Downtown Portland Wells Fargo and Bank of America transformed into climate crime scenes

Sunday afternoon a group of around 40 individuals marched through downtown Portland equipped with chalk, caution tape, and mud. The group paid a visit to the Bank of America on SW 5th and Stark and a Wells Fargo on SW 6th and Morrison, and created a climate crime scene on and around these banks. Signs were taped all over the widows reading “Closed for Climate Crimes”, “Deposit here, fund coal” and images of coal extraction. The group covered the sidewalks with body outlines and chalked images of chopped trees and blown up mountains. A group of activists began plastering fake dollar bills on the walls with muddy hand prints to call out these corporations for the dirty money they house within.

Coal fired power plants are the top source of air pollution and toxic mercury in the nation and emit nearly 3 billion tons- or one third- of our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions per year. Particulates in the air emitted from coal are especially damaging to those living near coal-burning power plants or working in mines. According to the Center for Disease Control, 12,000 coal miners died between 1992 and 2002 from black lung.

The group consisted of student organizers with the Power Shift 2011 conference, local Rising Tide activists, and other concerned community members. Activists are targeting Wells Fargo and Bank of America because these institutions are some of the top financiers of coal extraction as well as coal-powered infrastructure.

This is the third in a series of actions taken against these banks in the Portland area in the past 6 weeks by Rising Tide and others. Other recent actions have included renegade ATM closures as well as serving 25 banks official notices requesting that they divest from coal or expect direct action campaigns. The demands are clear: NO financing for companies pursuing coal-fired power plants, mountaintop removal mining, or coal export infrastructure.


 

 

	Sunday afternoon a group of around 40 individuals marched through downtown Portland equipped with chalk, caution tape, and mud. The group paid a visit to the Bank of America on SW 5th and Stark and a Wells Fargo on SW 6th and Morrison, and created a climate crime scene on and around these banks.  Signs were taped all over the widows reading "Closed for Climate Crimes", "Deposit here, fund coal" and images of coal extraction. The group covered the sidewalks with body outlines and chalked images of chopped trees and blown up mountains. A group of activists began plastering fake dollar bills on the walls with muddy hand prints to call out these corporations for the dirty money they house within.
	Coal fired power plants are the top source of air pollution and toxic mercury in the nation and emit nearly 3 billion tons- or one third- of our nation's greenhouse gas emissions per year. Particulates in the air emitted from coal are especially damaging to those living near coal-burning power plants or working in mines. According to the Center for Disease Control, 12,000 coal miners died between 1992 and 2002 from black lung.
	The group consisted of student organizers with the Power Shift 2011 conference, local Rising Tide activists, and other concerned community members. Activists are targeting Wells Fargo and Bank of America  because these institutions are some of the top financiers of coal extraction as well as coal-powered infrastructure.
	This is the third in a series of actions taken against these banks in the Portland area in the past 6 weeks by Rising Tide and others.  Other recent actions have included renegade ATM closures as well as serving 25 banks official notices requesting that they divest from coal or expect direct action campaigns.  The demands are clear: NO financing for companies pursuing coal-fired power plants, mountaintop removal mining, or coal export infrastructure.
Sunday afternoon a group of around 40 individuals marched through downtown Portland equipped with chalk, caution tape, and mud. The group paid a visit to the Bank of America on SW 5th and Stark and a Wells Fargo on SW 6th and Morrison, and created a climate crime scene on and around these banks.  Signs were taped all over the widows reading "Closed for Climate Crimes", "Deposit here, fund coal" and images of coal extraction. The group covered the sidewalks with body outlines and chalked images of chopped trees and blown up mountains. A group of activists began plastering fake dollar bills on the walls with muddy hand prints to call out these corporations for the dirty money they house within.

Coal fired power plants are the top source of air pollution and toxic mercury in the nation and emit nearly 3 billion tons- or one third- of our nation's greenhouse gas emissions per year. Particulates in the air emitted from coal are especially damaging to those living near coal-burning power plants or working in mines. According to the Center for Disease Control, 12,000 coal miners died between 1992 and 2002 from black lung.

The group consisted of student organizers with the Power Shift 2011 conference, local Rising Tide activists, and other concerned community members. Activists are targeting Wells Fargo and Bank of America  because these institutions are some of the top financiers of coal extraction as well as coal-powered infrastructure.

This is the third in a series of actions taken against these banks in the Portland area in the past 6 weeks by Rising Tide and others.  Other recent actions have included renegade ATM closures as well as serving 25 banks official notices requesting that they divest from coal or expect direct action campaigns.  The demands are clear: NO financing for companies pursuing coal-fired power plants, mountaintop removal mining, or coal export infrastructure.

A swarm is coming! The Beehive Design Collective heads to Portland

The  “True Cost of Coal” graphics campaign is here!

Who: The Beehive Collective, a 100% volunteer-driven non-profit political organization that uses graphical media as educational tools to communicate stories.

What: A presentation of the Beehive Collective’s newest work. Two years in the making, the “True Cost of Coal” is an elaborate narrative illustration that explores the complex story of mountaintop removal coal mining and the broader impacts of coal in Appalachia and beyond. To create the poster, the Beehive interviewed hundreds of community members throughout the Appalachia region. In their interactive picture-lectures, the Bees lead audiences through an engaging, larger-than-life banner version of the graphic, interweaving anecdotes, statistics, and history.

When/Where: Several events in Portland.

  • Last Thursday on Alberta Ave, August 26th, location TBA
  • Friday, August 27th, 3-5pm at the Ecotrust Building, Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center, 2nd floor (721 Northwest 9th Avenue)
  • Sunday, August 29th, 7pm at Autonomy (316 Northwest 4th Ave.)
  • Tuesday, August 31st,  2pm – 6pm, Special Art Workshop & Presentation at Tryon Life Community Farm (details below) Continue reading

Activists Drop Banner to Remind Oregon LNG of Local Successful Resistance

Banner FrontRipplebrook, OR- Forest defenders from all over the US convened this week to artistically confront the local liquefied natural gas (LNG) proposal in Oregon, with Oregon LNG being the newest target.

In recent news, Northern Star, the corporation that was previously funding an LNG terminal near Astoria called Bradwood Landing, declared bankruptcy. And just last week, Palomar pulled its application from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

Palomar Gas Transmission, a company that proposed an $800 million natural gas pipeline across the Oregon Cascades told the FERC that their project is in indefinite delay, and needs to secure “additional commercial underpinning” before it can progress. Palomar claimed it “was reviewing its project plan” in light of the bankruptcy of its biggest prospective customer — a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal on the Columbia River that suspended its own permitting efforts in May of this year.

Continue reading