Mountain Justice Peaks and Frack Movement Speeks

James Hansen and I looked at each other on the "Clean Air Natural Gas Bus," as I was escorted on in zip-tie handcuffs and he was in a seat in cuffs himself. One hundred and sixteen of us were arrested all together for refusing to obey police orders to leave the White House sidewalk, protesting Mountaintop Removal strip mining with two-thousand other people that had marched through Washington. Read my full article on it and see videos from me, Appalachia Rising, and Democracy Now!.


See the article below about a hearing tonight on Fracking conducted by the DEC in Long Island City. If you can possible make it in this short notice please come and make noise, or testify. Major organizations didn't even know about it until last minute, which seems to mean that the DEC isn't exactly out to stop Fracking in New York.


At Appalachia Rising there was a Northeast meet-up and many people learned about Fracking there and were ready to take action from Connecticut to Mass to parts of Upstate New York that were still somewhat out of the Marcellus-loop of noise. At the march itself, people showed up with signs against Fracking and there were chants for Clean Water Now, because we are two different movements, but we are like brother and sister, not to mention the Tar Sands movement, Justice in the Gulf and Eco-Justice everywhere.


If you have any news on 10/10/10 please ask permission (to ampupnyc@gmail.com) for authorization and post an update, as well as thoughts, news and features if you want.

DEC Hearing: Fracking for the Trees

The Department of Conservation is holding a hearing tomorrow on their new land management plan, which is understood to allow Frack-Drilling in 786,329 acres upstate, (Four hundred and forty one state forests will be affected).

Come out and rally with us in front of the hearing. come before 7 to sign up to testify if you'd like if you think enough is enough already. First note that we know that the DEC had already planned to grant permits to the Fracking industry before, and that environmentalists only just found out about this hearing at the last minute. If the impact statement is out to allow Deforestation for Fracking or not, we have to voice the opposition against it.

Click Here to Mobilize more people.


More Info:
http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/spsfmdraft090310.pdf
Strategic Plan for State Forest Management (DRAFT)

This draft plan and generic environmental impact statement (GEIS) will guide the future management of the state's 786,329-acre State Forest holdings and is being made available for public review and comment. Key goals focus on ecosystem health and diversity, economic benefits, recreational opportunities, forest conservation and sustainable management.

Comment Period
Public comment is encouraged and will be accepted September 1, 2010 through 4:45 p.m., Friday, October 29, 2010. Please review the plan and submit comments by email to State Forest Strategic Plan. Comments may also be mailed to Strategic Plan for State Forest Management, NYS DEC, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4255.

Click Here to Mobilize more people.

Pipeline Protest at Obama's Fundraiser

A protest took place outside Obama's Democratic campaign fundraiser yesterday to push him off of supporting the proposed Keystone Oil Pipeline to run from Alberta Canada to Texas.

The operation would extract Tar Sand Oil, which releases three times as much GHG pollution than conventional gas. Environmentalists say it also poses threats of water contamination and other sorts of dire problems.

A cheerful video made by TransCanada Corporation doesn't address every concern, but it does say that the project will respect the lands of indigenous peoples, although it doesn't say how so, and Friends of the Earth say otherwise: "Communities living downstream from tailing ponds have seen spikes in rates of rare cancers, renal failure, lupus, and hyperthyroidism. In the lakeside village of Fort Chipewyan, for example, 100 of the town’s 1,200 residents have died from cancer."



Activists there were involved in Friends of the Earth and organizations at Fordham University, Manhattanville College and other schools in New York City.

Sources:
http://www.transcanada.com/keystone.html
http://www.foe.org/keystone-xl-pipeline

Tonight: Rights of Mother Earth

The Permanent Mission of the Plurinational State of Bolivia to the United Nations

Invites you to attend a public lecture by

President Evo Morales

"Nature is not for sale: The Rights of Mother Earth"

At the Community Church of New York
40 East 35th St. (between Madison and Park Ave.)

Tuesday, September 21st, 2010 at 7 PM
Doors open at 5:30 PM. General admision.

Please confirm attendance to bolivianmission@gmail.com (does not guarantee a seat).
RSVP on Facebook here.

Delaware Riverkeeper Calls for Letters

Blast from Delaware Riverkeeper:

Big Week Regarding Shale Gas and LAST CALL FOR LETTERS

September 13 and 15 – EPA Hearings

At noon each day, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is holding Hearings at Broome County Forum Theater, 260 Washington St., Binghamton NY regarding their research of the potential harmful impacts of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas.

Come speak out or submit written comment by Sept. 28.

September 15 – Delaware River Basin Commission Public Meeting

Wednesday, Sept. 15, 1:30 pm, West Trenton Volunteer Fire Company 40 West Upper Ferry Road, West Trenton, NJ. Gas development will be addressed at the regularly scheduled meeting of the Delaware River Basin Commission and the public will have the opportunity to address the Commissioners during Public Comment. Our request for an injunction to stop the grandfathered “test” wells will be decided. To speak, it’s a good idea to register ahead at paula.schmitt@drbc.state.nj.us or 609-883-9500 ext. 224.

For more on these key meetings go to:

http://www.delawareriverkeeper.org/act-now/urgent-details.aspx?Id=55

LAST CALL for letters to the DRBC Commissioners before the meeting!

Thousands have been submitted but we need more to influence this vote. To register your concerns send a letter NOW - BEFORE the Sept. 15 meeting - to the DRBC outlining why we need to STUDY FIRST, then develop regulations to prevent pollution and degradation to the Delaware River Watershed and the water supply of 15 million people. For a sample letter that will be emailed directly to DRBC go to:

http://www.delawareriverkeeper.org/act-now/urgent-details.aspx?Id=52

Blogging at http://www.delawarerivervoice.blogspot.com

FROM THE ORGANIC INFORMATION ROOM: 10/10/10

New Video Version of Climate of Opportunity (revised):



See the whole, revised text here, Shannon's Organic Features: Climate of Opportunity.

Leaning Towards 10/10/10

It's not the only day of action within these coming months for a Just and Sustainable civilization, but it is certainly a day of opportunity, like I have been trying to get the word out with in Climate of Opportunity, the article. Although it has been challenging to put together a large dialogue on 10-10-10 and how to piece it together with more politically aggressive days, we have had excellent discussions and it is time to be organizing for this day right now. If there are several environmental groups in one school or in one community, they should be working together on this day. Here is an excellent list of ideas. The main three components that we have determined early on that should be considered for 10/10/10 actions is that they are fun, many contacts are made, and that they are illuminative enough to bring those people out for more aggressive, political actions. Bill McKibben says it himself in this interview with Letterman.