Monthly Archives: July 2017

Climate Justice Forum: George Taylor on Spokane Train Blockades & Necessity Defense & Climate Rights Lawsuits, Blockader Talk & Pow Wow Paddle in Sandpoint, Washington Grain Train Derailment, Trans Mountain Pipeline Protest in California 7-26-17

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The Wednesday, July 26, 2017 Climate Justice Forum radio program, produced by regional, climate activist collective Wild Idaho Rising Tide, features a conversation with Lutheran pastor, Veteran for Peace, and Spokane Climate Protector George Taylor.  George will talk about the context and motivations of Spokane fossil fuel train blockades and associated, lawsuit hearings upholding the necessity defense and Constitutional rights to a healthy climate and community self-government.  We also discuss the Spokane Climate Protector talk and Kalispel Powwow Paddle in Sandpoint, another, inland Northwest, grain train derailment, and a California protest of Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain tar sands pipeline.  Broadcast for five and a half years on progressive, volunteer, community station KRFP Radio Free Moscow, every Wednesday between 1:30 and 3 pm Pacific time, on-air at 90.3 FM and online via livestream, the show covers news and interviews about continent-wide, community opposition to extreme energy projects, thanks to the generous, anonymous listener who adopted program host Helen Yost as her KRFP DJ.

Spokane Train Blockaders Talk in Sandpoint on July 29

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On Saturday, July 29, from 11 am to 1 pm, North Idaho Resistance Movement (NIRM) and Wild Idaho Rising Tide (WIRT) will gratefully co-host some of the six brave Raging Grannies and Veterans for Peace who blocked coal and oil trains in Spokane, Washington, twice in 2016 [1]. Their talk in the Rose Room of the Gardenia Center, 400 Church Street in Sandpoint, Idaho, will discuss their arrests and court cases, and will include a question-and-answer session followed by a potluck.  The free, public event welcomes food items to share and donations for the legal and travel expenses of these Spokane Climate Protectors, who are also raising funds online through GoFundMe [2].  For further event information and current media and grassroots coverage of this issue, see the following, expanded event announcement, and contact Sparrow Ivy of NIRM at 208-627-9084.  A June 26, WIRT alert, which appeared in the Earth First! Newswire, provides earlier issue descriptions [3, 4].

Raging Grannies Margie Heller, Nancy Nelson, and Deena Romoff and Veterans for Peace Maeve Aeolus, Rusty Nelson, and George Taylor stopped ever-increasing, dusty coal and explosive oil trains at two demonstrations on Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) tracks, near Trent and Napa streets in East Spokane, in late August and September 2016. Now known as the Spokane Climate Protectors, these six visionaries have contributed immensely to the struggle for clean air and water and the health of the planet, through their direct actions and state and federal court cases.  Since June 26, 2017, two hearings and presentations, expert testimony, and a federal court decision denying citizen rights to a livable climate and local self-governance have drastically altered the legal situation of these fossil fuel train blockaders.  Spokane attorneys Eric Christianson and Rachael Osborn anticipate advocating the necessity defense of Reverend George Taylor, the only remaining defendant going to trial, at an August 21, Spokane County District Court hearing.

George Taylor on Climate Justice Forum

The Wednesday, July 26, Climate Justice Forum radio program, produced by regional, climate activist collective WIRT, will feature a 40-minute, recorded, telephone conversation with Lutheran pastor, Veteran for Peace, and Spokane Climate Protector George Taylor.  George will talk about the context and motivations of Spokane fossil fuel train blockades and associated, lawsuit hearings upholding the necessity defense and Constitutional rights to a healthy climate and community self-government.  Broadcast for five and a half years on progressive, volunteer, community station KRFP Radio Free Moscow every Wednesday between 1:30 and 3 pm Pacific time, on-air at 90.3 FM and online via livestream, the show covers news and interviews about continent-wide, community opposition to extreme energy projects, thanks to the generous, anonymous listener who adopted program host Helen Yost as her KRFP DJ [5]. Continue reading →

