[Corporations] Climate activists call out big enviros, U.N. in NYC

[Mike Ewall]

Climate activists drop banner over UN motorcade

Posted Sep 25th, 2009

For Immediate Release:

Climate Activists Drop Banner Over UN Motorcade, 
Raise Warning of Ineffective "False Solutions" to Climate Change

New York, NY – Early Friday morning, at the end 
of the first week of the High Level meetings 
during Climate Week in New York, a caravan of 
police-escorted limousines and SUVs carrying UN 
delegates was delayed as they approached the 42nd 
street bridge en route to the UN complex on 
eastern Manhattan. A 25-foot banner reading "UN: 
Cap + Trade is a Dead End" was deployed as the motorcade drew near.

A group referring to itself as the "Greenwash 
Guerrillas" claimed credit for the banner, and 
prior to a hasty departure threw leaflets down 
onto the stalled traffic articulating their demands:

(TEXT:)

  * We know a highly-developed campaign has been 
launched in the United States by the worst 
transnational corporate polluters, Wall Street 
financiers, and well-funded professional enviros 
along with their lesser-funded camp-followers to 
pass a bill, any bill, possessing the namesake of ‘the climate';

  * We hold that polluting corporations have 
never advocated for anything that would harm 
their bottom line, their short-term profits or their shareholders;

  * We recognize that Wall Street financiers, 
responsible for a world-wide economic recession 
due to a speculative bubble collapse, have set 
their sites on a $14 trillion carbon trading 
system as a means of reviving their fortunes;

  * We know that corporate polluters have 
effectively defanged the mainstream US 
environmental movement.  Many organizations that 
appear to publicly support environmental defense 
are welcoming disastrous policy within the US and 
the leadup to the December COP15 Climate Talks in 
Copenhagen.  The mainstream environmental 
movement has become little more than a sounding 
board for corporate sponsors of profit-generating climate change legislation.

As a people, we cannot define the systematic 
destruction of our environment, the unprecedented 
extinction crisis, and oncoming impacts of 
climate catastrophe as a money-making 
opportunity. We will not forget or forgive those 
who mindlessly, selfishly advocate a 
cap-and-trade system. The False Solutions agenda 
of the corrupt circles  of government at home and abroad will meet resistance.

  Signed,

  Agent Simple Green

  The Greenwash Guerrillas

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http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2009/09/25/nyc-climate-activists-expose-the-true-%E2%80%9Cgreen%E2%80%9D-of-big-enviros-deliver-giant-climate-%E2%80%9Cbill%E2%80%9D-to-offices/

NYC: Climate Activists Expose the True "Green" of 
Big Enviros, Deliver Giant Climate "Bill" to Offices

Published by mattwilkerson, September 25th, 2009 global warming

(New York) Climate justice activists from Rising 
Tide North America and Climate SOS in New York 
took to the streets on the final day of the UN 
Climate summit, making housecalls to the New York 
offices of the Natural Resources Defense Council 
(NRDC), Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), and the 
Nature Conservancy.  NRDC's street-level banner 
was festooned with a 14 foot mock "Climate Bill" 
in the form of $2 trillion bank note (the 
approximate value of a U.S. carbon 
market).  Imagery on the giant spoof bill 
critiques roles of many large environmental 
groups in their push for passage of the American 
Clean Energy and Security Act (ACESA), chiefly 
for its advocacy of an carbon market.  Following 
NRDC, the offices of EDF and The Nature 
Conservancy received delivery visits where 
activists desperately tried to present 
organizational representatives with their version of the "green".

These organizations are leading members of the US 
Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), which has 
united them with highly polluting corporations 
such as Dow, DuPont, General Electric and Alcoa 
Aluminum under the auspices of lobbying Congress 
to reduce emissions.  This unsavory alliance 
played a major role in crafting the Waxman-Markey 
ACESA bill (HR 2454) passed by the US House of 
Representatives in July, and expected to make its 
way for a Senate vote imminently.

Hundreds of environmental groups OPPOSE the 
current US climate bill.  They recognize the 
bill's cap and trade provisions as a dangerous 
false solution, that is inherently unstable and 
that has historically proven incapable of reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Climate Bill Image HERE:
http://www.actforclimatejustice.org/2009/09/nyc-scientists-activists-protest-corporate-control-over-climate-policy/

This event is the culmination of a three week, 
seven city tour, sponsored by Climate SOS, an 
informal alliance of scientists, activists, and 
local and regional environmental groups that are 
opposed to the current climate bill, having 
observed the failure of "market mechanisms" used 
to date to ameliorate the climate crisis.

The activists argue that the House ACESA bill 
"just doesn't add up," pointing out that it falls 
far short of scientifically valid targets for 
reducing greenhouse gas emissions; removes the 
EPA's authority to regulate emissions under the 
Clean Air Act; and incorporates massive corporate 
giveaways into its cap-and-trade program. If such 
a bill were to pass, polluting corporations would 
be able to defer urgently needed emissions 
reductions for decades under the bill's offset 
provisions. International groups widely condemn 
the lack of US leadership on climate issues and 
demand that wealthy countries pay their share of 
the accumulated "climate debt."

Contacts:
David Vine (Rising Tide): 207-956-0141
Rachel Smolker, Ph.D. 802-482-2848
Brian Tokar, 802-595-9677

Organizational Links & Info:
Rising Tide North America – http://www.risingtidenorthamerica.org
Climate SOS – http://www.climatesos.org


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Mike Ewall
Energy Justice Network
catalyst at actionpa.org
http://www.energyjustice.net