Randi Kaye | BIO AC360° Correspondent Program Note: See Randi Kaye’s full report tonight on AC360° at 10pm ET. “Where do I begin?” That’s what I asked myself this week as I found myself sitting in my office at CNN in New York City with a mountain of documents in front of me. Hundreds of documents that were given to us from a BP Alaska employee named Marc Kovac. It was up to my producer, Susan Chun, and me to make sense of it all. Kovac has been w … Read More
Daily Archives: 06/23/2010
Support Gulf Communities, demand Justice from Big Oil Companies
| Donate to support Ecuadorean leaders’ trip to the Gulf |
 Photo by Win McNamee/Getty |
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 Toxic oil pit in Ecuador/ Photo by Lou Demattei |
How many times will we let BP and Big Oil destroy our communities?
Next week, RAN along with four Ecuadorean community leaders, Emergildo, Humberto, Mariana and Luis, who have been fighting Big Oil’s toxic legacy for decades in the Amazon Rainforest, hope to travel to the Gulf Coast to stand with local communities who are feeling the impact of our country’s oil addiction firsthand.
This is an incredible act of solidarity that you can make happen. Now is the time to show that BP’s disaster is not an exception, but the rule for a dirty and dangerous industry.
Whether it’s BP’s ruin of the Gulf, Chevron’s “Amazon Chernobyl” or Exxon’s deadly spill in Alaska, one thing is crystal clear: we must end our addiction to oil and herald in a clean energy future.
Emergildo, Humberto, Mariana and Luis know all too well Big Oil’s legacy of denying, delaying and litigating away responsibility for its reckless behavior. They have been fighting a decades-long legal battle to get Chevron to pay for the 18 billion gallons of highly toxic waste that was dumped into their water.
Next week, with your help, they will share their stories and survival strategies with communities in the Gulf, who, tragically, need support to protect their health, culture and livelihoods.
From coast to coast and country to country, frontline communities have borne the brunt of Big Oil’s destruction and our country’s addiction to oil. But these communities are also where the movement to demand freedom from oil begins.
We have all seen how the hottest front-page story can fade from political view before companies make good on their promises or politicians make their rhetorical commitments into reality. This delegation is a critical step in building a movement strong enough to hold Big Oil and our politicians accountable even when the TV cameras turn off.
It is our job to make sure that when we look back years from now on the summer of 2010, this horrific disaster will be remembered as a breakthrough moment in the transition to a clean energy future, and not just another deadly symptom of our addiction to oil.
Our job starts today!
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For a better world, |
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Rebecca Tarbotton
Acting Executive Director
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It feels good to win
Last night, we won again. DFA-List endorsed candidate Elaine Marshall won the Democratic primary runoff in North Carolina with 60% of the vote. That’s not the only good news. Everyone from The Hill newspaper in DC to Talking Points Memo are giving you the credit and Washington insiders are getting the message. Here’s just a sample:
From The Nation:
Progressive Challenger Defeats Washington Establishment in North Carolina
The progressive groups who unsuccessfully backed Bill Halter over Blanche Lincoln in Arkansas’ Democratic Senate runoff on June 8 scored a victory tonight when Elaine Marshall defeated Cal Cunningham in North Carolina’s Democratic Senate primary.
From USA Today:
She defeated a candidate who was handpicked by national Democratic Party leaders. Backed by liberal groups MoveOn-org and Democracy for America, (Elaine) campaigned as a liberal insurgent against Cal Cunningham.
Together with DFA-List candidate Joe Sestak in Pennsylvania, we’re showing Washington insiders we don’t support just any Democrat — we support better Democrats. Now, it’s up to us to make sure she beats Republican Senator Richard Burr in November.
CONTRIBUTE $5 OR MORE TO ELAINE MARSHALL RIGHT NOW
You don’t have to look far to see corporate interests’ fingerprints all over Richard Burr’s campaign. In his reelection kick-off he stood up for Big Insurance and called for the repeal of President Obama’s healthcare bill.
After the oil disaster in the Gulf he stood up for Big Oil and actually called for less restrictions on offshore oil drilling. Now, he’s standing up for Wall Street as Congress debates reform while funding his campaign with over $1 million in Wall Street special interest money.
Wall St. and Big Oil don’t own Elaine Marshall. The people do. She’s working to represent the people of North Carolina and working Americans everywhere, not Goldman Sachs or BP.
But after months of hard campaigning to win the primary and run-off elections, Elaine needs financial support to rebuild her war chest and beat Senator Burr in November.
SEND BURR PACKING — CONTRIBUTE TODAY FOR PROGRESSIVE VICTORY IN NOVEMBER
DFA members told us to take back the U.S. Senate from corporate interests by supporting progressive candidates who will win. Contribute right now to make it happen.
Thank you for everything you do,
-Charles
Charles Chamberlain, Political Director
Democracy for America
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BP is burning endangered sea turtles alive
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Hi
I just signed a petition telling BP to stop burning endangered sea turtles alive. To learn more and take action, click on the link below.
http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/bp_endangered_turtles/?r_by=9715-2591629-F6h2I2x&rc=confemail
News has just emerged from the Gulf Coast that BP is burning endangered sea turtles alive.
A boat captain who has been leading efforts to rescue the endangered turtles says BP has blocked his crews from entering the areas where the animals are trapped, effectively shutting down the rescue operation.
BP is using “controlled burns” to contain the oil spill. Shrimp boats create a corral of oil by dragging together fire-resistant booms and then lighting the enclosed “burn box” on fire. If turtles are not removed from the area before the fire is lit, they are literally burned alive.
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Draw a line in the sand
Yesterday afternoon, a Louisiana judge overruled President Obama’s suspension of offshore drilling. This decision leaves Big Oil free to resume operations off the Louisiana coast, despite the obvious risks.
It’s more clear than ever before: offshore drilling will continue to expand unless we keep the pressure on government leaders and the oil industry. This Saturday, we have a chance to focus the world’s attention on this crucial issue through a massive coordinated action: Hands Across The Sand.
On June 26th At 11 AM, tens of thousands of individuals will head to nearby beaches to join hands in a massive demonstration of support for clean energy. With enough supporters, these simple events will make a powerful statement the world cannot ignore – please join us and draw a metaphorical line in the sand against offshore drilling
Find and attend a Hands Across The Sand event near you
We hope to make Hands Across The Sand the largest demonstration against offshore drilling in history, but we need your help to reach this goal. Please take a few moments to find an event near you. You don’t even need to live near a beach – use the event-finder to choose a local solidarity event.
Can’t find a nearby Hands Across the Sand event? Step up and organize one for your community – we’ll connect you with local organizers to take your demonstration to the next level.
Hold a Hands Across The Sand event in your community
Thanks for everything you do. We hope to see you at the beach this Saturday!
Kathleen Rogers
President, Earth Day Network
PS, don’t forget to show your support by wearing an Earth Day Network t-shirt to the beach.
Be a Seed for Change 
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