Trump

Reportback – day of action on FERC nominees

This week, as part of our ongoing campaign to stop fracked gas pipelines and export terminals by keeping the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) shut down, we visited the US Senate to deliver thousands of your letters, signatures and messages. Big Props to the Delaware River Keeper Network, who organized a lot of the logistics and set up dozens of meetings for our team on capitol hill. And special thanks (as always) to our besties at Beyond Extreme Energy and Berks Gas Truth who showed up to walk the halls, lobby legislators and work the press with us. Here’s a short video recap from our friends (I’m the one in the grey suit) and a written reportback follows: Our pipeline fighters were on the hill today to talk about FERC, and the #DirtyEnergyBill. I sat in on a meeting with Sen. Sanders staff that was predictably amicable. In fact, within hours of our catching up, Bernie had put out a statement opposed to the energy bill, and re-iterated his opposition to Trump’s extreme FERC nominees. But he is, frustratingly, the …

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We Wouldn’t Exist Without Net Neutrality

We all depend on Net Neutrality to take action. Help save it before July 17! Imagine a world where Donald Trump’s tweets are delivered faster, instantly, to every device in the world, but our messages and emails planning protest and resistance take hours to be delivered. It’s not a nightmare (well, it would be) — it’s what the internet could look like without Net Neutrality. Net neutrality is a basic concept: your internet provider cannot slow down your browsing on certain pages, block websites, or charge apps and sites extra fees to reach an audience. All legal content is treated the same. It’s been crucial to new movements around the world because it ensures activists can share news and ideas at the same speed as corporations and governments. If you streamed a video from Standing Rock, shared a photo of that Greenpeace RESIST banner over the white house, or just shared an online petition with a friend – you’re using Net Neutrality. And now, that’s all in danger. Click here to send a message using the coalition action page to the …

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FERC doesn’t work, let’s keep it that way

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), is a rogue federal agency charged with reviewing all major inter-state fracked gas projects – including pipelines, compressor stations, and export terminals.1 They also have broad powers to set rules and rates for state and regional electric grids, which can have a huge impact on the price of solar and wind power vs fossil fuels.2 You probably remember that FERC is notorious for abusing its legal authority and peoples’ rights. They routinely strip people of their legal right to challenge pipeline projects until property rights have been violated, forests cut, and people are forced to live next to dangerous fossil fuel projects.3 For the last few months, dozens of communities have had a reprieve, of sorts, because without a quorum of three commissioners FERC can’t approve any fracked gas infrastructure. Right now only acting chair Cheryl LaFleur remains.4 And we aim to keep it that way. Click here to send a letter your Senators and tell them to vote NO on Trump’s FERC nominees. No Senator who claims to care about the climate, property rights, or the …

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Every Branch, Every bank

Our #NoDAPL movement is celebrating the fact that a federal judge ordered the US Army Corp of Engineers to re-do its environmental review of the Dakota Access Pipeline. But the judge didn’t shut down the pipeline (yet) and we still need to take action to stop DAPL, and all pipelines proposed in North America. More than 150,000 people, representing more than $4.3 billion dollars in assets, have signed on to demand an end to the dig, dump, burn capitalism embodied by these pipelines.1 And now,indigenous leaders are asking for your help to deliver the message to “every bank, every branch” this summer.2 Will you sign up here to host a #DeFundPipelines delivery event in Columbia? It’s been months since President Trump’s reckless executive orders to ram through DAPL and other pipelines. Since then we’ve learned that the company behind DAPL, Energy Transfer Partners used money from bankers and pension funds to hire military contractor TigerSwan to spy on encampments and coordinate brutal responses that included pepper spray, rubber bullets and blasting water protectors with water cannons in freezing weather.3 By the time …

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7 years ago was the BP spill, in 9 days we’ll see you at the People’s Climate March

Donald Trump hates big protests. So we’re gonna give him the biggest one yet to cap the first 100 days of resistance. I’m sure you’ve already heard about the PCM March for climate, jobs, and justice on April 29. What you might not have heard or remembered is that today is the 7th anniversary of the BP horizon oil spill.1 Seven years ago today, the rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico and started the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history. Almost five million barrels of oil were spilled, and less than 25% have ever been recovered.2 But despite the loss of life, livelihoods, and long-lasting health impacts – no person was ever sent to jail.2 And things are not likely to get better under Trump: The EPA, is facing a budget cut of nearly one-third.3 Scheduled for elimination are programs to clean up the Gulf of Mexico, address environmental justice, and criminal enforcement divisions to punish polluters like BP.4 Last month, the Department of the Interior announced 73 million more acres of the Gulf will be auctioned off this …

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About that Republican Carbon Tax

Editorial boards everywhere are positively swooning over the dulcet crooning of a new boy band called The Climate Leadership Council (CLC). That’s right, the carbon tax band is back together! But as usual, for backers of a carbon tax, the editorial boards are missing a fundamental truth: Climate change will not be solved by a bipartisan consensus of old white men. And we know this is so because 1) We’ve heard all this before; 2) This isn’t a sincere attempt to solve climate change, it’s grandstanding by paid pundits; and 3) Sincere, workable plans to solve climate change exist, but they’re never written by bipartisan old white men from the pundit class.

