Tar Sands Action is returning to the White House on Sunday (November 6) to ask President Obama to reject the Keystone XL Pipeline. While they encourage people to join them in person, those of us who can’t can still help: Be a Link in the Virtual Chain.
You can also make your own protest sign online. Here’s mine:
(And for all you “ethical oil” types, I have bad news: Keystone XL will not Reduce Oil Imports from the Middle East.)
Hey everyone. Bow Cliff Seniors (one of the centres I work with) is proud to be participating in the Aviva Community Fund competition again this year, and they need your help. Their project – “Safety in Parking” – builds on two years of fundraising toward a new and improved parking lot, including:
First, register for an account at https://www.avivacommunityfund.org/users/registration/register. (You can’t vote unless you register for an account.)
Then, starting Monday, October 3, 2011 (12pm ET), you can vote by clicking on the “VOTE” button at our Aviva Community Fund site (Bow Cliff Seniors “Safety in Parking” Project) or, if you’re on Facebook, you can vote at their page (https://www.facebook.com/avivacommunityfund/.
Once you start, please keep going! The first round lasts 15 days (October 3 to October 19) and each person registered can vote once a day. The top 90 ideas will make it into the semi-final round and the top 30 into the final round, and every vote counts!
And please, share this information with friends and friends! Post it on your Facebook wall, tweet about it, write a blog post or two, text your kids, share via intra-office email – whatever you can do to get the word out. The more people who hear about this project and vote, the more likely that BCS will win the competition.
Photo – @joshkahnrussell
Day two, more people jailed, and then this: Did Obama Order Tar Sands Protesters Jailed? A firsthand account from Jane Hamsher, one of the protesters arrested on day one, can be found here: Tar Sands Action: Are You Discouraged, or a Flaming Firebagger?
(I can’t be the only one thinking a re-watch of Iron Jawed Angels is in order, can I?)
Today is the first day of actions against the Keystone XL Pipeline (which would transport oil from Alberta to Texas). It’s expected that 1,500-2,000 will gather at the White House over the next weeks (August 20 – September 3); they’re asking that President Obama refuse to approve the deal. (Read more about what they’re asking for at 24 Hours From Jail by Bill McKibbon.)
Yes, it’s a long shot. (I can’t believe I’m still protesting this stuff.) Yes, it impacts me. (I live, work and breathe in Alberta.) Yes, we need to develop better alternatives to oil and be willing to use them. (Not all of us want to be martyrs for the cause.) es, I think that standing up and saying “not in my name” is one of the most empowering things a person can do. (How else does change happen?)
There’s a lot of great information about the pipeline and its impact – try Yes! Magazine’s continuing coverage, for example, or this article from TruthOut – and pictures from the protests are being posted at the flickr stream. Also, you can vote in today’s CBC’s poll – Are you in favour of the oilsands pipeline?.
This was me 25 years ago, only I was writing and protesting instead of cartooning….
Quitter: A Story from the Recession via Shareable.net – Sharing by Design
So, what would you rather be doing right now? What’s holding you back from living your dreams? What do you need to quit doing/being/saying/believing right now that will bring you one step closer to living the life you should be?
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| Xander helping Alderman Ceci cut the ribbon on the Calgary Peace Pole, September 2009. |
Out of all the changes that happened when I became a single mom in March 2008, I didn’t think “not buying a car” would have the most impact. Joining Calgary Carshare has led to all kinds of changes: less shopping (especially in big-box stores), more transit/walking/biking (especially because Xander’s school and out-of-school-care are so close) and more volunteering (first as a member and then as a board member). Xander is a big fan of carsharing and we have a great time discussing alternative transportation models (including my “retirement home”: a rainbow-coloured school-bus that runs on recycled french fry oil – his proposal, not mine).
Take Them With You
Xander comes to board meetings with me, he volunteers at tables/events with me, and he comes to protests with me. He’ll be attending the Nenshi for Mayor orientation later this week and he’s requested his own tshirt so he can participate in events. He’s a familiar face at Bow Cliff Seniors, where his Wii-skills and weeding-skills are in demand. Sometimes I don’t attend things because he’s with me, or I reschedule them for times when he’s in school, after-school care or with his father, but most of the time he’s there with me. And I know this works first hand: I have several memories of volunteering with both my parents!
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| Xander and I at the Calgary Anti-Prorogation Rally, January 2010. |
Explain Things So They Understand Why
Kids have questions and we (sometimes) have answers. Tell the truth, but in a way that your kids understand. Talk about why you feel something is right/wrong and why others don’t. And be honest when you don’t have the answers; kids can sense when you’re putting them on. Encourage them to do their own research and form their own opinions.
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| Come join the parade! |
I’m crafty too – crochet and cross-stitch, mostly, but some minis and other things occasionally.
And I love to support crafty folks. That’s why I’m taking the pledge!
