Residents Protest Clean Energy Shutout at Governors Energy Summit

Virginia residents and clean energy business owners held a rally and press conference on October 4 outside the Southern States Energy Board summit in Alexandria, Va. The rally was organized by the Sierra Club and Chesapeake Climate Action Network, which called on Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell to support clean energy development and stronger EPA safeguards for Virginia families.

As the host to some of the South's most influential elected officials at the summit, Governor McDonnell was the opening speaker for a summit entitled Shaping Energy Policy: The Critical Path for States.

"The agenda lacked any discussions on clean energy, energy efficiency, or how proposed EPA protections can benefit Virginians," says Sierra Club organizer Phillip Ellis. "Instead, it solely featured panels on oil and gas development, nuclear energy and claims on how EPA regulations will impact the fossil-fuel industry."

"Governor McDonnell is putting the profits of Big Oil and King Coal before the health of Virginia families," says Sierra Club field organizer Kate Pollard. "With this one-sided agenda on energy policy in meetings and summits predominantly sponsored by dirty energy companies, what else are we to believe?"

Virginia Moving Planet - Fairfax Wants Better Transportation Options

As part of the Moving Planet International Day of Action to move the world beyond dependence on fossil fuels, the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club, Smart Growth America, Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling, Laborers’ International Union of North America, and 350.org held a citizen’s march from Dunn Loring Community Park to Dunn Loring Metro station.

The event promoted the freedom to choose transportation choices other than cars, like public transit and bicycling, in order to reduce congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. The rally asked Governor McDonnell to spend some of his $4 billion transportation budget on building bike infrastructure, funding Phase II of the Silver Line Metro expansion, and building the Purple Line.

Speakers included Andy Clarke from Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling (FABB), Elisa Ortiz from Smart Growth America, Roger Diedrich from the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club, Delegate Mark Keam, 35th District, and master of ceremonies Susan Stillman of FABB.

“Hybrid cars are not the solution. Mass transportation is the solution,” said Delegate Mark Keam in a rousing speech encouraging sustainable transit. The rally was a successful way to raise awareness about transportation options in urban areas.

--Katie Nicolato, Sierra Club Virginia Chapter Intern

Seattle Moving Planet Brings Together Hundreds

Photo by Jeff Randall

On a sunny Saturday morning on September 24th, Washingtonians around the Puget Sound were a buzz with plans for attending Moving Planet Seattle.

In celebration of 350.org's annual day of action on climate change, the Sierra Club, Earth Ministry, Climate Solutions, 350 Washington, Washington Environmental Council, Transportation For Washington and many other community organizations came together to host Moving Planet Seattle.

A local event in solidarity with thousands of events around the globe, Moving Planet Seattle focused on the need to end our reliance on coal and oil and take action on urgent issues facing Washington state and the Northwest, including stopping coal exports and fighting for more transportation choices.

As the day commenced, it became immediately clear - in Seattle, we are part of a powerful climate movement. Moving Planet Seattle kicked off with almost a hundred people taking action in workshops on coal and oil and continued into the afternoon with over a thousand people converging on Lake Union Park via bus, bike, on foot, on skate boards, roller skates, paddle-boards, sail boats, canoes, electric vehicles and more!

People arrive to the event en masse by boat! Photo by Elise Koncsek

Washingtonians had a lot to celebrate at Moving Planet Seattle. Our state has been a leader in moving beyond fossil fuels. Elected leaders around the state continually hold President Obama accountable to the strength of his historic new fuel efficiency standards of 54.5mpg by 2025. Washingtonians have also worked hard to end our state's reliance on coal, protecting our health and the environment.

And Washingtonians will continue to stand up to Big Oil and Big Coal.

The Sierra Club is involved in state-wide efforts to provide more public transit access to our communities and make our streets safer for walking and biking. The Sierra Club is also continuing its successful stand against Big Coal in a growing coalition to stop massive coal export terminals for shipping coal to china from being built along WashingtonÕs coast.

At Moving Planet Seattle, each of the feature speakers beamed with pride as they talked of these displays of Washingtonians working to move our state beyond fossil fuels - including Mayor of Seattle Mike McGinn (pictured at the left, photo by Paul Anderson) who rode his bike to the event and spoke out against coal export terminals.

After converging by boat, bike, bus and foot, attending workshops on campaigns to move beyond fossil fuels, hearing from inspirational speakers, signing postcards in support of higher fuel efficiency standards and against coal export terminals, posing for the iconic 350 photo, and listening to a compelling faith and environmental justice program - Moving Planet Seattle came to a close.

Photo by Paul Anderson.

But our turn to take action only started; we all know, Washingtonians deserve better!

