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.
#ForwardOnClimate Photos Streaming In!
It's just a little bit mindblowing to watch the photos from #ForwardOnClimate stream in from DC. Below is a slideshow of a Flickr set with some of the best:
And some great photos from the @350 Twitter Feed.
Tweets by @350Amazing! 35,000+ March at Forward on Climate Rally in DC
Here's a press release from today's absolutely incredible rally in Washington, DC:
Washington, D.C., February 17, 2013 – Today, during President’s Day weekend, more than 35,000 people are marching to the President's doorstep to support immediate action to contain climate change. People from more than 30 states across the country whose land, homes and health is being threatened by the climate crisis, as well as students, scientists, indigenous community members and many others are participating in this largest climate rally in U.S. history.
“For 25 years our government has basically ignored the climate crisis: now people in large numbers are finally demanding they get to work. We shouldn't have to be here--science should have decided our course long ago. But it takes a movement to stand up to all that money,” said 350.org founder Bill McKibben.
Rally participants are calling on President Obama to reject the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline and put limits on dangerous carbon pollution from the nation's dirtiest power plants. Much of President Obama's legacy will rest squarely on his response, resolve, and leadership in fighting the climate crisis. Rally participants are looking for him move forward on his recent State of the Union address declaration when he said, “For the sake of our children and our future, we must do more to combat climate change.”
“Twenty years from now on President’s Day, people will want to know what the president did in the face of rising sea levels, record droughts and furious storms brought on by climate disruption,” said Michael Brune, Executive Director of the Sierra Club. “President Obama holds in his hand a pen and the power to deliver on his promise of hope for our children. Today, we are asking him to use that pen to to reject the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, and ensure that this dirty, dangerous, export pipeline will never be built.”
The Keystone XL tar sands project would pipe some of the dirtiest oil on the planet through the breadbasket of America to be shipped overseas through the Gulf of Mexico. It would be a disaster for our climate, producing tar sands crude that kicks out two or three times as much carbon pollution as producing conventional crude oil.
“The Yinka Dene Alliance of British Columbia is seeing the harm from climate change to our peoples and our waters,” said Chief Jacqueline Thomas, immediate past Chief of the Saik’uz First Nation in British Columbia and co-founder Yinka Dene Alliance (“People of the Earth”). “We see the threat of taking tar sands out of the Earth and bringing it through our territories and over our rivers. The harm being done to people in the tar sands region can no longer be Canada’s dirty secret. We don’t have the billions of dollars that industry has. But we do have our faith that people will do the right thing to protect Mother Earth. The Forward on Climate Rally shows that we are not alone in the fight to stop tar sands expansion and tackle climate change.”
The Big Day is Here! Watch the live stream and send a message to DC!
The big day is here in DC -- for hours now, people have been streaming into Washington to prepare for what looks to be the largest climate rally in US history.
If you want to follow along, there will be a livestream of all the action in DC that starts at Noon Eastern (9 AM Pacific) -- just go to 350.org/ForwardOnClimateLivestream when the time comes, and press play to watch the action as it unfolds.
Also, here in DC we'll have a big screen down on the Mall today, and any photos you send with messages of support to [email protected] during the action will be shown up on the big screen. We'll also be showing Tweets, Instagram photos or Pintrest pins tagged with #ForwardOnClimate.
I'm sure Bill McKibben will send along a full report when the rally is over, but for now just enjoy seeing this big movement move -- and follow the up-to-the minute updates by following @350 on Twitter or just look at the tweets below!
Tweets about "#forwardonclimate"