http://www.climatejusticefast.com/index.php/blog/ en paulrobertconnor@gmail.com Copyright 2010 2010-07-07T17:03:55+00:00 http://www.climatejusticefast.com/blog/entry/great-news-ted-glick-avoids-jail/ http://www.climatejusticefast.com/blog/entry/great-news-ted-glick-avoids-jail/#When:17:03:55Z Fantastic news today for all climate activists around the world: Ted Glick, Climate Justice Faster and policy director of the US NGO Chesapeake Climate Action Now was spared the ordeal of a jail sentence for peacefully unfurling banners reading "GREEN JOBS NOW" and "GET TO WORK" inside the U.S. Senate Hart Office Building last September. Hundreds of fellow activists and climate concerned citizens from all over the world wrote letters in support of Ted to his judge and packed out his courtroom in solidarity, and it seems to have some effect. What was looking almost certainly like at least a few months, and quite possibly years, of jail time became simply a good behavior bond and community service, as Ted walked free from the court amongst friends and supporters. To anyone who helped this cause by writing a letter in support of Ted, thank you! Here is the poignant and powerful statement Ted read out in court: Ted Glick’s Sentencing Statement, July 6, 2010 Your honor, I’d like to focus my statement on the “why” of the September 8th action, about which I was not able to testify at my trial. I’ll begin with a quote from a March 4th, 2010 press release from the U.S. National Science Foundation. It concerns the emission of methane, a greenhouse gas 70 times as strong as carbon dioxide over the first 20 years after it is released into the atmosphere. This release begins: “A section of the Arctic Ocean seafloor that holds vast stores of frozen methane is showing signs of instability and widespread venting of the powerful greenhouse gas, according to the findings of an international research team. . . “The research results show that the permafrost under the East Siberian Arctic Shelf, long thought to be an impermeable barrier sealing in methane, is perforated and is starting to leak large amounts of methane into the atmosphere. Release of even a fraction of the methane stored in the shelf could trigger abrupt climate warming.” This melting of frozen methane on the sea floor is one of several climate tipping points that scientists have long identified as of great concern. The others are: the release of methane frozen in the permafrost in the earth’s northern latitudes, the accelerated melting of the Greenland and West Antarctica ice sheets such that sea level rise would be much more rapid than currently expected, and the drying out of the Amazon rainforest because of drought and the release of much of the estimated 120 billion tons of carbon sequestered there. What is a climate tipping point? It’s a point at which there has been so much heating up of the atmosphere that we experience drastic and runaway heating with truly catastrophic implications for the whole world, especially for the poor people of the world who are most vulnerable to respiratory diseases, heat stress, droughts, floods, major storms, water scarcity and disruption of agriculture. We may well be on the verge of one of these tipping points. I hope we haven’t passed one already. We are literally running out of time to make the dramatic changes, to shift rapidly from fossil fuels to clean energy, that will give us a chance of avoiding catastrophic climate change. I hope that in the thinking you have been doing about my sentence, this dire situation in which we find ourselves has been taken into account. Faced with such a planetary emergency, we must speak up and take action. And as citizens of a democracy, we must nonviolently urge, in the best ways we know how, our elected representatives, our Congresspersons and Senators, to do the right thing. That is what I did on September 8th of last year. As the country responsible for the highest percentage of greenhouse gases that are up in the atmosphere, the United States must begin to give leadership on this issue. We haven’t done so yet. And time is running out. Time is running out. All of us, in our own ways and for the sake of those being affected by climate change right now, for our children and grandchildren, must speak out and take action now.    And here is a quick video that shows Ted's action. He's the one at the end unfurling the long green banner. Hardly deserving of time in jail!  Ted, Climate Justice Fast! is inspired by your efforts, and truly happy for you and your family today. 