TIGblogs - Climate Change

Fossil Fools Day is making a splash around the world. We’re following dozens and dozens of actions in the US, UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand! Here’s a brief update on some of the bigger actions thus far - but more are still to come! Solid media coverage on many of these actions on Reuters, BBC, Associated Press and beyond! For the latest news all day- check out FossilFoolsDay.org

8 Arrested as North Carolina, USA Residents Shut Down Construction at Cliffside Coal Plant

At 6:30 this morning, North Carolina residents locked themselves to bulldozers to stop the construction of Duke Energy’s massive Cliffside coal-fired power plant being built 50 miles west of Charlotte, NC. “In the face of catastrophic climate change, building a new coal plant is tantamount to signing a death sentence for our generation,” said local farmer Matt Wallace, while locked to a bulldozer. The concerned citizens also roped off the construction site with “Global Warming Crime Scene” tape and held banners that read “Coal Fuels Climate Change” and “Social Change, not Climate Change.” (more…)

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Billionaires for Dirty Energy blockade Citibank in New York, USA. 2 arrested

At 12:30pm today over 25 people dressed as “Billionaires for Dirty Energy” blockaded the main entrance of Citibank’s Upper East Side headquarters in New York City. Protesting Citi’s role at the lead financier to the dirty coal industry - two were arrested after chaining themselves to the front doors and refusing to leave. Police eventually sawed them out of the chains, and a rally continued in front of the bank. (more…)

Activists Blockade Bank of America to Protest Funding of Coal, Boston, Massachusetts,

Boston, MA – As of 9:00AM, in conjunction with a downtown rally, four activists have locked themselves to the front entrance of the Bank of America branch in Copley Square. They are protesting the bank’s funding of coal and energy companies who are among the worst contributors to climate change, and directly responsible for innumerable human rights abuses in communities where coal is extracted and burned.Update: Four arrests in Boston, some lock boxes were cut, but others were loaded into the police wagon still locked to each other. (more…)

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Dynegy’s Houston HQ Gets Fossil Fool Award Left on Their Ceiling.

Ten activists with Rainforest Action Network Houston showed up to take action on Dynegy’s headquarters. While two activists delivered our Fossil Fool of the Year award to CEO of Dynegy, Bruce Williamson, eight others released a balloon banner in the Wells Fargo Plaza’s main lobby. Dynegy is currently proposing to build numerous coal-fired power plants across the US - and is the leading company of the US coal-rush. Everyone then proceeded to pass out literature about Dynegy, coal, and wind power in Texas to passers-by and people entering/exiting the building. The security, though unaware, reacted quickly - however not timely enough to stop the two activists from delivering the award to Dynegy’s secretary or stop the balloon banner from making it to the lobby’s ceiling. No arrests were made.

Fossil Fools Day at the University of Kentucky, USA

At the University of Kentucky, students protested the university’s coal-fired power plant by climbing atop the coal stockpile, and raising giant wind turbines. Raising a mock wind turbine on top of the UK power plant’s coal fuel pile was designed to show the futility and myopic vision of the University’s current energy policy. While happy to learn that UK does not use coal from mountaintop removal sites, the State of Kentucky’s flagship university is a fossil fool and it must demonstrate leadership and a far-thinking approach to its energy sourcing and usage. (more…)

Cambridge, UK Fossil Fools Day Protest at RBS Bank

The Royal Bank of Scotland is one of the main financiers of climate crime, in the form of oil and gas exploration. After targeting the Trinity Street branch last year, this time protesters paid a visit to the Hills Road Branch to mark the occasion of Fossil Fools Day. See UK Indymedia.

Protesters Shut down open-cast coal mine, Wales

Protesters Shut Opencast Coal Mine Direct action exposes ‘black hole’ in climate change policy Tuesday, 1st April, 2008: At 7am this morning, protesters halted work at one of the biggest opencast coal mines in Europe, on the outskirts of . They intend to remain on the site for several days.(more…)

EV-EON Carbon Capture launched on Southbank!

Posted Apr 1st, 2008

The first ever Fossil Fools day has been given a terrific christening today with the launch of EV-EON Unnaturally Carbonated Water. This innovative new technology will be used at E.ON’s Kingsnorth PowerStation and used to capture the carbon dioxide given off by the burningof coal.The carbon di-oxide is then bubbled through fresh spring waterfrom nearby Kingsnorth Hills to create carbonated drinking water whichis bottled and sold in Italian restaurants. (more….)

Banner drop in Portland, OR, USA

In support of Fossil Fool’s Day, Stumptown Earth First! in protest of the LNG Oregon Pipelines, performed a four-story banner hang off of the Burnside Bridge in downtown Portland, OR. The banner reads No New Pipelines with a no LGN logo directly in the middle. The Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Pipeline is a proposed project that involves three LNG processing terminals and over 600 miles of new pipeline throughout Oregon. Stumptown Earth First! is a non-violent direct action group based out of Portland, OR.

AntiWar@Laurier blockades local Shell station on “Fossil Fools Day.”

Waterloo, Ontario - Just before rush hour today, student and community activists from AntiWar@Laurier (AW@L) blockaded the Shell gas station at the corner of Westmount Road North and Father David Bauer Drive. AW@L’s “Climate Change Containment Unit” deployed to address the gross violation of the environment constituted by the planned increase in production of the Albertan oil sands, by shutting down Shell’s primary outlet in Waterloo. Shell is a leading offender with regard to profiteering from climate change causing activities, especially in the tar sands.

Plum Creek Receives “Fossil Fool’s Award”, Maine, USA

Plum Creek Receives “Fossil Fool’s Award” For Contributions To Climate Change

Fairfield, ME - Volunteers with the Native Forest Network (NFN) staged a mock “Fossil Fool’s Day” awards ceremony today at the offices of the Plum Creek Timber Company to draw attention to the potential impacts of the company’s Moosehead region development proposal on the regional and global climate. Continue Reading »