Coal Kills, report reveals the deadly impacts of coal in India
Crossposted from India beyond coal.
Coal Kills! We knew it all along and now a strong report has confirmed the obvious. A new report from Urban Emissions supported by Greenpeace and Conservation Action Trust shows that in the year 2011-12, 80,000-115,000 premature deaths have been reported due to emissions from coal. The report, the first of its kind in the country also shows that a massive number of asthma cases, totalling to more than 20 million were reported in that single year. The repors states that these numbers are conservative estimates which means that the number of casualties from coal could in fact be much higher.
Through detailed analysis, the report shows that the largest impact of emissions is over Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Indo-Gangetic plain, and most of central-east India. These are regions with high population density and greater vulnerability to impacts of coal . Using a conservative value of Rs. 2,000,000 ($40,000) per life lost, the premature mortality estimates from this study would result in a health cost of Rs. 16,000 to 23,000 crore ($3.2 to 4.6 billion) annually.
The emissions are a result of India’s growing dependence on coal for growth. With plans to dramatically increase power capacity generation through coal, the number of pre mature deaths is only set to rise. This is a dangerous trend that demands our attention and any more deaths are unacceptable. The alternatives in the form of decentralized renewable energy and energy efficiency are already here and their adoption is critical if we want to curtain these deadly impacts.
We need a moratorium of further mining in India and power plans near densely populated areas, we need a strong movement against coal! The India beyond coal project of 350.org is aimed at building the narrative against coal and pushing for the alternative solutions that already exist. Our day of action on November 10th 2012 showed that there is a growing fight against coal and the results of this report will only push us to do more to safeguard the health and lives of millions of Indians.
Here is an infographic on the health impacts. Please share it with your social networks. The full report can be dowloaded here.
Tonight! Strategy sessions across the United States.
UPDATE: here's the recording of the video chat (it ran long):
Tonight in over 100 communities across the United States, 350 organizers are meeting to discuss what's next for us and our movement.
At 7 PM Eastern / 4 PM Pacific, the strategy sessions will kick off with a video chat hosted by Bill McKibben and 350.org staff, who will talk about our current political moment, and background on some of the projects already underway across our movement.
Then, folks who are meeting in person will spend some time discussing what they do and don't like about these plans, and come up with ideas of their own. Hosts of local events will provide feedback to 350 staff, and we'll debreif the national conversation next Sunday (March 17th) at the same time.
To find an event near you, click here and enter your zip code: https://act.350.org/event/2013-strategy-sessions/search/
Even if you can't find an event near you, you're still welcome to watch the video chat and participate. To join in, just go to this site and click play when the time comes: https://act.350.org/cms/thanks/2013_strategy
Fighting alongside the #PacificWarriors
We're still waiting on photos to roll in from a bunch of the Pacific Islands from the Pacific Warrior Day of Action - but incredibly moving solidarity photos keep pouring in from around the world (see the Solidarity Photos here). In Kiribati their internet has been moving so slowly they can't load up any photos to us - which is not suprising - whenever I've visited Kiribati, the internet is often down for a day or two at a time. In Tonga, the team loaded up their amazing footage only for their computer to get all viral on it and wiped their entire collection of photos and video. As for Nauru - it remains largely a mystery as to what happens there, but we do on occassion hear from our organisers there - and when we do, it's usually something spectacular. For example, last year for the Connect the Dots day of action, they convinced the electricity company to turn off the generator, which powers the whole island, for 350 minutes! Then this morning I've just heard from our coordinator in Vanuatu, who has been stranded because of a massive storm that hit Vanuatu over the weekend, which has pegged back the internet to snail pace. Thankfully they are all ok there though. We did however receive these amazing photos from the teams in Pohnpei, the Federated States of Micronesia, Niue, and Palau (you can see the full collections on 350 Pacific's Facebook page).
FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA
NIUE
PALAU
Meanwhile, we've been blown away by the incredible solidarity shown by people around the world. Here are just a few more of the hundreds we've received.
ENGLAND
GUYANA
Photo highlights: Pacific Warrior Day of Action
Throughout the day, photos have been rolling in for the 350 Pacific Warrior Day of Action - not just of the amazing warrior dances in the 14 Pacific Islands nations - but also of the solidarity from people around the world. Here are just a few of the amazing photos that we've seen today - we're expecting many more to keep rolling in. So stay tuned to the Day of Action photo site, and if you're on Facebook, check out 350 Pacific.
Tokelau Warrior Dance
Tokelau warrior dance
Marshall Island Warriors
Marshall Island Warriors
Solidarity came from around the world
Bangladesh
Kazakhstan
Norway
Canada
New Zealand
Some tough news on Keystone XL
Friends,
Yesterday Time Magazine declared that Keystone had become the Stonewall and the Selma of the climate movement -- and today we got a reminder of just how tough those fights were, and how tough this one will be.