2010-07-07T17:03:55+00:00 http://www.climatejusticefast.com/blog/entry/cjf-supports-the-climate-9/ http://www.climatejusticefast.com/blog/entry/cjf-supports-the-climate-9/#When:14:51:27Z 2010-06-13T14:51:27+00:00 http://www.climatejusticefast.com/blog/entry/cjf-faster-ted-glick-faces-jail/ http://www.climatejusticefast.com/blog/entry/cjf-faster-ted-glick-faces-jail/#When:11:09:17Z Despite the Gulf disaster, no one from BP has been arrested and sent to jail. But today I write to inform you that one of America's best global warming activists, and a Climate Justice Faster, is probably facing several months of jail. Why? Because he peacefully dropped two banners on Capitol Hill that said: "GREEN JOBS NOW" and "GET TO WORK." Ted was convicted by a jury May 13th of peacefully dropping the banners inside the U.S. Senate Building last September, and is due to be sentenced on July 6th. You can see a three-minute video of Ted's September "crime" right here. He's the guy toward the end simply lowering the banners. Period. Now Ted is facing up to three years in jail. Based on the judge's comments, it really does appear that he will be incarcerated for at least a month or two. So here's what you can do: Please write a respectful but firm letter to Judge Frederick H. Weisberg telling him why you think Ted should not go to jail (below is a letter a few of us have sent on behalf of all Climate Justice Fasters around the world). The judge's address is Judge Frederick H. Weisberg DC Superior Court 500 Indiana Ave., NW Washington, DC 20001 The letters should be respectful. Describe the urgency of the climate issue and the need to pressure the US government to take action on it; Give your views on what would be a justice-based approach by the legal system toward nonviolent actions of the kind Ted took part in. You can email Ted at ted@chesapeakeclimate.org, or you could send by regular mail to Ted's attention at CCAN, P.O. Box 11138, Takoma Park, Md. 20912.   CJF Letter Dear Judge Weisberg, We are writing this letter to you on behalf of all the participants of the Climate Justice Fast, an international fast which took place from November 6 to December 19 2009, and included Ted Glick, who is due to be sentenced by you on July 6th. Over 10,000 people from all over the world participated in the fast, and together, we would like to plead with you for leniency in Ted's case. We are deeply saddened at the prospect that while the corporations that are creating massive environmental catastrophes face no criminal penalties, Ted, this peaceful, compassionate and honest man, could soon be locked up in jail, simply for peacefully unfurling a banner that held a positive message about climate change – the most pressing issue our generation faces. We would like, if possible, to draw your attention to the scientific and political consensus that unless global warming is constrained to an increase of less than 2°C, our world will meet with a disaster of unprecedented magnitude, and to the absolute failure of world governments to safeguard us all from this tragedy. And we would like, if possible, to draw your attention to the fact that it is the political stagnation of the USA, home to only 5% of the world's population but producer of 25% of its greenhouse emissions, that is the primary obstacle in the road of humanity meeting this crisis, whose current victims are largely disadvantaged people in poorer nations who have done little to bring the crisis about. Somehow, and someway, we have to urgently wake up our politicians, and our populations, to the gravity and the urgency of the terrible threat we are all facing. That is why 10,000 of us took part in the Climate Justice Fast last year – three of us drinking water only for over 40 days. And that is why Ted Glick, peacefully, and with dignity, decided to unfurl his banner and its all-important message. It was an act undertaken out of love for humanity, and love for our beautiful earth. And it was an act that did not harm a single soul. Please protect the freedom to peacefully protest against injustice. Please don't put Ted Glick behind bars. There are few who deserve such a fate less. Sincerely, Anna Keenan, Annalies Aerts, Anthony Gleeson, Chuck Cain, Clare Hanrahan, Jean Sireyjol, Joanna Dafoe, Kathryn Blume, Keely Boom, Marcella Brassett, Neel Bannerjee, Paul Connor, Paul Thompson, Rowan Barber, Ruah Swennerfelt, Satya Vayu, Siobhan Leslie, Sue Lennox, & Uygar Ozesmi 2010-06-13T11:09:17+00:00 http://www.climatejusticefast.com/blog/entry/the-politics-of-love/ http://www.climatejusticefast.com/blog/entry/the-politics-of-love/#When:23:57:04Z In the Gandhian tradition, in the tradition of Martin Luther King, and indeed in most religious and spiritual traditions also, we are told that we must maintain our integrity, refusing to attack and insult our opponents and enemies, and instead to extend our love to them. When we choose fight against their actions, and even condemn those actions, but while extending love and forgiveness to our enemies as people, then we are strong within ourselves. See this in action during Van Jones' award acceptance speech last night: Check out the rest of the brief blog at http://thinkprogress.org/2010/02/27/jones-beck-love/ I feel it approprate to reference one of Gandhi's sayings appearring on this site - that 'Justice will come when it is deserved, by us being and feeling strong.' 