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features archive
No Coal Exports Rally, Featuring Robert F. Kennedy [58 min video] These coal trains, up to two miles in length, would "release toxic coal dust and diesel exhaust along the rail lines, clog our railroads, ports, and highways, risk our families? health, pollute our air and water, and stoke the climate crisis." Up to 50 pounds of coal dust would escape from each uncovered coal car. The Rally was held in conjunction with the WaterKeeper Alliance Conference being held that week in Portland Oregon. "Founded in 1999 by environmental attorney and activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and several veteran Waterkeeper Organizations, Waterkeeper Alliance is a global movement of on-the-water advocates who patrol and protect over 100,000 miles of rivers, streams and coastlines in North and South America, Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa." After an introduction by Jim Lockhart, the host of "A Growing Concern," the video clips are presented in two segments. The first segment is of the speakers preceding RFK and is about 22 minutes in length. The second clip is the speech by RFK, and is about 17 minutes in length. Kennedy connects the dots between the devastation wrought by Mountain Top Removal in the eastern U.S. and what the coal trains would mean for citizens of the northwest.
Related Article: Citizens speak out about water rates: background information | Agenda for City Council meeting Wed May 30th | Open Letter to Portland City Council May 31, 2012
Selected Speakers From Hanford Rally "The purpose of the rally on April 15th, 2012 was to raise awareness about issues facing the Hanford Nuclear Facility. The Hanford site is an environmental disaster with the potential of becoming a catastrophe as large in scope as that of the Fukushima nuclear facility in Japan." This video was produced for a taped segment of the local Public Access program, "A Growing Concern," and features almost a full hour of selected speakers from the event. Besides a potent introduction by Mirian German, organizer with Occupy Portland, included are Indigenous speakers from the Walla Walla tribes, as well as Umi Hagitani from No Nukes Action in California; Bonnie Urfer, Wisconsin Nukewatch; long time antinuclear and peace activist, Sister Megan Rice; and Lori McMillan, a downwinder suffering from long exposure to radiation in the Tri-Cities area. Also included are performances by local Spoken Word artist, Mic Crenshaw and the song, "Peace and Love," by local rock band Miriam's Well.
Power Past Coal Rally [9. min video] Lauren Goldberg warned of the health and other consequences of "150 millions tons of coal per year being strip mined in Wyoming and Montana and coming through Washington and Oregon at 30 coal trains per day. These are uncovered coal trains, spewing coal dust and diesel pollution, a mile and a half long, every single day, 365 days of the year." Speaking next, Jeff Cogen states that the proposals for six coal export terminals in Washington and Oregon would "turn the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area into the largest coal chute in the nation.............coal dust leaks off these trains in large quantities. PNSF railways says that each coal car leaks off 500 pounds of coal dust with each trip. And we're talk about 10's of thousands of coal cars going through our communities. This is nasty stuff!" Just last week, Portland General Electric said they didn't want a coal terminal near one of their power plants because the coal dust is too dirty." Unfortunately, due to illness, and much to my disappointment, I was unable to tape the speech by Robert Kennedy Jr. His speech was powerful and inspiring, citing the great damage the coal industry has wreaked on our nation with Mountain Top Removal. As several other people were there with video cameras taping the event, I'm giving a shout out, hoping that someone can provide me a copy of just that speech to air on Public Access television. This message needs to get out to the widest possible audience. Related Video PIMC post by Courtney Robert Kennedy Jr. on the threat of coal in the Columbia basin
Press Conference: Coalition Protests Decision Transferring Public Water to Nestle Waters North America
Friday March 16th, 6:00pm-9:00pm Check out the trailer This screening will be accompanied by a short panel discussion after the film. Join Brooks Fahy, the executive director of Predator Defense, Wally Sykes of Trapfree Oregon and North-Eastern Oregon Ecosystems and Karin Coulter, a long time activist who founded the Blue Mountains Biodiversity Project as we all discuss the importance of predators in Oregon's ecosystems, our delicate relationships with these predators as well as the political significance of their existence and the repercussions of their removal from the endangered species list.
At the 30th Annual Public Interest Environmental Law Conference, the Sunday Keynote address will be a Film Screening: Greedy Lying Bastards, a Documentary Film by Craig Rosebraugh. A panel discussion will follow the screening. Greedy Lying Bastards is a film exposing the shocking lengths the fossil fuel industry travels to insure maximum profits for exectuives and shareholders.
