT, we also know that it's not just the polar bear that is affected, all of us are in different ways. So, with the help of a bear, the Italian Climate Network has put together 3 short videos to make the link between the need to reduce energy, but also how this can help your personal bills. Combined with fighting the root causes of the issue and the fossil fuel companies who continue to unashamedly use our atmosphere as a polluting ground, we can also be part of the solution!
Enjoy the Italian Climate Network's short clips and share on!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl9nQpqitfc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1taBg5CSPn8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6ZZFcI57PE
Bill’s Response to the Senate Vote Today
Friends,
After a very chaotic week on Capitol Hill, I wanted to write you with an update on what just happened in the Senate today.
First and foremost: the oil industry's Senators did not manage to pass legislation that would force President Obama to build Keystone XL.
Because you -- and people like you, all across the country -- jumped into action this week, they backtracked and instead held a vote on a nonbinding resolution that says it would be nice to build the pipeline, but doesn't actually do much about it. For that vote, they got the stomach-churning number of 62 Senators to vote with them. As usual, the ones who had taken the most money from the fossil fuel industry lined up to cast their votes—the cosponsors of the bill, on average, had taken $807,000 in dirty energy money.
Now, this amounts to symbolic chest thumping by the oil industry: showing just how many Senators they can get to jump when told to. It's not the worst thing that could have happened, but it reminds everyone why, in one recent poll, congress had approval ratings lower than head lice and colonoscopies -- even on the symbolic stuff, they can't get it together to stand up to the oil industry guys cutting them checks.
In a certain way though, this vote couldn't come at a better time. Congress is going on break, and for the next two weeks, these 62 Senators will be back in their home states, doing things like meeting with constituents -- people like you.
Home states are where some of the most heroic work took place the last week -- in Minneapolis, say, where 150 350MN.org activists showed up on very short notice at Sen. Klobuchar's office in a snowstorm to tell her to vote no on Keystone (and she did, it should be added).
If you're interested in following in the fine example of those leaders who held actions at their senators offices, you have a chance in the next two weeks.
We're looking for people who can step up to lead, and then we'll put the 350 network into action to get people to join you. If you want to lead an action, just click here to tell us when you'd like to do so: act.350.org/survey/kxl-senate-accountability-2013/
Look, there are two ways to react to a democracy for sale. One is to walk away in disgust, which is what the Koch Brothers count on. The other is to stand up and say: no more. If you visit your Senator, take some pictures or some video so we can share them around. It’s time to build this broader fossil fuel resistance.
And remember, Capitol Hill is not the center of the world. Around the country this week our friends at Tar Sands Blockade have been actively targeting Keystone investors; faith groups have been hauled off to jail in front of the White House to protest the pipeline; and the divestment campaign has expanded off college campuses and into municipal and state governments.
The movement is doing amazing stuff -- we just need more of it. We can’t outspend the oil industry, but we can out-organize them. In fact, we have to.
Forward,
Bill McKibben
Solidarity with the Immigration Reform Movement
One of the major movement efforts underway in the U.S. right now concerns a comprehensive reform of the immigration system. Our Board of Directors issued the following statement of solidarity today:
We stand in solidarity with our movement allies who are working towards comprehensive reform of the U.S. immigration system. This is a just and moral cause that affirms the fundamental equality of all people and we support it wholeheartedly. We do this in the spirit of true solidarity, knowing that the struggles for immigrant rights and climate justice are intimately linked.
From working with our partners around the world, we know that migration itself is increasingly a climate issue. Many people who have come to the U.S. in recent decades were fleeing impossible hardships at home, including hardships caused by weather-related disasters linked to climate change.
Upon arriving in the United States, immigrants all-too-often find themselves on the front lines of environmental racism, living dangerously close to dirty refineries, power plants, and mine sites. For decades, these communities have led courageous fights for clean air, land and water – and through their victories have kept uncounted tons of carbon and other greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere.
We are committed to supporting these crucial, front-line struggles and that means supporting immigration reform. Existing unjust laws keep millions of undocumented immigrants in the legal shadows, a place where fighting for the basic right to a clean environment can lead to prolonged incarceration and deportation. With comprehensive reform, these silenced voices will be liberated to grow louder and more forceful, making us all safer in the process.
Immigrants to this country bring a fresh and global perspective to our environmental challenges, as well as much needed political power. Together we can build a stronger, more resilient society, one that is capable of responding to the threat of climate change and to the opportunities for a fairer, cleaner economy. At 350.org we believe that respecting the Earth’s limits and unlocking the limitless potential of all people go hand-in-hand. We look forward to strengthening our alliances in the months and years to come.
Will your city divest?
We just sent out this email to our friends in the US. Not on our email list yet? Sign up here to receive crucial updates from the climate movement.
Dear Friends,
There are days when I get utterly preoccupied playing defense against the fossil fuel industry, trying to stop pipeline after frack well after coal port. It’s necessary work -- but there are also days when I remind myself we’ve got to go on offense too.
Today’s one of those days. We’re launching the next phase of our fossil fuel divestment campaign, bringing it off campus to include city, state, and town governments; religious denominations, museums, foundations -- anyone with an investment portfolio. If someone’s investing in the destruction of the future, we’re going to ask them to sell those shares.
Here’s how to get started. Our web-team has set up a new online petition tool that makes it easy for you to join up with a local campaign or start your own. These petitions will help you build up some local pressure, as well as start a local email list you can use for organizing (they’re so easy to use, even I can figure it out).
Click here to find or start a local divestment petition: www.GoFossilFree.org/start
Once you’ve got a petition going, it’s time to start organizing. Host a local meeting to get your group together, set up meetings with your key decision makers, make the case for divestment, and then figure out the type of pressure you’re going to need to get a victory. You’ll find some useful resources up on the GoFossilFree.org website -- and don’t hestitate to get in touch if you need help.
Click "Read More" to check out the full letter.
The Island President: Find or Host a screening near you
Join a screening in your town or city via PBS Independent Lens, which hosts free screenings and discussions throughout the country.
Host a special Earth Day screening of the captivating documentary The Island President through through Tugg.com, which partners with local theaters to host special screenings.