2010-03-03T23:57:04+00:00 http://www.climatejusticefast.com/blog/entry/framing-we-can-solve-it/ http://www.climatejusticefast.com/blog/entry/framing-we-can-solve-it/#When:19:53:31Z Recently on 'It's getting hot in here', one of my favourite climate-movement blogs, there has been some discussion on language and framing in the climate debate, as well a surprisingly long debate on "whether renewables can solve it" in the comments of my last blog on the site. In response to both these things, and after a long hiatus from posting on the Climate Justice Fast site, I have been prompted to share this extract from "Beyond Yes We Can" - a piece that I wrote this time last year, in a period of post-Poznan reflection. Post-Copenhagen, much of what I wrote then still applies.“The Language of Certainty” The choice on whether or not to speak with certainty and faith about ‘winning’ and ’success’ on climate change is similar to our choices of language around the effects of climate change. Consider, for example, the difference between the two sentences: ‘As a result of climate change, the Great Barrier Reef will be irreversibly destroyed.’ or, ‘If we fail to solve climate change, the Great Barrier Reef would be irreversibly destroyed.’ The first sentence implies that climate change, and the Reef’s loss, is a certainty, whereas the second still holds within it the power of human choice, bringing human agency into the equation. Most climate communicators over the last two years have learnt to be very careful to use the language of agency, rather than the language of imminent destruction beyond our control. This subtle change results in empowering and motivating language, and encourages the audience to make a choice between alternative futures, rather than accepting fate. Science without movement theory embedded in its communication is depressing and disempowering. When communication resigns someone to accept inevitability, we lose the opportunity to engage them with the movement, and so the movement is weaker than it could otherwise have been, and becomes more likely to fail. Choosing such ‘inevitability’ in communication thus becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Knowing that language holds the power to bring different futures into being, our choices about communicating whether we will win or not are similarly crucial.  On solutions to climate change, it is rare to see language couched in certain terms, but this is a conscious choice that we can make.  Should we choose to say: ‘Over the coming decades, we need to move to a low-carbon society, transforming our energy systems, our production systems, and our consumption habits,’ or, ‘Over the coming decades, as we move towards a low-carbon society, we will transform our energy systems, our production systems, and our consumption habits.’ The first, in the language of need, implies a daunting, formidable task. The second, however, is an invitation to be involved, to learn more, and to prepare for the transition. Hope and a vision for the future is embedded and the (r)evolution becomes inevitable, an irresistible, political, force. Whether we choose the language of need or the language of certainty has the power to bring about transformation. But if we don’t personally have certainty and belief in change, we cannot use such language with integrity and honesty.  I feel ready to use the language of certainty, and I encourage everyone to explore these beliefs for themselves. === I also wanted to add an ‘afterword’ on this extract, and support the sentiment of the recent post by Juliana Williams. She wrote: Hope is passive.  Hope is what you have when you have exhausted all other options.  As Derreck Jensen writes, “To hope for some result means you have given up any agency concerning it.” By placing our Hope in Obama, in Congress, in the UN, we tacitly resign ourselves to the idea that the outcomes are out of our hands. I agree – but only if you define ‘Hope’ as a ‘passive’ thing. If you instead define hope in ‘active’ terms, as does David Orr in this wonderful interview, you can reclaim the word ‘hope’ from its superficial campaign branding, and then discover a much truer definition of ‘hope’ – hope through action, and hope in the movement. It is when you understand deeply this definition of hope – as distinct from naive, passive optimism and faith – that you can truthfully use the ‘language of certainty’. I suggest that deep in his heart, even Derrick Jensen shares this ‘hope’ in the movement: “And when you quit relying on hope, and instead begin to protect the people, things, and places you love, you become very dangerous indeed to those in power.” 