Yesterday was "fossil fools day" an international day of protest against the dirty energy industry for their promotion of climate change and resource wars, the protest was called for by Rising Tide and many other groups. Globally 100 fossil fools protests took place on April 1.
Although the actions were by no means due to his adivce, it's worth noting that Al Gore suggested such tactics last summer.
Around a hundred actions -- include about a dozen involving civil disobedience -- took place around the world.
In North Carolina, protesters who had chained themselves to bulldozers at a coal plant under construction were tasered by police despite being immobilized while "locked-down" to bulldozer.
With the only a few years to turn our emissions around and the growing focus on civil disobedience, the movement to stop climate change appears is heating up.
Read on for more.
For dozens more updates, the latest news and lots of photos, check out FossilFoolsDay.org
8 Arrested as North Carolina Residents Shut Down Construction at Cliffside Coal Plant
At 6:30 this morning, North Carolina residents locked themselves to bulldozers to stop the construction of Duke Energy’s massive Cliffside coal-fired power plant being built 50 miles west of Charlotte, NC. "In the face of catastrophic climate change, building a new coal plant is tantamount to signing a death sentence for our generation," said local farmer Matt Wallace of Rising Tide while locked to a bulldozer. The concerned citizens also roped off the construction site with "Global Warming Crime Scene" tape and held banners that read "Coal Fuels Climate Change" and "Social Change, not Climate Change." (more...)
Activists Blockade Bank of America to Protest Funding of Coal in Boston
Boston, MA – As of 9:00AM, in conjunction with a downtown rally, four activists have locked themselves to the front entrance of the Bank of America branch in Copley Square. They are protesting the bank’s funding of coal and energy companies who are among the worst contributors to climate change, and directly responsible for innumerable human rights abuses in communities where coal is extracted and burned. Four arrests in Boston, some lock boxes were cut, but others were loaded into the police wagon still locked to each other. (more...)
Billionaires for Dirty Energy blockade Citibank in New York City. 2 arrested
At 12:30pm today over 25 people dressed as "Billionaires for Dirty Energy" blockaded the main entrance of Citibank’s Upper East Side headquarters in New York City. Protesting Citi’s role at the lead financier to the dirty coal industry - two were arrested after chaining themselves to the front doors and refusing to leave. Police eventually sawed them out of the chains, and a rally continued in front of the bank. (more...)
Banner drop and "Cheat Neutral" action in Portland, OR
In support of Fossil Fool’s Day, Stumptown Earth First! in protest of the LNG Oregon Pipelines, performed a four-story banner hang off of the Burnside Bridge in downtown Portland, OR. The banner reads No New Pipelines with a no LGN logo directly in the middle. The Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Pipeline is a proposed project that involves three LNG processing terminals and over 600 miles of new pipeline throughout Oregon. Stumptown Earth First! is a non-violent direct action group based out of Portland, OR.
Also in Portland...With a bouquet of heart shaped balloons, Portland-area climate activists calling themselves the "Greenwash Guerrillas" presented a highly experimental new business model to passersby in downtown Portland on Tuesday. Drawing their inspiration from so-called carbon neutral companies like Portland’s Climate Trust, the activists claim to be launching a new company called "Cheat Neutral."
Plum Creek Receives "Fossil Fool’s Award" For Contributions To Climate Change in Maine
Fairfield, ME - Volunteers with the Native Forest Network (NFN) staged a mock "Fossil Fool’s Day" awards ceremony today at the offices of the Plum Creek Timber Company to draw attention to the potential impacts of the company’s Moosehead region development proposal on the regional and global climate. Continue Reading »
AntiWar@Laurier blockades local Shell station on Fossil Fools Day in Waterloo, Ontario
Waterloo, Ontario - Just before rush hour today, student and community activists from AntiWar@Laurier (AW@L) blockaded the Shell gas station at the corner of Westmount Road North and Father David Bauer Drive. AW@L’s "Climate Change Containment Unit" deployed to address the gross violation of the environment constituted by the planned increase in production of the Albertan oil sands, by shutting down Shell’s primary outlet in Waterloo. Shell is a leading offender with regard to profiteering from climate change causing activities, especially in the tar sands.
Activists Blockade Major Gas Terminal, Norfolk UK
UK activists today blockaded the UK’s largest off shore gas terminal at Bacton in Norfolk. 40% of the UK’s domestic gas comes ashore here, is processed and distributed by pipeline. Activists blockaded the main road outside the site at 6.30 am this morning, preventing construction workers and shift workers from arriving.
Protesters Shut down open-cast coal mine, Wales
Protesters Shut Opencast Coal Mine Direct action exposes ‘black hole’ in climate change policy Tuesday, 1st April, 2008: At 7am this morning, protesters halted work at one of the biggest opencast coal mines in Europe, on the outskirts of . They intend to remain on the site for several days.(more...)
Climate activists blockade E-on in Nottingham, UK
Climate activists from Eastside Climate Action blockaded E-on as part of International Fossil Fools Day.
At 7:30 this morning 30 people blockaded the entrances to E-on’s offices on Mount St, Nottingham City Centre. People covered in green paint to represent E-on’s greenwash, locked onto the front entrance to E-on’s office and stood in front of other entrances preventing E-on workers from getting to work.
Cambridge, England Fossil Fools Day Protest at RBS Bank
The Royal Bank of Scotland is one of the main financiers of climate crime, in the form of oil and gas exploration. After targeting the Trinity Street branch last year, this time protesters paid a visit to the Hills Road Branch to mark the occasion of Fossil Fools Day. See UK Indymedia.
EV-EON Carbon Capture launched on Southbank!
Fossil Fools day has been given a terrific christening today with the launch of EV-EON Unnaturally Carbonated Water. This innovative new technology will be used at E.ON’s Kingsnorth PowerStation and used to capture the carbon dioxide given off by the burningof coal. The carbon di-oxide is then bubbled through fresh spring waterfrom nearby Kingsnorth Hills to create carbonated drinking water whichis bottled and sold in Italian restaurants. (more....)
For the latest news and lots of photos, check out FossilFoolsDay.org
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