Let’s demonstrate where power truly lies

It is heartening to see indigenous-led climate actions at the White House, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the US Capitol this week. I admire those who are participating in acts of civil disobedience, with hundreds of arrests. But disappointed in the absence of a response from the Biden administration. And deeply concerned at the latest news that funding to address environmental catastrophe might not be included in the budget negotiations. White House looks to scale back climate initiative after stiff pushback from Manchin

I’m reminded of the days of the Keystone XL pipeline Pledge of Resistance, a national campaign to use civil disobedience to force denial of the permit for the construction of that pipeline which began in 2013. President Obama, with Vice President Biden, did deny the permit. The President was aware of the Keystone resistance. How much that affected his decision isn’t known. (more below).

This week over 530 climate activists were arrested during Indigenous-led civil disobedience actions in Washington, D.C., calling on President Joe Biden to declare a climate emergency and stop approving fossil fuel projects. Indigenous leaders have issued a series of demands, including the abolition of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, whose offices they occupied on Thursday for the first time since the 1970s. The protests come just weeks before the start of the critical U.N. climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, which President Biden and senior Cabinet members are expected to attend. “We’re not going anywhere,” says Siqiñiq Maupin, with Sovereign Iñupiat for a Living Arctic, who traveled from Alaska to D.C. and was among those arrested during the BIA occupation. “We do not have time for negotiations, for compromises. We need to take this serious and take action now.”

With the stroke of Biden’s pen, he can change the world. But Biden refuses to do it up to this point so we’ve got to use the greatest weapon we have and that is each other.
Miami is a place where climate disasters have become as familiar as sunshine. We are so glad to be joining to descend upon DC and make our voices heard because we cannot negotiate anymore. We cannot negotiate with rising seas, we cannot negotiate with occupied lands, we cannot negotiate with wildfires, we cannot negotiate with intensifying hurricanes. This is a matter of life or death. What we’re asking each and every one of you to do today is to find your inner warrior. Like I said, they don’t listen unless the people are willing to stand together in unity. They demand fossil fuels, we demand that our futures and the next seven generation futures are guaranteed.
They can divide us, or they can unite us. I choose to unite. So, join us, be with us, let’s demonstrate where power truly lies and that is in the hands of the people.

People vs Fossil Fuels

Oct 19 CALL IN DAY OF ACTION – Social Media Toolkit

The time for Biden to act on climate is NOW.

As negotiations around the infrastructure bill drag on, the President has allowed dangerous fossil fuel projects to advance and passed the buck to Congress, allowing his agenda to be delayed and weakened by industry-friendly politicians, including those in his own party, like Senators Manchin and Sinema. We need your help to hold him accountable to the promises he has made.

Here’s what we need you to do:

Call out the administration.

Dial 888-724-8946 and demand that Biden act on climate change.
Here is a script:

My name is ___. I am demanding that President Biden listen to the people who sent him to Washington and take urgent climate action by phasing out fossil fuels, stopping new fossil fuel projects, declaring a national climate emergency, and acting to deploy 100% clean, safe, renewable energy.

Encourage people to sign the petition.

Share our petition and encourage others to sign: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/president-biden-choose-people-over-fossil-fuels/

Amplify the call-in.

Share this call-in using the social media copy below.

Use the hashtag #PeopleVsFossilFuels and the number 888-724-8946

Social Media Copy

On Tuesday, Oct 19th, we’re hosting a #PeopleVsFossilFuels Call-In Day of Action! Join us in calling the White House and @POTUS to demand they declare a climate emergency & stop approving fossil fuel projects! Call here: 888-724-8946
Last week hundreds mobilized in front of the White House to demand @POTUS use his executive power to declare a climate emergency. Today, we’re asking you to join us & call on @JoeBiden to declare a climate emergency & #BuildBackFossilFree. Call the White House today: 888-724-8946

Oct 19 CALL IN DAY OF ACTION – Social Media Toolkit

Nationwide resistance to TransCanada’s Keystone XL Pipeline began when the Rainforest Action Network (RAN), CREDO, and The Other 98% developed the Keystone Pledge of Resistance, March 6, 2013. This movement to stop the pipeline began by creating a website where opponents of the pipeline could sign the Pledge. Over 97,000 people signed.

“I pledge, if necessary, to join others in my community, and engage in acts of dignified, peaceful civil disobedience that could result in my arrest in order to send the message to President Obama and his administration that they must reject the Keystone XL pipeline.”

The Keystone Pledge of Resistance used the threat of nationwide civil disobedience direct actions in an attempt to persuade President Obama to deny the Keystone pipeline permit.
Planning and training are required for a successful direct action. I was fortunate to be trained by Todd Zimmer and Gabe from the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) in Des Moines the summer of 2013, as part of the national Keystone Pledge of Resistance. RAN went to 25 cities in the U.S. that summer to train local leaders to (1) plan the direct action in their city and (2) teach them how to train others in their area. That resulted in about 400 Action Leaders being trained, who in turn trained nearly 4,000 local activists. If the action was triggered, nonviolent direct actions would unfold in at least 25 cities in the country simultaneously.