2010-03-01T19:53:31+00:00 http://www.climatejusticefast.com/blog/entry/before-and-after1/ http://www.climatejusticefast.com/blog/entry/before-and-after1/#When:04:15:55Z Hi all. I'm just posting this photo to head off any 'CJF denial' (there has been some- misinformation on the net claiming that the long term fasters weren't really fasting, or that we were still taking in nutrition other than water). Such statements are just lies. It's hardly surprising that this has occurred, however, given that we are climate change activists, and there is such an unseemly rash of lies all over the net about our cause. There is, however, an antidote to this rash, which is to spread onto it, as widely as possible, a generous amount of TRUTH.  Please watch, and share, the following videos as widely as you possibly can, and make a point of checking for new ones from their authors at regular intervals. You will find that once a rash sufferer has sat through a few of them, they will be forever cured. OOOOOOOOOOOO 2009-12-23T04:15:55+00:00 http://www.climatejusticefast.com/blog/entry/day-44-one-day-fast-ends/ http://www.climatejusticefast.com/blog/entry/day-44-one-day-fast-ends/#When:10:52:36Z *Today, at 10AM, I ended my fast, after 43 days and 11 hours of taking in nothing but water and salt* One day.Could any two words hold more hope than these? They precede our dreams, our longings, and that which we need to believe. One day I’ll get that dream job, we say. One day I’ll have that family. They are a prayer, holding us up, and calling us on. Through these words, we fill the unknown future with everything our hearts desire- love, happiness, and security. And through these words, we find the strength to make our dreams come true. I used to have so many of these prayers. One day I would travel the world. One day I would be a successful musician. One day I would own my own home. Today, I have only one. Because I know that if this prayer does not come true, the rest will mean nothing. Today, my only prayer is that one day we will look back upon the current period of history and we will remember a time when the threat of climate change rendered our future uncertain. We will remember feeling fear as we watched the desperate warnings of scientists ignored by our leaders at COP15, and disbelief as our irreplaceable planet was sacrificed for meaningless profits. And we will remember our frustration as we worked to awaken a world that often seemed willfully ignorant of the enormous danger it faced. But this will not be all. I believe that one day, when we look back, we will also remember something incredible. We will remember how our generation made a collective decision to rise as one, all across the globe, and refused to let shortsightedness and greed destroy our future. We will remember that even when the situation seemed hopeless we never gave up, for there was just too much at stake. And we will remember how finally, our movement, once a whisper, grew before our eyes into a roar so deafening that it could no longer be ignored. On that day, our children and grandchildren will look to us with gratitude. Just as young Westerners pay their respects to the enormous sacrifices made during the great wars, one day we too will be thanked, for doing whatever it took to ensure that our descendants on this earth could have prayers of their own. I know that this is possible. I have seen for myself that when our message is one of truth, and we are driven by love, justice and compassion, amazing things can happen. Last December, Climate Justice Fast! was only an inkling of an idea in my mind- and I had never organized a dinner party before, let alone an international political action. Yet this past Thursday, over 10,000 people all around the world, including Naomi Klein, Mary Robinson and Bill McKibben fasted for a day for climate justice, inspired by CJF. So I know that this prayer can come true. But I also know that to achieve extraordinary results, we must be willing to do extraordinary things. To inspire a generation, we ourselves must be inspirational. We cannot afford to wait around for miracles. We must be the change we need to see. Scientist Tim Flannery was a keynote speaker at the June Australian youth climate conference Powershift. Looking out over the thousand young people present, he asked whether we are really willing to make the sacrifices required to solve the climate crisis. I know that we are. And by fasting for climate justice we sought to show this to him, and to the world. Our generation has been handed an unprecedented challenge. But together, we can overcome it. Together, we can mark a turning point in human history, away from centuries of environmental destruction and global inequality, and towards a just, sustainable future. We must reclaim the future, so that one day it can be filled with all our prayers once more.  2009-12-20T10:52:36+00:00 http://www.climatejusticefast.com/blog/entry/the-end-of-cop15-and-the-end-of-the-fast.-so-how-do-we-all-feel/ http://www.climatejusticefast.com/blog/entry/the-end-of-cop15-and-the-end-of-the-fast.