A trailer for the film This year's [PIELC / ELAW] theme is New Frontier: The Political Crossroads of Our Environmental Future
Washington and Oregon have only one operating coal-fired power plant each and those plants are slated to be permanently closed not later than 2020 and 2025 respectively. These closures would make the Pacific Northwest the cleanest corner of the United States in terms of the poisons of coal smoke pollution and its effect on men and the natural environment. Clearly, the coal is coming unless citizens of Washington and Oregon turn up the heat on their elected officials and raise more hell than their typically erudite and quietly logical style dictates. The opposition is ruthless. The opposition is well-heeled. The opposition is determined to export 80 million or more tons of coal across Washington and down the Columbia River Gorge to the Pacific each year unless people waken to the threat and take whatever action is necessary to derail this coal train juggernaut that threatens to destroy our home and lifestyle.
An advocate for wolves in Oregon expressed relief Thursday that the Oregon Court of Appeals temporarily stopped plans to kill two male wolves of the Imnaha pack. The number of known gray wolves in Oregon has dropped from 21 to 14, said Oregon Wild conservation director Steve Pedery.
"If they carry out the kill order, that's down to 12," he said Thursday. State Appellate Commissioner James Mass, after reviewing an emergency petition from three conservation groups Wednesday, at 4:59 p.m. stopped state plans to kill the alpha male and a yearling male of the pack that inhabits Wallowa County. The pack is deemed responsible for killing as may as 14 cattle since 2010. The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Department decided to kill the two males after determining they killed a calf Sept. 22 near Joseph.
Excerpt from the Portland Public Access program, "A Growing Concern." Guests discuss ongoing attempts by local government to privatize Portland's water supply. Excellent power point presentation detailing how this is being foisted on the public.
Privatizing Portland's Water Supply
A police spokesperson describes how the fish were released: "(one or more people) came along with essentially what are wire cutters to do this. It was purposeful. Someone knew what they were doing." An employee at the institute where the salmon were held says he speculates this may be the act of an animal rights group. If this was the act of animal liberators, it would be the largest recorded animal liberation ever in the U.S. The largest previous liberation was the Animal Liberation Front raid of the Drewelow and Sons fur farm in New Hampton, Iowa in 2000; where 14,000 mink were released. The Tiburon Salmon Institute is now soliciting funds to purchase security cameras. http://www.voiceofthevoiceless.org/
Climate Justice Portland[9 min. Video] Climate Justice Portland was established from members of the Portland Central America Solidarity Committee, who in April 2010 had attended the World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth in Cochabamba Bolivia Inaugurated by Bolivian President Evo Morales, the Conference was attended by more than 20,000 attendants from over 125 countries. The meeting, supported by numerous grassroots organizations, was designed to act as an alternative to the United Nations' continuing discussions on climate change. The Rights of Mother Earth Here locally, Climate Justice Portland is working on several fronts to implement necessary changes in our relationship with the planet. First, the group insists that we need to be addressing the root causes of climate change, and move beyond expecting that merely life style changes will be sufficient to solve this problem. "We need to be addressing industrial pollution, we need to be addressing what role our nation is playing, and U.S. based corporations are playing, in changing the ecology of the planet. The second aspect of strategy is to determine "who is being most affected by this. Who are the people in the front lines of climate change. We look to the global south, people whose islands are disappearing, entire populations of people are migrating, whose agricultural communities are completely being devastated by climate change and look for solutions from them." Related PIMC Video Links [Nissan Leaf tour...] | [Decentralizing Our Energy Grid] | 350oregon Speeches- montage, main stage ...] [350.oregon.org]
We hope that you can block off the first half of your day on Tuesday, October 11 and dedicate it to change for Oregon's State Forests. Friends of Oregon's Forests (all of us) will be demonstrating for a new way forward. The State Land Board, made up of Governor Kitzhaber, Secretary Brown and Treasurer Wheeler, will be making a final decision on a proposed 40% clearcutting ramp-up on the Elliott State Forest.
October 11: Get On The Bus Rally against the plan to increase clearcutting in the Elliott State Forest We hope that you can block off the first half of your day on Tuesday, October 11 and dedicate it to change for Oregon's State Forests. Friends of Oregon's Forests (all of us) will be demonstrating for a new way forward. The State Land Board, made up of Governor Kitzhaber, Secretary Brown and Treasurer Wheeler, will be making a final decision on a proposed 40% clearcutting ramp-up on the Elliott State Forest. A dire situation is about to get worse as the land board is expected to adopt the new forest plan that will sanction clearcutting of 850-1,000 acres of complex rainforest each year. As you know, the Elliott is a lifeboat for the federally listed marbled murrelet, northern spotted owl and Oregon Coast coho salmon amidst the Coast Range checkerboard, and stores incomparable amounts of carbon thereby mitigating the climate crisis. Join us in Salem for a demonstration and massive showing against reckless public forest management at the land board meeting (775 Summer St., Salem). Carpools and buses will be leaving Cottage Grove, Eugene and Portland. They rally will begin at 9:30 a.m. and likely end around noon. Bring signs, banners and passion for for our state forests. Join us in Salem for a demonstration and massive showing against reckless public forest management at the land board meeting (775 Summer St., Salem). Carpools and buses will be leaving Cottage Grove, Eugene and Portland. They rally will begin at 9:30 a.m. and likely end around noon. Bring signs, banners and passion for for our state forests. [carpool info: read more ...]
