Campaign Climate: It's Getting Hot In Here...

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Program:: 
Air date: 
Wed, 10/17/2012 - 10:00am to 10:15am
Ron Seifert from the Tar Sands Blocade in Winnsboro, Texas. Day 26, the longest

The Tar Sands Blockade

As of this past Monday, the Texas tar sands tree-sit  hits Week Four and makes Texas history as the state’s longest aerial action.

More than 50 blockaders tried to re-enter the site with supplies for those aloft;  several broke through police lines, while the rest of the blockaders rallied nearby.  In response,  TransCanada's hired private security to take up the slack in local police presence.  To quote the official press release,   who have formed a human barrier around the pipeline easement.   Two blockaders have locked themselves to construction equipment, and six blockaders have been arrested so far today.

Blockaders have been trying to negotiate with security hired by TransCanada to get food and water to activists occupying the trees in the path of the Keystone XL pipeline, to no avail. Now they are taking a stand together to get supplies to the activists occupying the tree-sit so they may maintain their standoff.

The activists were gathered at the location in Winnsboro after spending the weekend at a direct-action camp hosted by Tar Sands Blockade. Activists traveled from across the country and were trained in climbing, media relations, organizing and body blockade techniques.

And Word from  the Candidate Climate:

Daphne  Wysham, a fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies and the co-director of the Sustainable Energy and Economy Network has this to say: "The Arctic is melting to record lows, extreme weather is increasing, grain reserves are at record lows threatening millions with hunger should there be another bad grain harvest next year, but there was NO mention of climate change in the presidential debates. It was just who could shout 'drill, baby, drill!' the loudest, with President Obama throwing in a token reference to solar and wind.

 

    "On the surface, the candidates appear to hold different positions on climate change: Obama has insisted that 'climate change is not a hoax,' while Romney has mocked the president’s promises 'to slow the rise of the oceans and heal the planet.' Yet both candidates have made clear -- either in coded language or in outright support -- that they will allow the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline from Canada to the United States to proceed with little impediment, ignoring warnings from NASA’s top climate scientist, Dr. James Hansen, that if the Canadian tar sands are fully exploited, 'it is game over for Earth’s climate.'"

 

 

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