-so-how-do-we-all-feel/#When:21:59:26Z Distress, confusion, hurt, anger? Hope, passion, energy? Emotion! Let it all out, people! Personally, I am feeling a very strange and beautiful feeling today, as we concluded the fast, after 43 days entirely without food, coinciding with the disappointing end of COP15. It is a mix of feelings - disappointment at politics mixed with hope for the future, met expectations (regarding the politicians' lacklustre performances) mixed with passion and love, excitement and inspiration (for the peoples' climate movement), and finally, a very strange sensation of taste in my mouth and nutrition in my belly once more. For COP15, the tension and the expectations were high. A 'fair, ambitious and binding' deal was called for by 12 million people across the world. We got none of it. Instead we got a huge disappointment. COP15 will not go down in history as the moment when the world, humanity, people of all nations and creeds, came together and united for the common good of all future generations. What a pity. It is actually pitiful. A complete shame. So what the hell happened, and what do we do now? Deepa Gupta, one of the founders of the Indian Youth Climate Network, who has been solidarity-fasting with us on one meal a day throughout the COP, summarised it well: “For those of you who don't yet know, last night 5 countries - US, China, India, Brazil and South Africa brokered a deal - the Copenhagen Accord, and then proposed it to the rest of the world to accept. It has no legal committments, it aims to target 2 degrees (but their actions are setting them to 3 degrees rise) [ed: while the most vulnerable nations are calling for 1.5 degrees, because 2 degrees is a death-sentence for them, and 3 degrees is runaway global warming, a death-sentence for all of us], and the money on the table is not only lacking, but it has many strings attached. Essentially it's an easy way for countries who didn't want to make strong committments, to get away with it. It has completely disregarded the UN framework that attempts to far more democratically put all countries on an equal footing, and shut out the voices of majority of the world.”   The best blow-by-blow that I've seen of what happened in the plenary sessions after Obama left Denmark, somewhere around 2am, after signing this weird 'Copenhagen Accord' is here and here and here. Pretty much everything that comes out on www.itsgettinghotinhere.org is awesome anyway, and it will offer a variety of insights from a number of different perspectives. It covers some of the things that were said in plenary between 3am and 7am on Saturday morning. The whole conference wrapped up a few hours after that. What a god-damn mess.   In the time since the summit concluded, I've received these messages (these are just a selection) via facebook, twitter, email, and blog-comments etc:   “I am sad and I am angry.”   “Why are we always waiting on Obama?”   “I just cannot believe what came out of the talks, in a state of shock and disbelief that it has come to nothing. Prevention demands foresight and our sorry excuses for leaders suffer a dire lack of foresight.”   “Obviously deeply distressed and disappointed about what happened in Copenhagen yesterday/over the past fortnight.”   There is obviously a whole lot of emotion flying around at the moment. But I urge everyone not to slip into despair - because the movement is growing, it is powerful, and because we will win.   Instead of despairing and feeling frustrated, use your frustrations and your despair and express it to create change. If you are emotional, use it in a constructive way, channel it to where you feel it will have most effect. Make your emotion felt. Rock somebody's core.   Whether it is your family, a friend, or a politician, and whatever type of action it is - a phone call, a protest, a letter, I have learnt from the Climate Justice Fast that our emotions, our heart-actions, are some of the most powerful actions that we can take.   Another comment:   “US Senate just approved $626 billion defense bill; 3.4% pay raise 4 military; just like that, but drag feet on planet survival & health bill at Copenhagen. Says it all!”   This last point is right on – this is pretty much the 3rd ~US$600 bn bailout for the US military alone since 2008. The total amount required for climate adaptation and sustainable energy/mitigation in developing countries every year is US$400bn annually, maximum, worldwide.     Personally, despite all of this crap that has come out the end of COP15, I am feeling more hopeful and more powerful than ever, because in spite of political failure and inaction, I can see the wheels off change turning and greater public dicontent churning up everywhere.   Political turmoil is what we need right now.   The world needed a shake-up and it got one with the failure of COP15.   