Climate Justice Forum: Tacoma LNG Plant & Pipeline Resistance, Longview Coal Terminal, Oregon Rail Reloading Facility, Spokane Climate Change Ordinance, Federal Court Cases on Paradise Ridge Highway 95, Spokane Climate Rights, & Swinomish Reservation Oil Trains 7-19-17

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The Wednesday, July 19, 2017 Climate Justice Forum radio program, produced by regional, climate activist collective Wild Idaho Rising Tide, features news about Puyallup tribal and allied protection of the Salish Sea from a natural gas pipeline and liquefied natural gas plant in the Tacoma, Washington area.  Among discussions of upcoming talks and action camps, a proposed, Longview, coal terminal and eastern Oregon, rail reloading facility, and a Spokane climate change ordinance, we also air updates on federal court cases brought by the Paradise Ridge Defense Coalition against U.S. Highway 95 expansion onto Paradise Ridge, by Spokane fossil fuel train blockaders for citizen rights to a healthy climate, and by the Swinomish Tribe against Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway oil-by-rail transports across its lands.  Broadcast on progressive, volunteer, community station KRFP Radio Free Moscow every Wednesday between 1:30 and 3 pm PDT, on-air at 90.3 FM and online, the show covers continent-wide, community opposition to extreme energy projects, thanks to the generous, anonymous listener who adopted program host Helen Yost as her KRFP DJ.

Climate Justice Forum: Civil Resistance Expert Witness Thomas Hastings, Northwest Talks & Action Camp, Spokane Federal Hearing on Climate Rights, Idaho Oil & Gas Forced Pooling Lawsuit, Montana Earthquakes, Fault Lines near Lake Rail Bridge 7-12-17

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The Wednesday, July 12, 2017 Climate Justice Forum radio program, hosted by regional, climate activist collective Wild Idaho Rising Tide, airs the third half-hour of the June 26 Witnesses for the Climate presentation by civil resistance expert Thomas Hastings of Portland State University, who testified at the first court hearing of Spokane Climate Protectors train blockaders.  We also discuss upcoming, Northwest fossil fuels opposition talks and action camps, a Spokane federal court hearing asserting citizen rights to a livable climate, a Boise federal lawsuit against state forced pooling of private oil and gas resources, and recent Montana earthquakes and fault line concerns for the proposed, second, rail bridge over Lake Pend Oreille.  Broadcast on progressive, volunteer, community station KRFP Radio Free Moscow every Wednesday between 1:30 and 3 pm PDT, on-air at 90.3 FM and online, the show covers continent-wide, community resistance to extreme energy projects, thanks to the generous, anonymous listener who adopted program host Helen Yost as her KRFP DJ.

Stop Oil Trains in Idaho 2017 Actions Report

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Stop Oil Trains in Idaho 2017 Actions 7-6to8-17 photos

Thanks to the volunteer, Sandpoint, Spokane, and Vancouver activists who participated in Stop Oil Trains in Idaho 2017 Actions on July 6 to 8, commemorating the fourth anniversary of the oil train derailment, spill, and fire in Lac Mégantic, Quebec, and honoring the 47 disaster victims and all lives impacted by oil-by-rail traffic and accidents [1, 2]!

On Thursday evening, July 6, we gathered at the Gardenia Center in Sandpoint, Idaho, for a Skyped, oil train watch training workshop presented by Matt Landon of Vancouver Action Network in Washington. Besides sharing handouts, information, and insights on methods of observing, documenting, and reporting Northwest fossil fuels trains, we conversed about train characteristics and Wild Idaho Rising Tide’s (WIRT) commitment to the skills and successes of non-violent, creative, civil resistance.

Occupy allies from Spokane, Washington, joined us for a family-friendly demonstration against oil trains, with homemade, protest signs around the Farmin Park clock tower in Sandpoint, on Friday evening, July 7. We soon moved to the Church Street silos near Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters, for their light projection display of social and climate justice messages, seen from the surrounding neighborhood and U.S. Highway 2, as the sky darkened.  We posted photos of the light show on social media, distributed WIRT brochures, and discussed Northwest oil train and terminal issues with curious passersby on foot and bike.

