Behind-the-scenes video of Mount Rushmore banner hang

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mikeg We just posted this amazing new video – shot by our team in the field at yesterday’s banner hang on Mount Rushmore – to YouTube. Check it out, there’s some cool behind-the-scenes footage, and then you can see just how windy it was. Our climbers get tossed around pretty good. Just goes to show how incredible of a job they really did.



In addition to heaps of praise and words of encouragement, we’ve been getting a lot of flak from people who were upset that we would deface a national monument. My response to them is twofold: First, there are already climbing leads established on the rock, which the park employees use to clean the monument. Our climbers used those leads and were extremely cautious not to do any harm to the monument, and in the end they did not do any damage.

Second, all of the sanctimonious claims about our disrespect for what Mount Rushmore represents are completely baseless. We have utmost respect for the accomplishments of the great leaders who built this country, that’s why we chose it as the site for issuing our challenge to President Obama to be a leader on global warming. But Mount Rushmore was built on a mountain stolen from Native Americans. Adding insult to injury, we then carved a bunch of white people’s faces into it. So you gotta ask yourself: What does Mount Rushmore really represent?

For the record, a member of the local Oglala Sioux tribe has published an op-ed praising our action.

And our larger point still stands: If President Obama wants to be considered equal to the pantheon of great American leaders depicted on Mount Rushmore, he needs to start providing real leadership on global warming, the greatest challenge of our time.

The president is currently meeting with the rest of the G8 leaders in L’Aquila, Italy. Yesterday they held a press conference to announce that they were setting a target of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius. But that is not what real leadership looks like – that target had already been endorsed by 109 nations even before the G8 announcement.

Plus, as worthy as this long-term goal is, the truly critical issue is that President Obama and the rest of the world’s leaders still have not laid out an adequate roadmap for how we’re going to get there. In other words, they haven’t set short-term goals that are ambitious enough to get us to the long term goal of keeping global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius. Scientists have clearly stated that the United States and other industrialized countries must cut their emissions by 25-40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. But the Obama Administration, like Congress, continues to promote short-term emissions reductions targets that fall far short of what science demands.

We can’t continue to put off for tomorrow what science tells us we need to do today. While the 2 degree commitment would appear to recognize the severity of the crisis we're facing, the Obama Administration and the G8 have failed to provide any plan for staying below this critical threshold. Sign our petition now and ask Obama to be a leader on global warming, not just here in America but for the world as well.

Comments (34)

  • Permalink rick on July 09, 2009
    Excellent - this is what democracy looks like. Concerned Americans have been taken action since the Boston Tea Party and the War of Independence - nice to see that some Americans still remember that and are willing to risk their lives so the rest of us can live ours in health and happiness!
  • Permalink bayoudog on July 09, 2009
    yep, totally agree with Rick. great stuff. the activists are true patriots!
  • Permalink okispider on July 09, 2009
    I applaud you for your courage!
  • Permalink charlie_tally on July 09, 2009
    Thrilling, inspiring, this is why I love Greenpeace. Many others play politics with our planets future; Greenpeace thinks and acts.
  • Permalink mdechiara on July 09, 2009
    Impressive banner hang team! GP has a tradition of action at Mt. Rushmore and pushing for stronger leadership on climate change is certainly a noble continuation of 80's/90's action.

    Kudos to the climbers - that was WINDY! Could have been quite hairy up there.

    ROCK ON GP!

    M. DeChiara
    -action team 1987-91
  • moon
    Permalink moon on July 09, 2009
    We Greenpeace members will never give up. We will always stick together and do the very best that we can do.
    We have to keep trying to open peoples eyes, so they will see what is truly happening.
    If we want to have a planet to live on, if we want to have a "livable" future we have to keep trying, Erie Moon
  • Permalink beregreen on July 09, 2009
    this is an inspiring video!
    a heartfelt THANK YOU to the Greenpeace activists who risks their lives in order to protect our planet! You are doing the job we should all be doing, great work on the video editing too.

    Berenice Weber
  • Permalink thomas3 on July 09, 2009
    Outstanding! We are proud of the work Greenpeace does. Glad to be a member that can make a difference.
  • stephenjryan
    Permalink stephenjryan on July 09, 2009
    Great work again GP!! True patriots and courageous people.

    Does anyone know the music that was in the video?

    Stephen
  • Permalink pablo4 on July 09, 2009
    To those people who feel Greenpeace defaced a national monument. Take a moment and find out the history behind what the goverment did to the Sioux Indians to make this monument. This monument to me is a travesty. The black mountains were sacred to these Indians and to this day refuse to take money from the goverment for building this monument. When I saw this video, the words meant so much more in light of what the goverment did to the Sioux Indians. This needed to be done and I commend them for it.
  • Permalink artca on July 09, 2009
    I totally support your action. I have taught college courses on racism using the POV video about the constant desecration of Matu Tipila nearby (Cave of the Bear) sacred to the indigenous people, by non-native people climbing on it while down the road Mount Rushmore is off limits to climbers. All power to you!
  • Permalink Joe M on July 09, 2009
    I would just like to say thank you to those brave members who were part of the team that did this. We need more people like you all who will actually take action. Sometimes, especially in this country, it really takes a dramatic act to get people to pay attention to something, and hopefully, this will do just that. I got teary-eyed watching this video.