This stuff – the 'Divided Nations' instead of the 'United Nations' - is way better than some nice-looking political declaration that makes people across the world believe that politicians are going to save them. If we'd had that sort of outcome, it would have given the world's population false hope. Maybe now the general public will start to find this interesting, and will start to pay attention.   Even better, maybe they will start to get really pissed off and actually get off the couch and do something about it. Maybe now we will start to activate our 'participatory democracies' again - and beyond just the usual activist core. Maybe now people will participate and realise that if their global democracies aren't functioning, it is up to them as citizens to hold their governments accountable.   Ultimately, this is why I have decided to come off the fast - because I have a whole lot more to give to the climate change movement yet. There is a whole lot of work to be done. And I need to get stuck into doing it - as does each and every one of us.     So what do we do from here?   Do we give up? Do we take a break post-Copenhagen and come back to campaigning in 6 months time? No! We regroup, we refresh our souls, strong in the knowledge that we have a powerful movement that will not give up – a movement that will keep fighting until we win.   So what do we do? We ACT, of course!   I wanted to share these other messages that I have received in the last day. They demonstrate our call to action now, and are a pointed reminder that in times of despair, the only path to hope is THROUGH action:   “If you hold love for me, your child, friend, sibling or your future, you will need to participate in this fight for freedom. ... Please work with me - each one of you - to secure it.”   “The fight continues and somehow we will, all of us together, make the changes necessary. It was incredible to have taken part in the worldwide fast that began on the 17th. It proved (again) that the world wants to change asap.”   “I have also come to the conclusion that the idea our elders are wise, is false. In fact you and your (younger) generation are the "elders" with a deeper wisdom and compassion that must be heeded!”     And while it is poor practice for a blogger (me) to reference a blog (Ted's) that references another blog by the original blogger (me), I wanted to post a link to from Ted Glick – evidently someone who feels the exact same way that I do! Check it out: http://www.climatejusticefast.com/blog/entry/day-44-day-1 2009-12-19T21:59:26+00:00 http://www.climatejusticefast.com/blog/entry/day-44-day-1/ http://www.climatejusticefast.com/blog/entry/day-44-day-1/#When:15:35:29Z It is good to eat again. But it is even better to feel the sense of accomplishment that comes with the end of the 2009 Climate Justice Fast. There's the sense of personal accomplishment of going 43 days without food. In my case, it ended up being 23 days on water-only and 20 days on liquids. I am sure for those who persevered on water-only for the whole time, Paul, Anna and Sara, as well as those who went lesser but significant numbers of consecutive days on water-only, those feelings must be even stronger. They should be. In Anna's latest post on this blog, she refers to asking people in Copenhagen at the candlelight vigil on the 17th if they were, in essence, going to give up or not because Barack Obama and the leaders of the industrialized countries, those most responsible for our worldwide plight, failed to advance the ball at COP 15. This is really the key question coming out of Copenhagen: are the individuals who, collectively, make up the international grassroots movements going to rededicate themselves, really, truly, to continuing to build our movement, or are they, in essence, going to just go through the motions while feeling defeated? I strongly suspect it's the former, not the latter. All that I experienced from a distance as far as what went on in Copenhagen, all that has happened over the course of the last two months, beginning with the hugely successful October 24th 350.org actions and continuing through to December 12th and then the December 17th international day of fasting--all of this is solid evidence that, yes, the world has reached a political tipping point. Exactly what tactics, exactly what forms of action, will now develop going forward remain to be decided. But I will be resting over the Christmas holiday season secure in the knowledge that a critical mass of activists all over the world will refuse to quit. Our love for our children and grandchildren, born and unborn, our love for those in the climate crosshairs right now, our love for our mother, the earth, are far more powerful, over time, than the hot air of politicians and the ruthless profit-seeking of oil and coal companies and their corporate allies. 2009-12-19T15:35:29+00:00 http://www.climatejusticefast.com/blog/entry/day-43-deal-qe/ http://www.climatejusticefast.com/blog/entry/day-43-deal-qe/#When:12:31:15Z 2009-12-19T12:31:15+00:00