Disecting the #DistruptJ20 inauguration protest

It’s been more than a  week since the inauguration and the protest that denied Trump the crowds he craves, and helped reset the media narrative. We’ve got a lot to be proud of in the climate movement, and we’re struggling under the sheer weight of horrible news that’s been dumped on us in an unbelievably short period of time. Tillerson confirmed, Pruitt likely, the Muslim ban, the defections and failure to block cloture by Democrats. But let me direct your attention backwards, for just a moment, to consider what happened on January 20, and some (I think) important lessons it provides about how the Climate movement can and should lead the resistance, and how this project can help. Some beautiful folks holding space at the inauguration, saying NO to Trump’s agenda of fossil fuel cronyism. #disruptj20 #climatej20 pic.twitter.com/7sFVMDp6uE — Alex Doukas (@adoukas) January 20, 2017 First of all, thanks to all our friends who wrote up great accounts of the day have been written up by some friends. Special kudos to David at OCI and Farhad of the Chorus Foundation (nerd power!) for ones I …

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Help shut down the banks funding the Dakota Access Pipeline

You’ve signed on and spoken out, now it’s time to show up: Donald Trump has signed executive memos intended to expedite the construction of the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines.1 But there’s something he doesn’t know or expect: A growing movement of over half a million consumers around the world, representing over $2.3 billion dollars, are calling on the 17 banks funding the Dakota Access Pipeline to cancel or re-negotiate their loans.2 If they do, DAPL will be broke and construction will have to be delayed or canceled. But we need your help next week to starve the black snake by cutting off its funding. Can you RSVP to host or attend a #DeFundDAPL rally next week at a bank branch near you? We’re ready to support you with sample materials, action plans, fliers, and more. Let’s be perfectly clear: Trump’s executive memos will not get DAPL or KXL built. The corporate owners — Energy Transfer Partners, Sunoco Logistics, Transcanada et al — still need permits, approval from the Army Corps of Engineers, and most importantly MONEY to build …

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Reject Rex

First of all – great job on Monday with the #DayAgainstDenial events. Thousands of people rallied in all 50 states – marching, meeting with senators, demanding accountability for the least ethical, most racist, least qualified, and most climate-denying cabinet ever nominated. Those actions (which many of you attended) gathered media attention around the world – and they helped demonstrate a fierce resistance to Trump’s plans to govern in defiance of facts, science, and common decency. But we can’t rest on our laurels – Trump and Republican leaders in the Senate are trying to ram through confirmation hearings on four nominees today. ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson is testifying today and is probably the highest profile, but certainly not the only, dangerous nominee. To stop Rex Tillerson, or any of these nominees, we need every Democrat in the Senate and at least 3 Republicans to vote against them. There’s good news: Some Republicans like McCain, Graham, and Rubio have voiced hesitations about Tillerson. We can win, but we need to put pressure on these senators. Call your senators TODAY: Call the Senate switchboard at …

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Day Against Denial – stop Trump’s Cabinet

This week Senators will begin hearings on Donald Trump’s picks for his cabinet — including the climate deniers he’s chosen for every major environment related position in the White House. Tomorrow, Monday January 9, is our chance to push back. A huge coalition of groups are organizing actions at Senate offices in all 50 states to oppose the Climate Denier Cabinet. The #DayAgainstDenial will put pressure on every single Senator to stand up against Trump’s reckless picks — and there’s an event near you in Columbia. RSVP here for the Day Against Denial action in Columbia on January 9th and help keep Trump’s climate deniers out of the cabinet. Most Senators don’t have a position yet on Trump’s cabinet choices, and are waiting to hear from their constituents to pick a side. We need to make sure every Senator knows that the climate is changing and anyone who denies it should not be in the White House Cabinet. Here’s who Trump has nominated: Secretary of State: ExxonMobil’s CEO Rex Tillerson, a top funder of climate denial and attacks on climate action …

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