ATTENTION ATTENDEES OF SILENT MARCH:
PLEASE BRING A WHITE SHIRT AND RED MOUTH CLOTH OR BANDANA.
Background information: Occupy Houston will be conducting a Silent March to demonstrate against the interests behind Energy Day. Find out more information on our website, or Facebook event page.
Energy Day Saturday Oct 15th will include a booth by TransCanada Booth #43 .
If you’re still wondering why OH plans to be there, here’s a terrific comment in a different OccHou post that folks may’ve missed. Spot on! (Thank you, Amy!)
Here’s why we’re targeting family-oriented Energy Day.
Its dominant sponsor is the Consumer Energy Alliance, a “non-profit, non-partisan” organization that talks about having a balanced view and then gives deeply biased information. For example, they discuss the Keystone XL pipeline, but only favorably. They never mention the NASA scientists who say that burning the tar sands oil will lead to the extinction of 20-40% of the species alive today.
CEA is using Energy Day to sell a lopsided business-at-all-costs message, which is disguised as “reasonable” because of renewable energy components, to vulnerable children. This is how entire generations are controlled. These kids will grow into adults with mental schemes that favor economic expansion over ensuring that our only home continues to be livable.
I don’t vilify anyone who works in the O&G industry. You’re just making a living. The O&G companies simply need to commit to the inevitable process of converting their infrastructures towards renewable sources. O&G will fight as hard as it can not to change until after every drop of oil is burned and the planet is wrecked, and as long as business controls our government, they’ll win. Hence Occupy Houston.
~Amy Price
Environmentalist author and 350.org founder Bill McKibben was at #OWS last week on Oct 8. He spoke to Occupiers there about this most pressing issue & TarSands & the pipeline. The pipeline he refers to, right at the beginning, is the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, currently in the final review phase by the State Department.
Bill McKibben addresses OWS in NYC: VIDEO here
Some further reading at Friends of the Earth CLICK HERE
The Canadian oil and gas company TransCanada hopes to begin building a new oil pipeline that would trek close to 2,000 miles from Alberta, Canada to Texas. If constructed, the pipeline, known as the Keystone XL, will carry one of the world’s dirtiest fuels: tar sands oil. Along its route from Alberta to Texas, this pipeline could devastate ecosystems and pollute water sources, and would jeopardize public health.
Please join us: Occupy Houston on Saturday at Energy Day in silent protest at noon downtown.
QUESTION: Where do you get your Eco News?
16 Responses to “Energy Day Saturday (Oct. 15)”
10 Reason Why the Keystone Pipeline Will Be Built
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/09/14/opinion/main20105952.shtml
Oh and by the way, TransCanada is an international company. The FBI will be out there along with undercover HPD. The fact that you specifically cited Booth #43 was not a wise thing to do. Just because you do not see a uniformed police officer near by, do not assume you are not being watched. Be cool.
Excellent commentary Amy! Energy Day is designed to implicate us all in the crimes of big oil and gas. But we are only individuals trying to make it in a system we had no say in creating. TransCanada, Valero, Halliburton, et al. are Corporate Persons with a massive carbon footprint and overwhelming influence on our legislators.
Heck I can’t even drive down N. Shepherd with an expired tag and not get pulled over. But big oil and gas operate above the law because they OWN Congress.
Very specifically. What do the above mentioned companies do that is illegal? Illegal, not unethical or unpopular.
You’re a Non-Participant. Why do you ask? Isn’t that oxymoronic of you?
are you familiar with this?
Lawsuit: TransCanada Is Illegally Clearing The Way For Keystone XL Pipeline
Non-participant: thank you for entering into the conversation.
You ask what Big Oil does that’s illegal rather than merely unethical My awareness of their illegal activities began in 1988, when Chevron called for and transported Nigerian military to an area containing peaceful protesters. The military fired into the crowd, killing 2 and injuring many more. This is the equivalent of an individual taking a contract out on somebody, and it should be treated as such legally. To my knowledge, nobody in Chevron paid any price for the murders they committed on that day.
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Transnational_corps/DrillingKilling_OilNigeria.html
Mind you, I have no problem calling for a stop to the stuff that’s “merely” unethical, as well.
Thank you for your reply. I was asking about illegal as that was what was stated above. The wording is no longer there, but it said something about the companies being above the law. That is what I was specifically referring to, the companies being “above the law.”
My father worked for Chevron for 40 years and I also worked for Chevron. The man who hired me also worked with my father, so you can see our industry is like a family. The man who hired me was shot and almost died in Nigeria, his bodyguards died. So perhaps the people you are referencing felt they needed protection? I don’t know.
It appears to me, as an outsider, that you look at O&G companies as evil empires and you don’t consider the hundreds of thousands of individual people that depend on these companies to feed, clothe, shelter their families, pay taxes, be productive citizens. That working for Chevron gave my father the opportunity to provide college for his children, an opportunity he never had. That Chevron provided retirement for him, and after his passing, continues to provide for my mother.
Do you realize that when you vilify the O&G companies, you vilify my father who loved his job and worked hard. You vilify me, you vilify my co-workers that I’ve worked with for years and years. Do you realize that we feel threatened, that our jobs, our livelihoods, our FAMILIES are at risk when you talk about bringing down the O&G industry? What are your plans for all of us who would be unemployed? What will happen when our homes are foreclosed, when we can’t pay our fair share of taxes? That’s what I hear when I hear you demonizing the O&G industry.
I didn’t read link until after I wrote my reply, so didn’t know the particulars about the Nigeria story.
on October 14th, 2011 at 2:40 pm #
[...] And in Houston, the 10/15 international day of action will be directed at local oil companies, including those with a direct interest in building Keystone XL: http://occupyhouston.org/are-you-ready-energy-day-coming-up-saturday/ [...]
That’s the same Amy Price who is running for Houston city council:
http://www.amyprice.info
on October 15th, 2011 at 3:50 am #
[...] 15th Plan: “RALLY For Responsible Energy! 12:00 noon, SATURDAY, Oct 15: Background information: Occupy Houston will be conducting a Silent March to demonstrate against [...]
on October 15th, 2011 at 6:36 am #
[...] answered that question. Occupy grabbed my post and used it in their announcement about Energy Day. Here’s what I had to say: Here’s why we’re targeting family-oriented [...]
I visited with one of the organizers of Energy Day last night and he said that Occupidians are welcome to attend the event. He hopes they will visit the booths on green energy and talk with many of the teachers, scientists and engineers who have volunteered. He has met with police and they understand the event is open to everyone. The police are concerned that certain booths have been “targeted” by the Occupidians. Please be aware that they are expecting somewhere between 5000-10000 school age children. Let’s please set a mature example for them. See you out there. Have a good time.
Allow me to add one more thing. When people tweet things like “Let’s blow it up”, the police and FBI will not assume it is merely hyperbole. The statement in an of itself is a terrorist threat and the person who posted it may soon find themself arrested.
What will occupy houston be doing around 9 pm on Oct 15th? i work til 8…