On a Friday afternoon, with Secretary of State John Kerry half a world away and D.C. focused on the budget fight, the State Department released a new environmental impact statement for the pipeline. Like the last such report, it found that approving a 800,000 barrel-a-day fuse to one of the planet’s biggest carbon bombs was “unlikely to have a substantial impact” on the tar sands or the climate.
That, in a word, is nonsense -- some of our most important climate scientists in the U.S. have written the State Department to explain exactly how dangerous Keystone is. Just yesterday Europe’s top climate diplomat pointed out that it would send a truly terrible signal to the rest of the world.
President Obama will be making a decision in a few short months. I won’t lie: today’s report makes the odds look even tougher -- and the power of the fossil fuel lobby hasn’t waned one bit.
But I’m reminded that the last time the State Department issued an environmental impact statement about the pipeline, we were just beginning this fight. That day in 2011, 50 people were arrested at the White House during the very first wave of protests against the pipeline.
This time around we’re tens of thousands of people stronger, and once again, I think we are just beginning to fight.
March 2nd: Stand with the Warriors of the Pacific
Keina Tu mai Ta olo Stand Up Let’s Go
Keina tu mai ta o Stand up, let's go
Kae whakatonu ko to ta aho To organize our day
Keina tu mai ta o Stand up, let’s go
Kae whakatonu ko toku aliki My Lord be with me
Ko toku aliki Tui Tokelau Lord of Nature Tui Tokelau
Hau he matagi ke moli au May a wind carry me (there)
Tui o Nuku Tui o Vavau
Hau he matagi keina tu
Hoa, hoa lava
Those words of blessing come from the Pacific archipelago of Tokelau. They carry special significance in this moment because tomorrow - Saturday, March 2nd - thousands of warriors from Tokelau and across 14 other Pacific Islands will be mobilizing at prominent locations to perform their unique war challenges, songs, and dances. They will carry a single message to the world and that is, “We are not drowning. We are fighting, and we need you to fight with us."
These warriors know who their opponents are in this fight. It’s clear that the islands will no longer exist if the fossil fuel industry digs up all the coal, oil and gas it plans on burning. We’re at a breaking point: it’s the future of the Pacific Island nations and territories - like Tokelau, Kiribati, and the Marshall Islands - versus the bottom-line of the fossil fuel industry. Their business model threatens the Islands' very survival, and since they will not back down in this fight, not Tokelau, not Fiji, not any island, then the fossil fuel industry must change its ways.
We already know that this change is possible, and the Pacific Islands are leading that change. Last November, Tokelau shut off the diesel generators that used to power the islands and switched over to 100% clean, renewable solar power. They were the first country to show the world that it is possible to go towards 100% renewable energy. Now, we are urging others to join in this commitment.
The narrative written so far for the Pacific islands nations has been one of victims at the hands of climate change, succumbing to the rising sea-levels. While it is true that island nations are and will continue to be at the front line of climate impacts, it is time to show the world the true warrior spirit of the Pacific Islands, and that they are not drowning, and that they are not about to give up.
As the people of the world see this warrior spirit, we must act to make sure that the world never gives up on the Pacific Islands. But acting will require us to find the strength, will and power to give up on fossil fuels. This is what it will take to change the narrative for the future of the Pacific Islands.
Calling up the spirit of the Pacific Warrior
One of our 350 Pacific organisers described why they chose to call on the fighting spirit of warriors and war dances:
The War dance is an integral part of Pacific history and tradition. It is symbolic of the very traditions and culture we fight to keep alive. The war dances were chosen as the medium for this day of action for this very reason. Every Pacific nation has a unique culture and a war dance that is representative of that culture; it is a common thread across all Pacific nations. The Pacific organizers felt it was hence appropriate to use the war dances as a symbol of solidarity amongst the island nations and to channel the pacific warrior spirit.
Stand in solidarity with the Pacific Warriors
As the photos stream in from across the Pacific Islands, we will be moving to share them in every corner of the world - through Facebook, email, Twitter (with the hastags #PacificWarriors and #climate) and our exciting photo solidarity platform. Wherever you are, you will be able to show that you are fighting with the Pacific Islands.
You can also sign the pledge of support here.
A huge thanks to our key sponsoring partner, the Pacific Voyagers Foundation.
Also thanks to our partner, UNICEF Pacific.
Forward on Climate: Bigger Than D.C.
I lost my voice during Forward on Climate, and I wasn’t even braving the cold in DC like 40,000+ amazing climate activists were. I was in sunny San Francisco (not to rub it in), standing on a corner outside of One Market Plaza, where a U.S. Department of State office is located, cheering over a brass band while serving as a monitor for a nearly 5,000 person solidarity march. Organized by over 70 Bay Area environmental and social justice organizations, this action was one of two dozen or so solidarity events that took place in conjunction with the big DC action on February 17th.
