Ho ho ho Happy Holidays ! How's the weather where you are ?
Its another beautiful sunny winter day here in Santa Fe, NM , hard to believe we are on a highway to hell via climate change.
My wife kossack Jakkalbessie and I are here gobbling the free bandwith at the Santa Fe Baking Co., collaborating on this diary and enjoying the great NM food.
We came back home recently after a several months absence to find that there had been over 10 inches of snow, ski basin opened earlier than it had in years! This was great news...
And yesterday we awoke to 3 more inches! One of the most beautiful things around is adobe and snow imo.
Climate Change, Catastrophic Drought, Wildlife, and Indians
When we left in August, NM was in the midst of a 500 year drought, wells drying up, reservoirs unable to send irrigation water to TX which would mean catastrophe for them as well. Wildlife was suffering, with bears coming down into Santa Fe more regularly looking for forage, and farmers crops suffering or not making at all.
As often now happens on our climate changed planet big floods came after we left in both CO and NM.
While we were in volunteering with ">WildEarth Guardians last week I asked Brian Bird, Program Director, about the status of the drought and he said we were not out of the woods yet. (He should know because he spends much of his time on habitat restoration projects:
Since first working for Guardians in 1996, Bryan has focused on restoration of national forestlands and their critical ecological processes, as well as monitoring, reviewing, and challenging Forest Service proposals and land management plans. He currently serves as a volunteer on the New Mexico Collaborative Forest Restoration Program Federal Advisory Committee.")
Kicking Back at the Kochs with 350NM
It was through our several years of involvement withWildEarth Guardians planting trees, taking down fences in Valles Caldera National Preserve, and other less glamorous projects like posting flyers and helping with fundraising mailings that we happened get to meet Bill McKibben. Bill was speaking at an event where we were outside in costume posing as the Governor of NM and head of the private Utility, PNM. A WildEarth Guardians Power Past Coal activist introduced us. At the time we only knew of Bill and 350.org through his posts here at Dailykos, but since that night we have taken more of an interest 350.org and 350NM.
Retired High School Teachers Taking Action
We signed up for regular action emails from Bill and 350.org for international actions, and we regularly monitor the 350NM Facebook page for opportunities to participate locally.
We signed on to the most recent opportunity for action on FB event page:
[When] Wednesday, December 18, 2013
[Time]10:00am until 12:00pm
[Description] Action Alert! Join 350.org NM for a counter-protest to the “pro-KXL rally” sponsored by the Rio Grande Foundation, the Koch brothers and NM affiliate.
350.org will supply over a dozen “no_KXL” signs – we just need you!
[Background] The Rio Grande Foundationis sponsoring a talk featuring the Canadian Consul-General and other pro-KXL speakers at this venue, to drum up support for the Keystone XL pipeline.
See their announcement here:
http://www.errorsofenchantment.com/...
Let’s have a strong showing opposing this pipeline with a rally outside their meeting. Let show the world, and our local media that New Mexicans oppose this conduit for the dirtiest oil on the planet, that would mean “Game Over” for the climate.
UNM Science & Technology Park
801 University Blvd SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico
View Map · Get Directions
RECENT POSTS
SNIP
Foundation Pushes Conservative, Libertarian Causes
www.abqjournal.com
Editor's note: This is part of a series of occasional columns on groups attempting to shape pu ...
Like · · Share · Get Notifications · December 18 at 10:12am near Taos, NM
2 people like this.
Ravi Wadhwani Thanks for the information on the Rio Grande Foundation. Exposing the special interests behind such groups helps folks understand their true motives. Despite their name, if we don't stop them the Rio Grande River itself could run dry.
To me its sickeninghow Koch Brothers funded astroturf groups like The Rio Grande Foundation are trying to smear average folks ) as 'radical enviros'.
Though I have no idea how much or if The Rio Grande Foundation is getting the Kochs are spending billions
[PDF]
Billionaires' Carbon Bomb: The Koch Brothers and the Keystone XL ...
kochcash.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Embargo_Report.pdf
Oct 4, 2013 - THE KOCHTOPUS AND KEYSTONE. 23. Think Tanks. 23. Astroturf Agents. 23. Figure 8—Koch Cash for Keystone XL. 24. Media Manipulators.
.
Activism Before SunriseWe got up before dark at 5 am to catch the bus to Santa Fe Station. The full moon was shining brightly and we were very happy to be up that early for the star show and to be reminded that we are just tiny creatures on a wonderful planet.
The new Santa Fe Trails bus stop structure has solar powered light to alert the driver and this was good because it was still very dark outside.
Santa Fe like most cities has occasional muggings so we were alert as we left the bus and walked to the four or five blocks in the dark to Santa Fe Station. One homeless guy was going through his bag and paid us little attention. We walked by the park that was the home to Occupy Santa Fe. We had participated in numerous actions with Occupy Santa Fe but did not camp, and on this cold morning we thought about those who had tented there in the snow and the winter cold all those months.
