Tag: climate change

G&R: The Myth of California’s Climate Exceptionalism

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cross-posted from the Green and Red Podcast

California prides itself on being more progressive than most on solving the issue of the climate crisis. Whether it’s phasing out the internal combustion engine or promises to take on the state’s many oil extraction sites. There is a notion of “climate exceptionalism” in California’s liberal ruling elite.    But the California state government is captured by oil interests like many others. The pro-industry legislation and political action just comes in different forms.

Listen in: https://bit.ly/3KOH6YN

Flying solo, Scott talks with Gary Graham Hughes (@vozsilvestre) from Biofuelwatch (@biofuelwatch) to discuss the idea of California’s “climate exceptionalism.” They discuss the false solutions to the climate crisis being promoted by industry.  Gary gives us a background on false solutions like carbon capture and storage, “net zero” and market schemes like cap and trade. They also talk about the revolving door of public sector employees, lobbyists for industry and the Big Green non-profit industrial complex. And how corporate media lifts up the ruling classes’ ambitions for climate capitalism and false solutions.

Bio//  Gary Graham Hughes (@VozSilvestre) is the California Policy Monitor at Biofuelwatch and the co-Host/co-Producer of Terra Verde on KPFA in Berkeley, CA.  He also has Masters in Environmental Science from the University of Montana and splits his time between the San Francisco Bay Area and Humboldt County.

Rising Tide Chicago: Chase Bank Board Member Gets Climate Justice Wake Up Call

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cross-posted from Rising Tide Chicago

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 17, 2021
Contact: Cailie Kafura, she/her pronouns, organizer, Rising Tide Chicago, cailiekafura@gmail.com, 715-938-1563
The day before the JP Morgan Chase Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, Board Member James Crown awakens to activists calling him out for fossil fuel funding
CHICAGO, IL — Early this morning, activists from Rising Tide Chicago made a ruckus to awaken JPMorgan Chase Board member, James Crown, and neighbors, in their quiet Gold Coast neighborhood. James Crown is one of the bank’s executives responsible for allocating billions of dollars towards fossil fuel funding. This timely action comes one day prior to JPMorgan’s Annual Meeting for Shareholders. Activists unfurled a massive banner along the street in front of his home that stated, “James Crown Lets Chase Fund Climate Crisis”.
“The extractive industry is propped up by those who fund it, and those who fund it have names and addresses. Chase Bank’s executive James Crown has made the decision to invest in climate chaos and genocide, so we are making the decision to give him a wake up call.” – Cailie Kafura, organizer, Rising Tide Chicago (she/her pronouns)
The $317 billion Chase has poured into fossil fuels over the past four years has enabled pipeline construction that poisons Indigenous land and water, and increases sexual violence and murder of Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people. Over the past decade, pipeline projects have been responsible for spilling 800,000 barrels of oil in the U.S., with more hazards anticipated in the future if these projects continue. Environmental and Indigenous groups have been protesting against pipeline projects for decades, raising concern for their impacts on communities, ecosystems, and the climate.
“Corporations, especially banks and the fossil fuel industry, have placed the majority of the burden on us to reduce our carbon footprint to help solve the climate crisis.  We are here today to hold these companies accountable and say no more. James Crown is in a position of power as a Chase board member and is therefore complicit in the destruction of our planet. We are here today to let him know that we are aware of his actions and to urge him to make future decisions based on planet over profit.” – Emily Murphy, organizer, Rising Tide Chicago (she/her pronouns)
Rising Tide Chicago uses direct action and education to confront the root causes of climate change, which include capitalism and white supremacy. Organizers target banks like Chase because without their funding, pipelines like Line 3 can’t be built. We urge readers to raise awareness and funds for the frontlines, and take action in solidarity with the Movement to Stop Line 3.

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More Appalachian Pipeline Fighters Held without Bail

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cross-posted from Appalachians Against Pipelines

Thomas and Molly, who were arrested today after Thomas locked himself to a truck carrying pieces of pipe for the Mountain Valley Pipeline, are being held without bail on bullshit FELONY KIDNAPPING charges!!!
According to the New River Valley Regional Jail, Thomas and Molly’s charges — after 2.5 hours of a nonviolent blockade — are felony kidnapping (abduct by force without justification), felony larceny (unauthorized use of auto worth > $200), and misdemeanor riot/unlawful assembly (obstruction of free passage). Both are scheduled to be arraigned on Monday.
This is truly, astoundingly outrageous. These charges are clearly an intimidation tactic by the cops and the courts. This makes FOUR Mountain Valley Pipeline fighters currently held without bail! As we stated when Acre and Wren were not granted bail after being extracted from the Yellow Finch tree sits, the choice to deny our friends bail and hold them in jail is vindictive and political — a chance to punish pipeline fighters and attempt to scare off continued resistance to the Mountain Valley Pipeline. For years, the courts have shown their contempt for any water protectors who have put themselves in the pipeline’s path to stop construction.
Don’t let the cops and courts stop the resistance! Fight back! Take action in your community! Show up to court dates for pipeline fighters! Support prisoners! Stop the MVP!
Join us: appalachiansagainstpipelines@protonmail.com
First image photo credit Jen Deerinwater

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Climate Activists March in San Francisco Financial District, Demanding Banks Defund Controversial Line 3 Pipeline

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Climate Activists March in San Francisco Financial District, Demanding Banks Defund Controversial Line 3 Pipeline

San Fransisco: Today Diablo Rising Tide convened Bay Area climate justice groups and activists in solidarity with the struggle to stop the Line 3 pipeline. A 100 person march of shame” targeted the Wall Street West banks funding the hotly contested tar sands pipeline. Banks included Bank of America JPMorgan Chase, Citibank, Wells Fargo and MUFG subsidiary Union Bank. All located in the Financial District, i.e. Wall Street West.

The struggle against Enbridge’s Line 3 tar sands oil pipeline is heating up in northern Minnesota, with Indigenous activists putting their bodies on the line to stop the pipeline and the harm it will bring to the environment and local communities. Over 200 ‘water protectors’ have been arrested and cited in dozens of actions along the pipeline construction route in recent months and solidarity demonstrations have spread nationwide.

In recent weeks activists from across the US, including the Bay Area, have traveled to Minnesota to occupy pipeline construction sites alongside Indigenous water protectors. At a number of separate camps, they have faced freezing cold temperatures and police repression. The massive pipeline expansion would carry foreign tar sands oil, one of the most polluting and energy intensive forms of fossil fuel in the world and would transport the carbon emissions equivalent of 50 coal fired power plants once operational.

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