So much support came in from all across the nation, with each city adding their own local twist to the #noKXL message. In Medford, Oregon, artists constructed a giant salmon made of over 1200 recycled cardboard tiles. Actor Ed Begley Jr. emceed for a 1,000+ person rally in Los Angeles and another thousand marched in Denver. St. Paul, Minnesota, sent off a DC-bound train full of folks in style by hosting a press conference inside the Amtrak station. Iowans across the state started their weekend by hand-delivering letters to their representatives. In Chicago, where President Obama previously served as a state senator and community organizer, hundreds of students marched to a U.S. Department of State office. Washington state made it a week of action. And the list goes on and on!
Medford's giant salmon. Photo by Rory Finney.
The quantity and quality of these solidarity events is a true testament to the power of a national movement united for climate action. And with modern technology and social media the thousands of miles of distance between DC and where I was in San Francisco didn’t even feel that far; we were all standing together for the same vision. I ended the day with the most profound love and respect for the climate movement as I’ve ever felt and my feelings only grow stronger each time I see the photos we’ve received from all of these actions.
I invite you to check out these photos for yourself here! And if you have any from a solidarity action you attended we would love to add them to the album - just email them as an attachment to [email protected] with your location as the subject line.
Interfaith Healing Seder for the Earth
As the spring approaches in the northern hemisphere, many of us will celebrate Passover, Easter and other holidays of remembrance and rebirth. It's a special time of the year that compels us to think about our relationships to each other and to creation--that's why our friends at the Shalom Center have developed a powerful Interfaith Healing Seder for the Earth. See below for a couple quotes that kick off the ceremony, and click more to see the whole thing:
Ten Plagues, Ten Healings
WISDOM FOR THE JOURNEY
“I felt as if my legs were praying.” — Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, coming back home from the voting-rights March in Selma, Alabama, 1965
“Prayer is meaningless unless it is subversive, unless it seeks to overthrow and to ruin the pyramids of callousness, hatred, opportunism, falsehoods.” — Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, 1970
The Story of #ForwardOnClimate
Great Media Coverage for “Forward on Climate” and Keystone XL Protest
Another great outcome from this weekend’s “Forward on Climate” rally in Washington, DC, was the tremendous amount of media attention it generated.
Civil Disobedience at the White House
The action started last Wednesday, when 48 movement leaders were arrested during a sit-in at the White House. The “papers of record” like the Washington Post and New York Times picked up the story, quoting participants like Sierra Club President Michael Brune and civil rights leader Julian Bond. Reuters, Politico, Fortune, NPR, the Associated Press, the Hill, the Examiner, and others also covered the rally.
At the same time, highly-trafficked gossip sites like Perezhilton.com, E Online, and People gasped at the sight of teenage heart-throb (and Taylor Swift ex-boyfriend) Conor Kennedy getting arrested at the action.
"We aren't sure how Conor came to be involved," gushed Perez, "But we bet his great-uncle John F. Kennedy — a legendary American who once lived in the residence where the protest was staged — would be proud as peach pie to see a descendant risk his reputation for a cause he deemed worthy."
Local papers picked up the story. In Nebraska, the Journal Star profiled the farmers and ranchers who got arrested. The Philadelphia Inquirer ran a big story on a Philly mom of two who took part in the action. More papers in KansasCalifornia, New York, British Columbia, and elsewhere covered the action.
The sit-in even broke through onto network TV. Fox News couldn't get enough of the event: Fox Business News interviewed Sierra Club Executive Director Mike Brune, Sean Hannity brought on Daryl Hannah and told her he'd pay for her bail next time (and then agreed with her that everyone wants clean air and clean water). Univision, CBS, ABC, CNN, CBC News, Democracy Now, Al Jazeera and others also covered the news on TV.
Action on the Hill
On Thursday morning, fresh from their arrests the day before, the Sierra Club's Mike Brune and 350.org's Bill McKibben headed to Capitol Hill to join Senator Barbara Boxer and Senator Bernie Sanders in introducing a new climate bill and then rally with progressive leaders in Congress who oppose Keystone XL.
The events got good coverage in the DC political press, with stories in Politico and the Hill. The Wall Street Journal wrote that the "climate change battle" was heating up again while Rolling Stone asked, "Is Congress finally moving on climate change?" Gannet and Reuters stories got picked up all across the country, from outlets like the Chicago Tribune to USA Today.
The Big Day: "Forward on Climate"
The real deluge of press came from the big day itself: February 17th's massive "Forward on Climate" rally. The press coverage from Forward on Climate blew away any press coverage from August 2011's sit-ins that first helped turn Keystone XL into a national campaign or the November 2011 rally to circle the White House.
TV was the real coup of the day. Between 2009 and 2011, network nightly news coverage of climate change went down 72% and it hasn't improved much since, according to Media Matters for America. But for "Forward on Climate," nearly all the networks came out. CBS News covered the "thousands marching in DC to protest Keystone XL" while NBC Nightly News ran with a headline "Rally urges action from Obama on climate change." CSPAN and MSNBC broadcasted live from the event, with Up With Chris Hayes interviewing 350.org founder Bill McKibben and Chief Jackie Thomas from the Saik'uz First Nation in Canada. The Weather Channel did some great coverage that is already up on YouTube. Univision and Telemundo also covered the rally in Spanish.