--Anastasia Schemkes, Sierra Club Cascade Chapter

Moving Planet Columbus - Bike to the Future

In Columbus, OH, parents, children, bikers young and old, came out to Rally and Bike to the Future for clean energy at the Moving Planet event. The sun broke through as rally participants and bikers filtered into the Franklin Park amphitheater where Jason Box, a climate scientist working in Greenland, and Lee Geisse of the Blue Green Alliance, set out the problem of Climate Change and the opportunity we have to put on the brakes by retooling to a green energy economy.
 
Then 100 participants, some costumed as caped climate crusaders, flowed out of the park for an 8-mile bike ride. At the end of the ride, folks were entertained in the park by the live musical sounds of Jesse Henry with Chris Stevens and Coal-Fired Bicycle and fed by delicious local food trucks, one of which was solar-powered!

-- Rashay Layman, Sierra Club Ohio

Austinites Bike to Move Beyond Fossil Fuels

September 24, 2011 — Today was Moving Planet Day, promoted by 350.org to move the planet beyond fossil fuels and unsustainable practices. The Lone Star Sierra Club and 350.org hosted a green and sustainability bike tour.

The group assembled at 4th and Guadalupe at the Austin farmer’s market to a beautiful Texas morning, the music and the fanfare of the market. At around noon the 60 or so enthusiasts took action to explore the many sustainable and green transportation and civic landmarks around the city.

The first stop was City hall where Council member Chris Riley shared many of the installations of the legislative building, including the terraced gardens watered from the air conditioning condensation water. Riders then proceeded to the Austin Amtrak station, that while not itself inclusively a green project, represents the public transportation of the future, with routes to Dallas, Houston, El Paso and San Antonio.

The ride continued to ride past the Seaholm Power Plant, where the city is redeveloping the former power plant into a hotel, apartment complex, concert venue, and business park. This is a green project because it is revitalizing the buildings we already have in order to boost new industry. Other highlights included stops at the Whole Foods parking lot where we saw the electric car charging station and the Whole Foods Bicycle repair station both promoting more sustainable forms of transportation.

As the afternoon wore on and the Texas sun beat down and the mercury topped 100, some riders turned toward home before we stopped at the Austin Sierra Club office where volunteers can come and find resources and get involved in sustainable change. Our final destinations were the Texas Capitol building and the downtown MetroRail station the meets the Lance Armstrong Bikeway. The brave dozen or so that made the last stop discussed local cycling clubs and preferred routes—a favorite being to take the MetroRail towards Leander then ride back downtown.

The power of 350.org‘s vision of moving the planet is a goal that is as simple as dusting off your bike and taking it to work, or taking the relaxing trip to Dallas on the train rather than driving the congested I-35. Many people felt the direct power of the sun on the ride and are enthusiastic about the possibility of the City of Austin encouraging rooftop solar as the city’s power source. Beating fossil fuels is a battle won a day at a time, and today's bike ride proved that with strength and enthusiasm.

- Karissa Gerhke, Beyond Coal Apprentice Organizer

Lower Rio Grande Valley Bikes to Move Beyond Fossil Fuels

Folks from across the Lower Rio Grande Valley gathered at Texas State Technical College (TSTC) the morning of Saturday, September 24, for a morning bike ride. This was more than just your usual Sierra Club outing—the ride was part of the Moving Planet day of action, calling on local, state and national leaders to address climate change and move beyond fossil fuels.

The numerous renewable energy projects around TSTC were showcased during this ride, and participants learned ways that they can help move beyond coal and oil. We are able to have a clean energy future, and now we want our decision makers to join us in pledging to do so to keep our air and water clean.

The bike ride was a great success with around 50 people in attendance, and media coverage from The Monitor, The Valley Morning Star, and the Brownsfield Herald. Many thanks to Lower Rio Grande Group volunteer leaders Sally Merrill and Mark Peña for organizing such a wonderful event!

- Karissa Gerhke, Beyond Coal Apprentice Organizer

Moving Planet Louisville Talks Transportation...And a Conga Line

On Sept 24th, the Sierra Club played a pivotal in organizing a great Moving Planet event in Louisville, Kentucky. The event was attended by over 200 people. Sierra Club Leader Drew Foley did an amazing job coordinating the event. Letter-writing tables were organized so that folks who attended the event could write letters to local officials urging them to move Beyond Fossil Fuel. Over 100 postcards were also gathered to tell President Obama to strengthen safeguards concerning coal pollution and gas powered automobiles.

The keynote speaker for the event was Congressman John Yarmuth who spoke for the need to see EPA safeguards put in place that would protect citizens from toxic coal burning power plants and cars powered by fossil fuel.

