Greenpeace

The Department of Commerce was declared a climate crime scene this morning. Greenpeace activists descended on its DC headquarters to try and free the climate talks, which were being held hostage by the Chamber and its clients. Chamber lobbyists work for the very industries that create and profit from criminal climate destruction.

Even if you weren’t in DC to witness the action as it progressed, thousands of people tuned in to Twitter to get updates live from the field as the events unfolded.

The Greenpeace twitter kept followers engaged in all the activities. The Chamber of Commerce decided to use twitter to try to discount everything Greenpeace was saying. This is where things started to heat up.

My favorite reply of the Chamber (@chamberpost) was how the activities disrupted a holiday concert for a local charter school. At first glance, it would seem as if the Chamber really cares for the youth of our country. It’s a clever way for the Chamber to make Greenpeace look like the bad guys. We disrupted a concert. But, let’s take a look at what the Chamber is doing to the future of all the youth in America.

As a parent, I’m very concerned with the effects of global warming on my son’s future. I want him to have a bright future and a healthy planet to live on. And, thanks to the Chamber and all their polluting clients, his future may be tarnished forever.


Companies that contribute to global warming (oil, coal) create a huge profit. The Chamber of Commerce lobbies for what’s in the best interest of these companies, their profits remaining huge. The Chamber doesn’t lobby for my son or the children at the charter school that were visiting the building today.

Currently, our future is in the hands of world leaders over in Copenhagen. They are in the final days of negotiating a climate treaty that has the potential to either save the day or keep us on a path to dangerous climate change.

I hope our world leaders will do the right thing and protect our future and not the bank accounts of polluting companies. It would be a crime, indeed, if world leaders gathered for two weeks and didn’t come out with strong, binding treaty to combat the effects of global warming.

We need YOU! Please take action today.

--Michelle

 

What happens once you sign a petition or take action online? If you're like me, you've signed up for lots of group's email lists and get newsletters, donation requests and calls to action. But, what happens to my name when I sign a petition? Is it used? Does it help?

Today, we got creative at Greenpeace. We used all YOUR names to create an actual Greenpeace banner. When we started the online petition to President Obama we couldn’t tell you all the details, but we hinted that it would be something big, really BIG! More than 50,000 amazing activists signed our petition urging President Obama to sign a legally binding treaty in Copenhagen to stop a climate catastrophe and unleash a clean energy revolution.

Our graphic designer took all 50,000 names and created a beautiful banner. I can tell you, first hand, that the banner is HUGE! It’s 80x40-feet and weighs about 100 pounds. We thought the eve of President Obama’s departure for Copenhagen would be a great time to unfurl the banner, right across the street from the White House.

It wasn’t easy, but we did it! About two dozen of us bundled up (it actually snowed here over the weekend). We opened up the banner and situated it just perfectly so we could get the message out to President Obama and the rest of the world.

 

President Obama: LEAD and Save the Climate

Simultaneously, while we were displaying the banner we were also faxing all 50,000 names to the President. He got the message, in more ways that one.

I was also tweeting with one hand, while my other hand was holding the banner. If you’re not signed up for Greenpeace twitter updates what are you waiting for? You can get real-time updates from us and stay in the loop and cool activities as they unfold.

President Obama and many world leaders are heading to Copenhagen for climate talks. They need to do a lot more than talk. They need to sign a legally binding treaty with sharp teeth.

We’ll be watching our world leaders to see if they can achieve a strong, binding treaty on climate change.

Thank you to everyone who signed the petition! Take a look at the banner images and pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Our banner will leave a lasting impression on the President as he heads over to Copenhagen.

--Michelle

With the start of the Copenhagen Summit set to start in early December, Greenpeace and the rest of the world watches and waits to see if this really “is a new day... a new era" on climate change and if Obama is the leader he has promised he would be.

Released today, a Greenpeace briefing highlights some of the key areas where the climate legislation in Congress falls short and outlines how Obama and the US can do more to deliver deeper emission cuts by harnessing the potential of renewable energy and energy efficiency. 

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