Ending Mountaintop Removal: National day of action and EPA sit-in shine national spotlight
On Friday Oct 30th, hundreds of people took to the streets to call for an end to mountaintop removal. From Seattle to Lexington to Atlanta, activists sent a clear message to the EPA and JP Morgan Chase that it's time to end mountaintop removal coal mining. As part of the national day of action, 14 activists staged a sit-in at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) headquarters in Washington, D.C. while 50 others rallied in front of the building. They asked the EPA to take immediate action to stop mountaintop removal mining starting by stopping the blasting that began last week on Coal River Mountain in West Virginia, the site of a proposed wind farm.
Most importantly, our voices were heard. The EPA issued a statement favorable to the activists stating, "today 13 mountaintop removal protesters spent approximately four hours in nonviolent obstruction at EPA Headquarters in Washington, DC. After having an opportunity to share their concerns with EPA officials, the protestors exited the building of their own accord." The fight to save Coal River Mountain and end mountaintop removal is building national momentum. Our October day of action is merely another nail in mountaintop removal's coffin.
If you haven't already taken action to help save Coal River Mountain, you can still make a huge difference by emailing key officials in the Obama Administration and asking them to do everything in their power to stop the blasting of the area's last mountain untouched by mountaintop removal!
Indonesia's Rainforests: Gucci Group commits to protect endangered forests
Thanks to our "Don't Bag Indonesia's Rainforests" campaign, Indonesian rainforest protection is becoming a trend in the fashion world. Just last week, the prestigious conglomerate of fashion and luxury brands, Gucci Group, announced its plan to eliminate all paper from its stores and operations made from Indonesian rainforests and by controversial suppliers like Asia Pulp and Paper. This move is a first step in implementing an industry-leading paper policy, which will reduce the amount of paper Gucci Group uses, eliminate fiber from high conservation value forests, and commit them to only purchasing recycled products or those certified by the Forest Stewardship Council by December 2010.
While Gucci Group has shown itself as a leader, Calvin Klein, Coach, and Marc Jacobs remain silent on this issue. Take a moment to tell these three companies that the fashion industry can make a difference for rainforests and for the climate by following Gucci Group's lead and getting out of Indonesia's rainforests.
Pressure on Cargill
In the last few weeks, the Rainforest Agribusiness Campaign saw the critical impact that grassroots activism can make. RAN recently had two meetings with Cargill to discuss the implications of their palm oil plantations in Indonesia. In the hours leading up to the second meeting, Cargill's headquarters received over 4500 phone calls from supporters like you telling them to stop clear cutting Indonesia's rainforests for palm oil! If you haven't had the chance to call yet, please call today and ask Cargill to support RAN's demand for a Global Forest Policy.
Our campaigners have also been working with RAN's Twin Cities chapter to keep the heat on Cargill. During our week in Minneappolis, we pulled off an action against Cargill at the downtown Minneapolis Grain Exchange, screened the film Green, tabled at hiphop shows and the Northland Bioneers conference, and participated in 350.org's International Day of Climate Action. Our campaign is gathering immense support from many organizations in Minnesota and is quickly gaining momentum!
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Save Coal River Mountain, our best hope for a clean energy future. Contact the Obama Administration today!
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