In America, we're blowing ourselves up at a scale terrorists could only dream about. Every day, three million pounds of explosives are used to blast the mountains of Appalachia to oblivion. We do it to get more coal, which then pollutes our air, accelerates climate change, compromises our health, and ends up costing us more money than is made! So, we are destroying the ecosystems in a few states now so that we can destroy the planet's ecosystem tomorrow. Sound stupid? It is! Very stupid. And to think we are still worried about terrorists.
Friday was the National Day of Action to End Mountaintop Removal. The Yes Men Fix the World was also showing in Chicago, so it was only natural to celebrate both with a couple of protests.
We started by taking the Survivaballs for a spin in front of one of the dirtiest coal-fired power plants in the country situated only a few miles from downtown Chicago. Most Chicago residents don't even know there's a coal plant in their own backyards, right in the middle of a lower-income neighborhood.
Because of its age (est. 1958), the Fisk power plant is exempt from federal regulations that require modern pollution control devices. A loophole in the 1977 Federal Clean Air Act "grandfathered" older plants, with the understanding that dirty old plants like Fisk were going to be replaced by more modern, cleaner plants in a matter of years. Yeah, right. (links?)
The plant was still going strong on Friday. Withstanding the pouring rain in a couple of Survivaball costumes, we waddled across the road for a blockade of the plant entrance. We were joined by the knowledgeable folks at PERRO (Pilsen Environmental Rights and Reform Organization) who have been fighting for years to close the plant. As usual, the cops showed up threatening arrest. They told us eight others had been arrested on Saturday's previous 350 Day of Action. Serendipitously, we ended up being in an activist's "No Man's Land" in which we weren't technically on the plant property but also weren't blocking the street traffic. In an even more ironic twist, the cops ended up agreeing with us that there shouldn't be a dirty coal plant smack dab in the middle of the city. Feeling bad for them and their internal dilemma (plus the news crew had already come and gone), we took pity and went home to dry off and re-energize for the evening's activities.
The Yes Men Fix the World was playing at the Music Box, a beautiful, big, old theater which happens to be across the street from a Chase Bank (what isn't these days). JP Morgan/Chase are the deep pockets behind so-called mountain top removal: they finance Massey Energy, the mining company that does the dirty work. So, once again we thought we would ask the audience to join us and the folks at Rain Forest Action Network in sending them a message. A volunteer brought out some big bags of coal, and as the 7:10 screening let out, the entire audience grabbed a lump and started to scrawl messages to Chase about why they need to stop blowing up America and suffocating the planet. Great fun was had by all, and everyone went off for beers. The notorious Chicago cops did show up in force, but by then everyone was pretty much finished. Or so we thought. Apparently the cops lingered at the theater doors for a while until everyone dispersed, then grabbed the last guy still holding a piece of coal in his hand and carted him off to jail. Our friends at RAN were kind enough to follow up with the legalities and told us he was later released.
Lesson learned? Sharper endings to actions are necessary to prevent straggler pick-up by cops.
Special note to that guy: THANK YOU! The planet needs more of you!
Lesson learned? Sharper endings to actions are necessary to prevent straggler pick-up by cops.
Special note to that guy: THANK YOU! The planet needs more of you!
Check out more at: www.toplessamerica.org
Watch the video of us terrorizing the coal plant!