After enjoying pizza and beverages at the downtown Sandpoint, WIRT office overlooking the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) tracks, we walked without signs or candles through the one-mile-wide, “bomb train” blast zone, over the Sand Creek bridge, to the historic/Amtrak train station and BNSF rail line in Sandpoint, which carries 95 percent of the Alberta tar sands and Bakken crude oil, unit trains across north Idaho. Under an almost-full moon, we marched to City Beach Park, sharing reflections and stories about Sandpoint and Spokane vulnerabilities to coal and oil train pollution and catastrophes.  Our peaceful activities drew police presence and drained our cell phone batteries throughout the evening. Continue reading →

Climate Justice Forum: Witnesses for the Climate Steven Running & Thomas Hastings, Upcoming Talks, Actions, & Camps, Oil & Coal Train Derailments, Oregon & Washington Oil Terminal Decisions, Second Valve Turner Trial & Sentence

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The Wednesday, July 5, 2017 Climate Justice Forum radio program, hosted by regional, climate activist collective Wild Idaho Rising Tide, airs the second half-hour of the June 26 Witnesses for the Climate presentations by climate scientist Steven Running, of the University of Montana and NASA, and civil disobedience expert Thomas Hastings of Portland State University, who both testified at the first court hearing of the Spokane Climate Protectors train blockaders.  We also discuss upcoming trainings, actions, talks, and camps opposing Northwest fossil fuel infrastructure, oil and coal train derailments in a Chicago suburb and on a Montana river bridge, Oregon and Washington state decisions affecting two proposed, Columbia River-side, oil terminals, and the second jury trial and sentence of tar sands pipeline valve turner Ken Ward.  Broadcast on progressive, volunteer, community station KRFP Radio Free Moscow every Wednesday between 1:30 and 3 pm PDT, on-air at 90.3 FM and online, the show covers continent-wide, community resistance to extreme energy projects, thanks to the generous, anonymous listener who adopted program host Helen Yost as her KRFP DJ.

Stop Oil Trains in Idaho 2017 Actions

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Continent-wide events mark the four-year Lac-Mégantic disaster anniversary

North Idaho and eastern Washington activists invite everyone to participate in three events on July 6, 7, and 8, commemorating the 47 lives lost to a Bakken crude oil train derailment, spill, fire, and explosion in downtown Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, on Saturday night, July 6, 2013.  During the four years since this tragedy, dozens of similar accidents have wrecked public and environmental health and safety and the global climate – more than in the previous four decades – including the Union Pacific oil train disaster in the Columbia River Gorge town of Mosier, Oregon, on June 3, 2016.  In response, Wild Idaho Rising Tide (WIRT), Vancouver Action Network (VAN), Occupy, and allied Sandpoint and Spokane area activists and partner groups are participating with thousands of people around North America in fourth anniversary, July 6 and later, Stop Oil Trains actions [1-3].

Through multiple, Stop Oil Trains in Idaho, training, protest, and outreach events, concerned citizens continue to actively oppose and call for an end to all Alberta tar sands and Bakken shale oil exploitation and train and pipeline transportation, refusing to let Big Oil threaten and risk our families, friends, homes, businesses, lands, waters, and air.  Together with environmental and social justice activists across the U.S. and Canada, we are organizing various tactics and resources to stage powerful, effective actions defending and protecting frontline, rail corridor communities and the global climate.

Please join these Sandpoint, Idaho, demonstrations and/or host or attend an event in your vicinity around July 6, to stand in solidarity with Lac Mégantic and other communities demanding an immediate ban on the extreme energy and railroad industries’ pipelines-on-wheels.  Thanks to everyone who has provided invaluable, relevant ideas, information, connections, and on-the-ground support for these events.  We welcome your questions, suggestions, assistance, and refreshments at these upcoming actions: Please respond to WIRT through the enclosed contact channels.  Expect an accompanying description of the background and recent updates on the Northwest oil trains and terminals issue soon. Continue reading →