We were quite happy to see that the doors were open to the wonderful NM Railrunner Express train to Albuquerque. Nice and warm inside, and we quickly made our way to the car that had outlets for plugging in our laptops.
The train travels through several Indian Pueblos and the conductors announce that photos are not allowed in them. This is stark but beautiful desert mountain country, and I wondered to myself how the Indians were fairing during the extreme drought.
Albuquerque!
From Albuquerque Downtown Station we walked under the interstate past interesting historical photos built into the bridge structure.
We wanted to to try out the Standard Diner for breakfast, and this turned out to be an awesome choice! Because the food was so good (she likes the green chile, I, the red )and they had just added free wi-fi soooo, as you might guesss we ran out of time to catch the bus over to UNM Science and Technology and we opted for a taxi to make it on time
Cabbie Solidarity
The taxi driver arrived on time and asked where we were going . When we told him about the counter protest he went off on quite a diatribe. He had heard the Canadian Ambassador on the news that morning and she had waxed poetic about how wonderful the pipeline would be for NM and the US with jobs etc. The taxi man was livid about Keystone XL and said he supported our actions. Whew!
"Meteor-Blades , Is This Going to Hurt?"
Protest and Counter Protest Drama
When you are being characterized as a radical enviro it might just make you wonder what is going to happen when you have two protests at the same time, might kind of raise your level of concern. Thus far we two old hippies have stopped short of getting arrested. We each have to make our own decision about this, but he fact that there is a concerted effort to describe dissent as terrorism just makes me want to do more.
The night before we left for Albuquerque we had read with interest Meteor-Blades offering
Open thread for night owls:
Calling eco-dissidents 'terrorists' serves corporations, not democracy
by Meteor Blades Unfollow for Daily Kos
At Mother Jones, Molly Redden reports on one more twist in officialdumb's expanding efforts to criminalize peaceful protest. This time it isn't labeling someone a "terrorist" but charging two activists with being purveyors of a "terrorist hoax," a crime that on conviction can carry a heavy prison term.
Applying the protean term "terrorist" to dissidents constitutes a smear whose taint is difficult to undo even if those so labeled are subsequently found to be no such thing. So describing protesters as "terrorists" has many benefits for the powers-that-be, most especially the chilling effect it has on all but the most determined activists. An excerpt from Redden's story:
[OT but does anyone know how his recovery is coming along . The dood has not slowed down posting his inspiring stories here so .....]
Protest and Civil Disobedience
Bill Mckibben, Naomi Klein, Jill Stein, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, and other notables have been arrested protesting Keystone XL, as well as hundreds of others of unknown 'regular folk' who have decided that its worth getting arrested to do what it takes to prevent / shut down this climate game changer of a fail.
Beautiful Day At The University of New Mexico
But instead of the imagined competing groups facing each other, we arrived at the gathering point and only saw one group: participants with 350NM.
We were greeted by one of the so called 'radical enviro's', and though bearded :) , this guy was wearing a welcoming smile and a nice jacket and vest. To us he just didn't appear to be the stereotypical radical, but yaneverkno. :)
Tom Solomon is among other things an engineer and did a stand out job that day. He had us choose our our signs, we met a few people, and waited for others to arrive.
As we stood there in the cold sunny morning and from Tom we learned that the original 'protest' in support of Keystone XL was now being held inside in warm luxury, through some nearby doors but on the street side of the building instead of the rotunda as originally advertised.
Counter Protestor Denier
At one point while Tom was orienting the group of around 20-30, a woman in bright business attire came walking by apparently headed to the other protest.
Tom asked the group to say hello to her and she waved as she walked on. Tom went on to say something to the effect that she represented industry and did not believe in climate change.
Paraphrasing Tom:
"The rally is touted as a rally but not like any rally I have attended. Held inside the University of New Mexico Science and Technology Park "plush" Rotunda room complete with stage, seats and gift bags handed out."
Astroturf?
Here's a flyer for the 'rally.'
http://www.errorsofenchantment.com/...
Introduced us to what he was proposing for the action today, and gave a short talk about what 350.org stands for and the importance of being here today.
The Future of A Seven Year Old Child
Next Tom introduced Angie Arriga, UNM graduate student. Angie spoke from the perspective of the hopes for the future of her seven year old son, and why she felt it important to do this work to safeguard the planet for their future .
Most of the group then decided to go around to the front of the building where they could look in on the "rally" being held inside and be at a busy street intersection where they could hold up signs for people driving by could see. Evidently they did look in the windows, had a bullhorn they used to make comments toward the inside 'protestors' . They later told us that the rally inside shut the curtains to stop the distraction.
Keystone XL Jobs
Tom had asked that someone stay behind and greet late arrivals and look after the stuff left behind. My wife Jakkalbessie had a cast on and was tired so we decided to volunteer to stay.
