Wild Idaho Rising Tide (WIRT) and allies invite everyone to the first, 2018, Sandpoint, WIRT meeting, one of two gatherings held every month at 7 pm on the first Wednesday at The Attic, up the back stairs of 314 E. Second Street in Moscow, Idaho, and on the third Wednesday in Sandpoint, Idaho.  This Wednesday, January 17, we are converging at 7 pm in Eichardt’s Pub upstairs game room, 212 Cedar Street in Sandpoint [1].  Join regional, climate activists for an evening of food, beer and wine, and conversations creating campaign strategies and tactics for actions and events supporting the movement against extreme fossil fuels and for clean energy, livable communities, and especially climate justice.  Topics of discussion may include updates, suggestions, and plans for:

* Resistance to new and expanded, Northwest coal, oil, gas, and tar sands leases, wells, processing plants, pipelines, megaloads, trains, rail bridges, terminals, and refineries, such as on-the-ground opposition to likely soon unbanned, Class II, oil and gas waste injection wells in Idaho, and to megaloads upgrading the Andeavor (Tesoro) Anacortes refinery

* Mobilization of Idaho residents for coordinated, peaceful protests, agency hearings, and public expression advancing anti-fossil fuels campaigns, such as a late-January, Sandpoint rally, like events in Spokane and Seattle on January 18, encouraging Washington Governor Inslee to reject the Vancouver Energy oil train terminal [2, 3]

* Enhancement of observing, monitoring, documenting, and reporting north Idaho, frontline, fossil fuel train traffic and the proposed, second, Lake Pend Oreille rail bridge site, via photos, videos, social media, and further, skill sharing sessions

* Organization of monthly, speaker and film presentations, community forums, educational workshops, and direct action trainings, all sharing activist knowledge, like the successful Olympia Stand and valve turner talks, Radical Movie Night screenings, and Third Panhandle Paddle kayaktivist weekend

* Coordination of WIRT monthly gatherings with local, indigenous and grassroots, partner groups in Idaho and Spokane, to enhance community solidarity and resistance to climate-wrecking, fossil fuel, and extreme energy infrastructure, extraction, and transportation

* Expansion to other, progressive, community stations of WIRT’s weekly Climate Justice Forum radio program, covering news and reflections about continent-wide, climate activism on KRFP Radio Free Moscow for six years on January 23, every Wednesday between 1:30 and 3 pm Pacific time, on-air at 90.3 FM and online [4]

* Arrangement of benefit concerts raising funds for volunteer and legal expenses, like the Seventh Annual Celebration of Wild Idaho Rising Tide on Friday, March 30, at the 1912 Center in Moscow, and on Saturday, March 31, at the Little Panida Theater in Sandpoint

At 7 pm on Wednesday, January 17, at Eichardt’s Pub in Sandpoint and beyond, please share your involvement in direct activism that confronts the root causes of climate change.  Contact WIRT organizers by email, phone, or facebook message, with your questions and ideas, and invite your associates to this event with this announcement, also posted on the WIRT website and facebook pages, where you can find further information and opportunities for climate movement participation.  Thanks!

[1] Bonner County Calendar – January 14, 2018, January 14, 2018 Bonner County Daily Bee

[2] Keep Oil in the Soil Rally, 350 Spokane and The Lands Council

[3] Rally: Tell Governor Inslee to Reject Tesoro Savage Oil Terminal! Washington Women for Climate Action Now

[4] Climate Justice Forum, January 15, 2018 Wild Idaho Rising Tide