Subscribe to Common Dreams News Updates
Most Popular This Week
Popular content
Today's Top News
Greenpeace Sends ‘Rescue Squad’ to US Chamber of Commerce
Greenpeace doesn't want American citizens to forget who's stalling progress on climate action, namely, entrenched industrial polluters.
Greenpeace Activists place Climate Crime Banners on the exterior of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Building in Washington Dec. 17, 2009. Activists ascended 25-foot ladders and crisscrossed the building with oversized crime scene tape reading: “Climate Policy Hostage Area// Global Warming Crime Scene.” (Photo: Greenpeace) To drive home the point, a group of activists rushed to the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce headquarters in Washington D.C. in four squad cars
to declare the area a "climate crime scene." They quickly taped off the
area with bright yellow crime scene tape and called on their "climate
policy hostage negotiator" to "negotiate the safe release of President
Obama's climate policy from the hands of industry lobbyists".
The mock disaster acted out may have been a little high concept for some, but it likely made sense to those following the Copenhagen Climate Talks, where activists are concerned that President Obama will fail to deliver a strong carbon emissions commitment tomorrow, mainly because U.S. fossil fuel industries have a stronghold on elected leaders. The street theater was timed to precede Obama's imminent arrival in Copenhagen for the final two days of talks.
The theatrics spoofed how Washington/business politics have gummed up U.S. climate policy. But it highlighted the serious, real-life role that the U.S. Chamber has played in denying climate change and/or claiming that is is not the fault of humans and does not require serious attention.
In recent weeks, several corporate members of the chamber have resigned, citing the organization's refusal to see climate change as a real and serious threat.
Said Greenpeace in a news release: "The US Chamber of Commerce has committed a series of climate crimes including: misinformation of the public on the issue of climate change, stalling action on global warming legislation, and holding the international climate talks hostage. Activists are calling on President Obama to show leadership and shed the influence of lobbyists."
- Posted in
9 Comments so far
Show All"claiming that is is not the fault of humans and does not require serious attention."
We better HOPE its the fault of humans, or we are REALLY screwed.
If it is not us, then there is nothing we can change about our habits to save us.
Good boys, good boys,
whatcha gonna do when they call out you
some times Greenpeace does some pretty dumb stuff
This was not one of them.
Well done Lads
"Activists are calling on President Obama to show leadership and shed the influence of lobbyists."
Yeah. Turn down the millions, the cushy life, rubbing elbows with the hoi polloi and get assassinated for joining the poor, unwashed, screaming, demanding and insulting masses and doing the right thing. Haha
"get assassinated for joining the poor, unwashed, screaming, demanding and insulting masses and doing the right thing. Haha"
Exactly. Obama's no suicide-bomber. He cares a lot about his own life, and his personal success.
Which is why it's strange that people voted for him.
Since Greenpeace feels a calling toward theatrics, maybe it can infiltrate Follywood, and create various pressures on the writers, producers and directors to create characters that have a decent respect for natural/social elements. The entertainment media is one of the key culprits driving disrespect for natural/social elements. Damn Liberals!
I think the most important mind set to understand
Is one of the Power elite; a perview that knows that
The world is over populated and Climate change gives the
Ultimate excuse to just let the people die because the world can't support so many anyway.
The counter to this argument is to spend money, time & resources educating all the people.
Educated people don't have lots of babies; hey even universal free health care might fly if most all went to college.
But the Fat cats don't want lots of other people super rich like them: educated people tend to be richer.
So what we will get is a much uglier world where the poor uneducated don't get shit.
Call it the Malthusian ugly excuse.
gnken
As usual Greenpeace, it was a good show, but I don't think anyone cares. None of the Major media took note of it. Greenpeace's actions seem to always be like someone hollering there case into an empty room.
The 'Chamber of Commerce's' motto must be 'if it ain't growin', it's dyin'. What a load, and O'Bummer is another load of.......Since we are all going to die sometime, may as well 'quicken' the process don't you think? Capitalism will kill this society, sure as.........s..ure you know how to manage the world..Our leaders are greedy, pompous, idiots. They will finally get it all, and when they do they will realize, there really ain't no free lunch. There will be no one to do their bidding, because the rich need to be pampered or they whine. They are wimps, you know.