Will Obama bite the hand that feeds

Obama is talking tough on holding BP accountable for the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf, but is he really willing to bite the hand that feeds him. According to an article on Common Dreams, Obama received more money from BP than any other candidate in the 2008 elections, raking in $71,000 of their oily money.  Obama is  playing his cards in typical politician fashion, assuring us that his new drilling plans are on hold while the government reviews safety protocol. Which of  course means that Obama will put a few more weak regulations in place, assure us everything is OK, and then drill baby drill! Think I’m being cynical? The Associated Press reports, “A White House spokesman said this week that President Barack Obama remains committed, at least for now, to plans to expand drilling to new areas of the Outer Continental Shelf.”

We cannot allow offshore drilling to continue. For our oceans, deltas, marshes, and coastal communities that depend on these ecosystems for their sustenance, not to mention a stable climate, we must leave that oil in the ground. BP, state and federal politicians, must be held accountable for this disaster. Unfortunately we must add to the list of the usual suspects in environmental disasters such as these, some unusual ones: environmental groups like Environmental Defense Fund who have recklessly supported a climate bill that would open up more of our coasts to offshore drilling. Let me get this straight, we are going to reign in carbon emissions by drilling for more oil. Brilliant!

Grassroots climate groups are gearing up for a day of action against offshore drilling on May 14, stay posted for more details. We must ensure that Obama’s offshore drilling plans are stopped dead in their tracks, coastal communities are fully compensated for the devastation unleashed on them, and that BP, not tax payers, foot the bill.

Rising Tide North America Statement on Influence of Corporate Polluters on Big “Greens” Groups

SAN FRANCISCO- Rising Tide North America released the following statement on the influence of corporate polluters on Big “Greens” groups:

“For far too long Big Green groups like the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), Conservation International (CI), Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and many others have allowed their financial and political relationships with Corporate America to compromise their positions on the biggest ecological crises in history. These groups, ostensibly fighting on our behalf, have chosen to ally themselves with the very corporations that we must stop to avert catastrophic climate chaos. Rising Tide North America opposes the influential hold that corporate polluters have held on the Big “Green” groups for decades and calls on those groups to sever these relationships.

“We think transparency from environmental organizations is important. While some of these organizations happily accept monetary donations from corporations, some do have public policies that appear to limit such direct contributions. However, just as corporations and politicians have learned to circumvent campaign-finance and donations laws – a similar shell game is often played in the philanthropic world. Direct corporate monies may not always appear in organizational operating budgets – money and influence from corporations dramatically influence and sway the priorities, politics, and agendas of these organizations. Continue reading

Fossil Fools Day: Environmental Activists Target Big “Greens” For Link to Corporate Polluters

Fossil ‘Fools Day Protests Set for 30 Cities; Target Coal, Oil, Natural Gas and Big
Banks

SAN FRANCISCO—More than 30 cities throughout North America have organized
demonstrations against the fossil fuel industry, corporate banks and big
environmental organizations for April 1’st national Fossil ‘Fools’ Day.
Demonstrations are being coordinated by Rising Tide North America , which has also
launched an online campaign targeting “Big Green” groups that have taken money from
the worst corporate polluters. Key targets of the campaign include Conservation
International, National Wildlife Federation and Environmental Defense.

The National Day of Action – organized by Rising Tide North America, Mountain
Justice, a coalition of Canadian climate activists and others – will feature
clownish parades, flyering, subversive advertising, creative street theater, and
non-violent direct actions targeting the coal, oil, natural gas and banking sectors.
Cities where actions will take place include Asheville, Boulder, Chicago, Edmonton,
New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Ottawa, Salt Lake City, San Francisco,
Seattle, Toronto and Washington D.C.  Corporations targeted will include Chevron,
JPMorgan Chase, NW Natural Gas, Pepco and Shell.

“Extractive industries are holding our climate and our communities’ hostage,” said
Lacy MacAuley, an organizer of the Washington D.C. actions. “I am participating in
this Day of Action to tell fossil fools, like JPMorgan Chase and Pepco, that their
destructive investments are threatening our homes, our communities, and our
climate.” Continue reading

The Climate Movement is Dead: Long Live the Climate Movement

In the aftermath of the COP15 talk s in Copenhagen, the inability of the Big Greens, governments, and market approaches to find genuine and sustainable solutions to climate change is undeniable. As author Naomi Klein so aptly observed at the end of COP15 talks, “A particular model of dealing with climate change is dying.”

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