3. New alliances to protect the planet are succeeding, led by people of color The willingness of white activists to support leadership by people of color is opening doors to some powerful new alliances. Native American tribes, building on their treaty rights, are blocking efforts to develop tar sands pipelines and new coal export facilities; non-Native allies are joining in. If built, the projects proposed for the Pacific Northwest would, together, bring to market fossil fuels with five times the carbon impact of the KXL pipeline. Most recently, after months of protests and lawsuits, residents of Vancouver, British Columbia, joined with the Tseil-Waututh and Squamish First Nations to block Kinder Morgan’s plans to build a tar sands pipeline through Burnaby Mountain. We are saying no to the destruction of Mother Earth. Everything we get out of the land and water is sacred, said Ruben George of the Tseil-waututh Nation during a September rally against the pipeline. Today, we are blocking all directions of the Alberta pipelines—across Canada and the United States, we are saying no to the destruction of Mother Earth. 4. The climate march inspired millions The massive climate march in New York City in September was also led by communities of color, who mobilized young, diverse activists by the thousands—along with progressive unions and environmentalists—creating one of the largest, most energized climate marches yet. The momentum of this march carried through to Peru, where international climate talks narrowly skirted collapse. The resulting agreements may have fallen short of the commitments needed, but at least they have kept talks alive. Leadership continues in state and local governments among grassroots activists and enlightened businesses. 5. Governor hears activists, bans fracking in New York In December Governor Cuomo banned fracking in New York state, citing hazards to health, drinking water, and climate stability. In making his decision, the governor pointed to a report, compiled by the New York State Department of Health, which also noted the increase in seismic activity associated with fracking. The tenacious activism of communities most at risk helped the governor find the political courage to take this stand. 6. With the release of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report on torture, and calls for a criminal investigation, democracy scores one over tyranny Government transparency is one factor that separates democracies from tyrannies. The fact that Senator Diane Feinstein succeeded in getting the torture report released is an indication that at least some democratic accountability continues to function, in spite of the powers of the national security state. The contents of the report, according to Senator Feinstein, are a stain on our values and on our history.” She said, “History will judge us by our commitment to a just society governed by law and the willingness to face an ugly truth and say never again.’” The New York Times is now calling for a criminal investigation of those responsible, including former Vice President Dick Cheney. Two institutions of democracy—the U.S. Senate and independent news media—have stepped up to have their say. In 2015, well see if democracy and accountability are further revived.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 04:34:25 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015