Tuesday, September 27 · 10:00am - 12:00pm
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 3406 Cherry Avenue NE Salem, OR 97303 ATTENTION!: The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is planning on killing two more wolves from the Imnaha pack because of supposed livestock predation. This would reduce the pack size down to only two wolves! It would leave only the alpha female and a pup born in spring. This is could effectively destroy the pack altogether. The ODFW is responding to pressure from the state's ranching and livestock industries, not sound science or ecological knowledge. Under the Wolf Conservation and Management Plan, ODFW kills wolves after chronic livestock depredation. It has clearly become policy to slaughter wolves in this state. The ODFW needs to be held accountable! The Department of Fish and Wildlife is facade of an organization. It has become nothing more than a puppet for the livestock and ranching industries. We need to hold these corrupt agencies accountable. We need to demand justice for the wolves!! Contact ADL, pdx_adl@riseup.net, if you want to help with last-minute carpool organizing. If you can offer a ride, please post on the event wall. If you need a ride, please ask for one on the event wall. We will see you there!
homepage: http://pdxanimaldefenseleague.org
Sunday, September 11th, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Carpools meet at the Hollywood Trader Joe's, 4121 NE Halsey in Portland at 9am sharp. It is across the street from the Hollywood Transit Center, near the I-84 exit 2. If you are able to drive, we greatly appreciate your contribution to helping make a successful hike. If you are looking for a ride, please come prepared to reimburse your driver.
Meredith Cocks of Portland, OR said, "It's absolutely devastating to walk into the middle of a clearcut in the Elliott and know that after decades of fighting for forest protection this sort of logging is still accepted on public lands. This is some of our last intact coastal rainforest, a precious place that deserves our respect, not to be decimated by the ODF." Onsite Press Contact: Maya Andrews (413)695-2249 Related PIMC links: [1] | [2] | 8/1/11 Jail Support needed ; 8/2/11 Everyone Out!
On July 26th, climate activist Tim DeChristopher will be sentenced at the Salt Lake City federal courthouse - after being found guilty of 2 federal felonies for peacefully disrupting an oil and gas lease auction. By raising his bidder paddle that day, Tim actually shed light on the illegality of a rushed auction, clearly a parting gift from the Bush administration to the fossil fuel industry.
Yet during his trial, Tim was was never allowed to tell the jury about the illegitimacy of the auction or about his attempts to raise the funds to pay for the land he had won. Furthermore, he was strictly forbidden from even mentioning climate change and the moral imperatives motivating his action! Tuesday, July 26 · 5:00pm - 8:00pm Pioneer Courthouse Square 700 SW 6th Ave in Portland http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=139708356112577
General information about Tim Dechristopher at: http://www.peacefuluprising.org/climate-trial
Tim DeChristopher has been found guilty of two felonies by a jury that wasn't allowed to hear his defense. He has ignored his legal team's advice and remained outspoken about why it was necessary to stop an illegal auction of our public lands to the fossil fuel industry. He has used his platform to call others to action; to remain united and powerful in the face of intimidation; to follow his lead.
As you may know, the Oregon State Legislature recently failed to take action on SB 536, a bill to ban single use plastic bags in Oregon introduced in the 2011 session. Following up on their commitment from the rally many of you attended last year, the Portland Mayor and City Council have brought the issue back up and now the local Portland effort is heating up. We have tremendous buy-in from the city, but we need your help to push this ordinance through. We're so close to eliminating this unnecessary trash in our beautiful city and it's time to act.
July 21st - City Hall at 3:00pm RSVP for the City Hall event to banthebagpdx@gmail.com and get a complimentary Ban the Bag t-shirt! We need your support again at Porltand City Hall on this Thursday, July 21st at 3:00 pm, it would be great to see a packed chamber like you helped us do last year, wearing your Ban the Bag t-shirts! And if you don't have one, RSVP and we'll give you one to keep! The hearing is not until 3:45 but we'll be having lots of fun outside of city hall prior and encourage early arrival! If you haven't already done so, please act now by signing our petition!
Hello Friends, Join the Portland Anti-HLS Customer Campaign this Thursday afternoon as we target two major shareholders of AstraZeneca, the notorious Huntingdon Life Sciences customer whose contracted experiments have exposed horrific animal cruelty. If you are unfamiliar with the murder paid for by AstraZeneca, please visit http://www.shac.net/AZ/index.html for more information and to view the undercover video investigation of AstraZeneca's bloody experiments at HLS.
