Bringing Down Big Coal

Three weeks ago, I said that Al Gore should be thrown in jail - and that I'd be happy to join him.

Gore was quoted in the NYT as saying that he couldn't understand why more young people weren't blocking bulldozers to prevent the construction of coal-fired power plants. I agreed and invited him to join thousands of activists across the country November 16-17 for two days of nonviolent direct action targeting Citi and Bank of America, the banks that are financing the construction of more than 150 new coal-fired power plants across the United States.

According to his staff, he is still considering our invitation.

Peaceful civil disobedience has a long and storied history in this country. It helped to secure women's right to vote, and enact civil rights legislation. From Harriet Tubman to Reverend King, peaceful civil disobedience has helped lift this country out of our darkest hours. And Mr. Gore is right: in our time, civil disobedience will help to create the clean energy economy that will benefit all Americans.

On Monday, Rainforest Action Network helped to organize a protest involving more than 300 student climate activists opposed to Citi's involvement in dirty coal. En masse, the youth activists performed a "die-in," literally lying down in front of a Washington, D.C., Citi branch until it was forced to send its employees home and close business for the day. Our action represented just a small sample of the people and the passion that descended on D.C. this week for Power Shift, the first national youth summit to confront the climate crisis.

Whether we lie in front of banks or bulldozers, the principle remains the same: we can no longer afford to tolerate coal or the banks that fund it. We're still hoping Mr. Gore will join us for our November 16-17 national day of action against coal finance, but, regardless, one thing is certain: Big Coal is leaving the building, and it will be the courage and commitment of activists both young and old that sends it on its way.

Check out our video of the Citi "die-in," where longtime coalfield residents and college students explain why they're laying it on the line to stop coal, like Gore says they should.

Follow Michael Brune on Twitter: www.twitter.com/bruneski

Comments

[Robert59]

If not coal Mr. Brune, are you in favor of nuclear? Wind, solar, and cellulose can't meet our energy demands and I doubt if they ever will.

Cellulose has lots of potential, but we're wasting money getting there by creating this enormous corn based ethanol infrastructure that might have worse long term consequences than coal powered plants. Think of the demands for water, the amount of fertilizer needed, and the rechanneling of a food product so ethanol can provide 10 percent of our fuel needs.

If you believe global warming is caused by the activity of man and not something cyclical then coal has to be off the table. The only other viable global alternative is nuclear, but what to do with the waste and how to prevent weaponization?

I do find it hard to believe we can't put technology to work and somehow make coal cleaner to burn. All the mining in my area is below ground which makes home ownership tricky. You never know when your house might sink.

My immediate solution to our energy needs is to force us to dramatically more fuel efficient cars. We don't need another tax which hits lower income people. Mandate CAFE Standards of 35 miles per gallon, no exceptions. Mandate the use of trains instead of long haul trucking.

Mandate all new houses be built using geothermal piping to cut down on the amount of energy used raising or lowering the temperature of air.

Give people incentives to do the same to existing houses. And why aren't solar panels mandated in new construction? Or better insulation (concrete interlined with foam).

Our country needs energy room and in a huge way, but if not coal then what?

[zaneblue]

I have my bank account with a local bank but my credit card is with Working Assets, which is a Bank of America credit card.

Laying down in front of a bank won't make much difference because the whole point of that is to get on the news, and Bank of America and Citi have a large influence with the MSM because of their advertising dollars. So you probably won't get much MSM coverage.

But if we can get a grassroots effort started for people to boycott both banks for their credit cards, bank accounts and loans, I think that would have a more profound impact, and can be circulated through places like Myspace and Facebook. Bank of America has crappy service anyhow.

Who are their main competitors, robust enough to avoid a takeover? I liked MBNA, but they got swallowed by Bank of America.

[Mormondude]

You people need to embrace a little Hillary-esque triangulation.

Remember how she was for bigtime K street lobbyists, because after all they represent real Americans too?

Well Big Coal (nice original name, btw) is made up of real Americans too. And they're trying to bring energy to real Americans at affordable prices. Real Americans with real budgets and real problems heating or cooling their homes.

Meanwhile, the real Chinese are building a new coal fired power plant every week, which makes attempts to stop one plant here or there in the US seem laughable in the grand scheme of things.

[AlexSpecht]

Speaking of Al Gore, The Bill Grahm of Politics, Gore's Live Earth concert may have changed how the WORLD is taking to the Green Issues. Among the ecological problems facing our generation, global warming is the most disconcerting. Not only did Gore provide the Nation with hope, his Live Earth concert proved to be an effective form of communication to viewers around the world.

Gore stood as the figure head of this global event, and Live Earth was the culmination of his efforts which led to his receiving of the Nobel Peace Prize.

One last note: If Gore had been elected in 2000, do you think that Bush would be receiving a Nobel Peace Prize for sustainable energy at this time?

[alkamm]

Until we hold big coal responsible for it's environmental damage by taxing them for it, we won't make any progress. Marching and throwing our bodies in the way of bulldozers should be coupled with demanding taxes on these despoilers.
Sure, coal is a great available resource, but burning it with disregard to it's effects on the environment is simply typical, Republican short term focus. If we moved to tax ourselves for the privilege of polluting, many otherwise callous CEO's would figure ways to lessen the pollution and the tax, and we'd export that technology to the world and profit from our vision.
Republicans do not trust vision or marketplace economics because they do so well without paying attention to the not so hidden costs of "business as usual."

[ALHayes]

Excellent work! Young people need to be inspired on every level of activism.

Here is a Kanye West inspired Gore tribute. If he had the power of the presidency, he could end mountaintop removal immediately.

Note the graphic of the West Virginian mountaintop removal.

http://current.com/items/86927161_al_gore_is_harder_better_faster_stronger_music_video_tribute

Or on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A58U8k6PspA

[jay1975]

Yeah, screw all those people who want to heat their homes and have the lights on. Stop the coal.