    Bravo!
  • Permalink pdxpeacebuilder on July 09, 2009
    It is not only the Action on Rushmore that needs to be applauded but the courage and guts of Greenpeace to not be an environmental lemming. Many of the leading environmental groups are applauding and saying "okay it may not be perfect but let's support our president and congress."

    I am proud to be part of the Big Action and Big voice saying, "Hell no. It isn't good enough. Obama you are acting like the little c change and not the C-CHANGE we voted for.

    pdx
    ps. I know it is sea-change.
  • Permalink christian on July 09, 2009
    good job boys

    we thank God that we have people so courage like u

    peace
  • Permalink christian on July 09, 2009
    u guys are so courage

    !!!!!!!!!!!!


    greenpeace rocks =)
  • Permalink shawnee on July 09, 2009
    Thank you for your courage!!!!!! You are true heroes, keep up the good work and please know we are all behind you!
  • Permalink lovepolarbears on July 09, 2009
    This is just awesome!!! Keep up the good work!!!
  • Permalink tbonederf2001 on July 09, 2009
    The mountain was originally named "Six Grandfathers" by the native Lakota. The U.S. violently asserted military control in 1877.

    The intention behind carving Mount Rushmore was to increasing the tourist industry of South Dakota. These four specific presidents were chosen for Mount Rushmore because they, from left to right on the mountain, commemorate the founding, growth, preservation and development of the United States.

    There is no better location to drop such a monumental banner.
  • Permalink FlyingEagle on July 09, 2009
    Thanks for the effort! It brought a smile to me and others that I know who do care enough to financially support this organization. Kudos for your effort. Obama has done at least one thing correctly. He hired a Noble prize scientist to help look for solutions. We must all do our part and give a little more to help each other out.
  • Permalink Susan on July 09, 2009
    Thank you for making this very worthy statement. I am shocked at how many citizens bury their heads in the sand until someone stands up. Then they have the nerve to throw rocks. Love it, keep it up.
  • Permalink SusieF on July 10, 2009
    Thank you Greenpeace volunteers for publicising Global Warming so brilliantly. I hope so much that President Obama is on our side and on the side of our children.
  • Permalink grateful_child on July 10, 2009
    Whew...,
    I was holding my breath while your climber was being blown around by the wind. Awesome, courageous, and patriotic job hanging the banner, ...and other direct actions in Italy and the world for the G8 summit. Thanks so much for being the ones that really care.
  • Permalink Angel on July 10, 2009
    I admire the courage of these activist - the wind was really intense. more intense is seeing Obama's face next to Lincoln - the president he seems to admire the most.
  • Permalink evan_iub on July 10, 2009
    Great job Green Peace volunteers. We Greenpeace members will never give up. Thnx for this great initiative to aware the world for stop global warming.

    Thnx
  • Permalink Crow Calling on July 10, 2009
    I am so proud of my brothers and sisters at GREENPEACE for this indignant and powerful action!!

    Never forget that we are out here, in the cities and in the country, praying for you and your safety and effectiveness.

    I am so proud to be a supporter of you folks who have the skills and courage to take dangerous and consequential action like this.

    I work for Lake Superior, but mainly at a desk, so I am in awe of your tenacity in the field!

    Peace and blessings!
  • Permalink John on July 10, 2009
    I see they only keep the comments they want on here, they like reading dumb comments from idiots, i'm sure this will be deleted as well
  • Permalink Jhumi on July 11, 2009
    I salute the Greenpeace volunteers who took this courageous action for the planet earth. I am with you and shouting out to help save this planet.Keep on moving!!!
  • Permalink polabran on July 11, 2009
    I'm wiping tears from my eyes. The spirit of the TRUE America was demonstrated in this video! Impressive, Bold, Passionate, Strong, Talented work!! Keep it up! I'm sending another donation to Greenpeace right now. You young Americans rock!!!
  • Permalink lile on July 12, 2009
    wow..brave and awesome! but i don't see Ms. Jess Miller? i just heard her voice?! but it's quite extraordinary.. Greenpeace atmosphere is very near and real pressure. well done my friends!.
  • michellefrey
    Permalink michellefrey on July 12, 2009
    Amazing video! It makes me proud to be a Greenpeace supporter. Way to go activists.
  • Permalink lori_a_mills on July 13, 2009
    I still have goosebumps after watching that video. Thank-you to the Greenpeace activists who represent my viewpoints through their actions! I love how Lincoln's eyes are looking right into Obama's to bear witness. Thanks for letting us see up close the efforts of our brave activists- all the more reason to keep up with the monthly giving...
  • Permalink lori_a_mills on July 13, 2009
    For the record, I'm a member!
  • Permalink donlipmanson on July 13, 2009
    Glad to join the chorus of well-wishers; this action makes me proud to have been a monthly supporter for some 20 years. Thanks to the organizers and on-the-rock campaigners for another courageous direct action that brought positive public attention to an environmental issue of "monumental" importance while avoiding an extreme backlash.
  • Permalink rr2009 on November 06, 2009
    We have to keep trying to open peoples eyes, so they will see what is truly happening.
    If we want to have a planet to live on, if we want to have a "livable" future we have to keep trying!
  •  

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