We had music from Appalatin (pictured above), a group that fuses the sounds of Eastern KY together with Latino music They played a wonderful set that brought the group together in a conga line dancing to “The Local Motion” a rewrite of Grand Funk Railroad hit “Locamotion”. The lyrics were rewritten and sung by Julie Evans to call for a move away from fossil fuel through adopting the call for "Loca Motions". Kri & Hettie provided folk music that had the crowd singing along and dancing as well (photo below shows local Sierra Clubber Drew Foley leading the conga line).

The group is pushing the city to adopt new approaches to several areas of concern in regard to moving Beyond Fossil Fuel:
1. Reduce Private Auto Use! Walk, Bike, and TARC (local public transit system)!
2. Improve Public Transit! Expand TARC service!
3. Support Walking and Biking More sidewalks and bike lanes!
4. Limit Suburban Sprawl! Shepherd our land!
5. Lower Harmful Emissions! Less Pollution=Better Health!
6. Create Low-Carbon Mobility! Use renewable energy!
7. Enforce Traffic Rules! Slow Down: People Walking and Biking!

The event was a vibrant example of bringing folks together from diverse backgrounds to work together to move beyond fossil fuels.

--Thomas Pearce, Sierra Club Kentucky

Moving Planet - Oklahoma City

  Local businesses, universities, community and state organizations raise awareness about the connection between health and sustainability

On September 24th, 2011, at an event called Moving Planet OK, nearly 200 Oklahomans came together for a common goal: to revitalize the health and sustainability of the state.  Using their own self-powered transportation, such as walking, skating or biking, citizens proceeded through Oklahoma City, creating art symbolic of clean air and water, public transportation and healthy communities.

“It was really neat seeing and meeting all the people who wanted to make a difference,” said Casey, a junior at Edmond Santa Fe High School. “I liked how everyone wanted to work together to improve the state for all Oklahomans.”

Sierra Club Forest Campaign Takes Center Stage at Vermont Climate Rally

More than 1,500 Vermonters rallied in the state capital of Montpelier (population 7,800) to demand action on climate change and support community forests, green (union) jobs, energy-efficient homes and buildings, renewable energy, local/healthy food, and green transportation.

"This was quite possibly the largest environmental demonstration in the history of the Green Mountain State," said Sierra Club organizer David Vandeusen. The event, held in conjunction with the Moving Planet day of action, was organized by 350.org Vermont and co-sponsored by the Vermont Sierra Club. More than 2,000 Moving Planet rallies were held in more than 175 countries around the globe in support of a transition beyond fossil fuels. That's U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, below, at the Montpelier rally.

A delegation of Sierra Club leaders presented Governor Peter Shumlin with a petition containing more than 1,000 signatures supporting the Club's Our Forests Our Future campaign, along with letters of support from community organizations representing 8 percent of the state's total workforce. That's Vermont Chapter Chair Zak Griefen and Vice Chair David Ellenbogen flanking Shumlin, at left, below; at right, the governor talks with a constituent while Ellenbogen looks on.

Hundreds Rally in San Francisco to Move Beyond Fossil Fuels

 

As part of the "Moving Planet" global day of action to move beyond fossil fuels, a broad coalition of 50 San Francisco Bay Area sustainability, peace, environmental, social justice, conservation, faith, women's, bicycle, clean tech, and community groups organized a parade down Market Street (S.F.'s "main drag") and rally in front of City Hall. The Sierra Club and 350.org were the lead sponsors of Bay Area Moving Planet.

The parade featured more than 1,000 participants of all ages and backgrounds marching, biking, parading with floats, puppets, and costumes, and chanting "hey hey, ho ho, fossil fuels have got to go!"  The rally was the Bay Area's largest climate justice demonstration in years.

A 75-member contingent of the Sierra Club's leaders, Board of Directors, and delegates from all 64 chapters joined the parade at the busy corner of Powell and Market Streets. The Sierra Club contingent marched at the head of the parade in matching t-shirts, led by a huge banner held by Board members Robin Mann, Allison Chin, Donna Buell, and Aaron Mair, below.

Arriving at Civic Center Plaza, the crowd gathered in front of a stage to hear rousing speeches from the top leaders of our movement for climate justice—Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune, above, 350.org founder Bill McKibben, and environmental justice pioneer Carl Anthony.

Above, Michael Brune addresses the crowd at Civic Center Plaza. Below, left to right, that's Brune, Puerto Rico Chapter delegate Orlando Negron Rivera, Allison Chin, Bill McKibben, Donna Buell, Aaron Mair, and Robin Mann in front of San Francisco City Hall.

The speeches and one-on-one interviews were captured by the San Francisco Chronicle, KRON 4 TV, and radio stations KPFA and KQED, and more than two dozen Bay Area media outlets covered the story. The rally featured music and entertainers, as well as great photo opps of the environmental leaders in front of the stage with the Sierra Club banner, and an aerial shot taken of the whole crowd.

Photo by David Feng

View more photos here, and read more about Moving Planet on the Sierra Club's Activist Network.