After a while Tom came back to check on things and up walked a man who claimed to be a union man and was wearing a Plumbers and Pipefitters Union shirt. He wanted to know where this "pro-rally" was.
He seemed quite agitated so made me wonder what would happen next.
He said he was here because he needed to let them know what was really going on. He said his regional union leader was one of the speakers . He said pipefitters were trained and that they were the ones that should be working on these pipelines but they are bringing in cheap unskilled and foreign labor, doing shoddy work and that instead of creating jobs as promised that they (the union) are losing jobs. He said the Regional manager for Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma was in there and he wanted to hear what he was saying. Was really fired up. Tom asked for his name and if we could take his picture but he said he did not want his face photographed or his name used but that we could take a shot of the back of his shirt.
He thanked us for being there and marched on inside. Whew! What fire!
Tom decided to go in and see if he could get into the other 'protest' .
Jakkalbessie and I continued at our post and observed men with shirts with SECURITY written on them patrol nearby.
NM JOBS?
People were coming and going to the indoor meeting, and one man going into the "pro rally" looked at my sign and said in an irritated voice that we would be preventing jobs from coming to New Mexico, said KeystoneXL was bringing jobs for New Mexico. He and I had an exchange of words, me arguing for green jobs , and he vehemently shook his head as went on in.
I later wondered if he was the Union leader that the pipefitter had told us about...
We were puzzled about this and someone said that a gas pipeline going from NM to TX carrying fuel to heat the tar sands headed down the pipe. (At the time of this writing we have been unable to find a link for this but will keep looking.)
Feedback on The Inside Job
People began coming out of the pro rally . A man in a suit who said he was former chemical engineer from Dow Chemical that had been in the meeting came over to us and said with a cynical smile that they had sure promoted Keystone XL as something wonderful, and that it was not much of a rally. I pleasantly replied something about 'hope you enjoyed yourself'. He smiled and said it wasn't enjoyable but was interesting to observe.
Two other guys spoke to us as they left the pro rally and said the ambassador from Canada seemed to be sticking pretty much to facts but the others not so much and chuckling about how our anti-rally had really impacted the speakers.
Security and Police
While we were visiting with these guys a woman in business dress and heels came out and went over to one of the security men who had been monitoring the entrance to the parking area. They came walking quickly back and he shouted several times to another person with the security shirt on and they went into the building.
We later learned from Tom that when he tried to enter the meeting they blocked him and told him that he was disrupting the meeting and if he didn't leave they would call the police. Tom said he was doing no such thing but that he would leave. The protest was passing out gift bags, Tom took one and came back out to where we were waiting.
Minutes later two squad cars and three officers arrived and went to the meeting area. Angie had been standing near the doors engaging people as they came and went. She called Tom over to talk to the uniformed officers.
They seemed satisfied that things were not getting out of hand and left soon afterward about the same time we did.
Several groups and individuals naturally were there in solidarity and asking for petitions to be signed. One was a young woman getting signatures to she said would get Alan Weber Democrat for governor on the ballot.
Alan for NM
www.alanfornm.com
Alan Webber is the progressive democratic candidate for Governor of New Mexico.
She talked about him being a progressive and a clean energy jobs advocate.
One man was organizing for resistance, recruiting people who were willing to be trained to arrested in acts of peaceful resistance.
Keystone What? Much that you can do !
A man walking on campus came over and asked what we were doing and he had never heard of Keystone XL .
We gave him a three minute talk on what it was, what we all can do.
What level of participation are you ready for re Keystone XL ?
Have YOU Taken the Pledge ?
Sign the Keystone XL Pledge of Resistance
76,366
activists have
signed the pledge
Take action
"I pledge, if necessary, to join others in my community, and engage in acts of dignified, peaceful civil disobedience that could result in my arrest in order to send the message to President Obama and his administration that they must reject the Keystone XL pipeline."
__I will participate in a peaceful civil disobedience action in my community
__I am willing to travel to participate in civil disobedience along the pipeline route
__I am willing to travel to Washington DC to participate in civil disobedience
__I can take the lead in organizing an action in my community
__I can volunteer to help plan an action in my community
__I work for/with an organization that could sponsor a local action
__I am a member of the clergy
__I am an attorney and could volunteer to provide legal assistance to an action
__I will donate to offset out of pocket costs of this campaign
__I am a landowner along the pipeline route
__I am not comfortable with the risk of being arrested, but would volunteer to support those able to do so
Anything else you'd like to note:
You'll receive periodic updates on offers and activism opportunities.
SNIP
Many kossacks have been very active opposing Keystone XL, others are just now arriving a the conclusion that they must get involved. Credo has one way:
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All we want for Christmas are your comments, tips recs !!! :D :-D
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6:02 PM PT: From 350.org