Join us and together we can SHUT DOWN HLS for good! WHEN: Lunch Time Demos Thursday July 7th at 12:30PM SHARP WHERE: Meet at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on the SW Side of the Hawthorne Bridge near the brick outdoor theater WHAT: Demo locations will be announced during the meet-up solidarity discussion. Each demo will last approximately 30 minutes.
View episode here http://blip.tv/bmediacollective/variety-tree-earth-day-inc-5288049
This episode explores the connections between environment destruction and the economic and cultural systems that enable it. Movements and actions by groups like Rising Tide North America, City Repair, the PDX Climate Justice Coalition and the alternatives they advocate for are contrast with the banking system and unchecked capitalism, the increasing atomization of American life, and the Tea party. Our goal was to highlight the people doing important work in our communities, and single out the elements distracting us from that work on a daily basis.
He is starting his New Book Tour in Portland and the date is June 24 at 7pm The next morning he is leaving PDX on his hand powered bike. [BRIAN IS TAKING HIS BOOK ON THE ROAD VIA HIS HAND-POWERED TRICYCLE -- CYCLISTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO JOIN HIM FOR THE FIRST LEG FROM PORTLAND TO NEWBERG: MEET AT 8 A.M. SATURDAY, JUNE 25th - PSU PARK BLOCKS BEHIND LINCOLN HALL, BETWEEN SW MILL & SW MARKET.] In 2009 I video taped Brian, the video clips are here. http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2009/08/393639.shtml
Brian's book tour blog and more info can be found here: http://bloodonthetracks.info
Come on out and help peace activist Brian Willson launch his new book, published by PM Press: BLOOD ON THE TRACKS: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF S. BRIAN WILLSON 7:00 pm Friday, June 24, 2011 [UPDATE 6.27.11] WATCH THE VIDEO FROM THIS EVENT HERE: link to www.archive.org
Ways to help: Submit comments encouraging continued protection under the ESA for these wolves and specific recovery provisions by July 5, 2011 Background & Oregon Wild Press Release
Winona La Duke, noted Native American activist and author, speaking recently at the Native American Center at Portland State University. Winona spoke for about ? an hour about the Alberta Tar Sands and also about the large oil extraction equipment being shipped from South Korea through Portland and along narrow highways though Idaho and Montana.
Winona La Duke, Speaking About Tar Sands and the Heavy Haul After a few brief introductory comments, Winona says that "we are these people at this moment in time; we are the one's who are here...........and as you look around you've got the shot to do something great. You've got the shot to keep them from blowing off the top of a mountain, you got the shot to keep them from combusting the planet to oblivion; you've got the shot to keep them from opening another uranium mine, or gold mine for some jewelry that you don't need; shot to take down a dam in a river; and you've got the shot to stop the Tar Sands. And I feel that it's a great spiritual moment where you have the ability to do something great spiritually." Winona says that we must keep up the battle, because the other side has a 50 year plan. "Exxon has a 50 year plan for their Tar Sands and for all of us.....you have to be prepared for a long haul, because these things don't get fixed in 48 minutes when you watch tv. A little character development, a little solution and we're done." "We need to step outside our arena of comfort and do something." La Duke speaks at length about the Alberta Tar Sands, and the plans to transport enormous equipment from South Korea through Portland and along small roads and fragile ecosystems in Idaho and Montana. This has been dubbed the Heavy Haul, and there are numerous groups resisting this invasion:
PORTLAND WATER LECTURE AND CITIZEN RALLY -- SAVE BULL RUN DRINKING H2O EPA Wants Portland to Add Drinking Water Treatment, and Cover Our Open Reservoirs; for Microbial Problem That Does Not Exist; The Resulting Toxic and Carcinogenic Chemicals Added To, and Degrading Our Drinking Water Will Also Be Discussed. WATER LECTURE RALLY FOR HEALTHY BULL RUN WATER For Further Information: | Friends of Bull Run Water Facebook Page"> | friendsofreservoirs.org | VIDEO: Threats to Portland's Water Supply - Growing Concern Cable Access Show
Conoco Phillips, the third largest integrated energy corporation in the United States, operates a tar sands refinery in Billings and has a 50 percent equity interest in the proposed Keystone XL Energy Pipeline, which would cut through the Northeastern portion of Montana, transporting large quantities of tar sands crude to Texas, a project that has sparked an outpouring of opposition from Glasgow to the Gulf Marsh, a retired journalist and grandmother, and Maechtlen, a two-time cancer survivor, attempted three or four times to block the shipments but the police refused to arrest the two women, instead opting to forcefully remove them to the sidewalk as they were cheered on by a crowd of about 100 supporters. The police cited and released one other man who sat down with the two women. The action was the culmination of a "welcome to Missoula" street party organized by local grassroots group Northern Rockies Rising Tide (NRRT) in an effort to take back the streets from Big Oil. homepage: http://www.northernrockiesrisingtide.org
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