Environmental Activism

"Hey hey, ho ho, fossil fuels have got to go," I chanted yesterday with the crowd of at least 200 who turned out to protest environmental injustice from the new administration. As we marched down Peachtree Street people smiled, took videos, and even chanted along with us. Some cars passing by waved and honked their horns. One man put his fist in the air and smiled proudly as we marched past. As we approached the Bank of America Corporate building, the chant changed to, "Dakota Pipeline. Shut. It. Down. KeystoneXL. Shut. It. Down." Finally, as we gathered in the Bank of America Courtyard outside the front entrance our chants targeted the banks who are invested in completing the pipelines, "Bank of America. Shut. It. Down. Wells Fargo. Shut. It. Down. Bank of America. Shut. It. Down. Bank of America. SHUT. IT. DOWN."

The video below is my live Facebook video of the march. I was only live for about 5 minutes, because that is as long as I can hold a sign and my phone above my head



As I reflect on that march, I can't help but wonder why we still rely on fossil fuels when so many people know in their hearts and minds that we cannot continue to burn dead animal carcasses and expect our planet not to respond. Rest assured that if we do not stop climate change, then mother nature will. When the polar ice caps have melted and all the landmasses are covered by a continuous sea, I imagine that the fish will happily ask us, "who's dumping on whose home now?" This ad from WWF really drives that point home.

"If we don't stop global warming, nature will."

To answer the question of why we still use fossil fuels, we must look to money and politics. I have never known or studied politics heavily, so the march yesterday was eye-opening for me. It was a lively crowd, and from talking with the people there I learned a lot about the politics of the oil and gas pipelines. For example, I had no idea that there were so many banks invested in pipelines. The organizer of the march read a list of all the banks invested in the Dakota Access pipeline, and my bank was one of them. To find a list of all 17 banks along with their contact information, click here. I called the Wells Fargo line, and was talking to a real person within a few seconds.

I also had no idea that Donald Trump has retained his stock in the Dakota Access Pipeline. No wonder he issued an executive order that will move the Dakota Access and KeystoneXL pipeline projects forward. If he would put his assets in a blind trust, like so many have advised him to do, his motives would not be questioned so often. Poor Jimmy Carter had to put his beloved peanut farm into a blind trust, but Donald Trump can keep all his international businesses and assets running while he is acting president.

On a more hopeful note, I have not given up. The activism that is popping up all over the world is inspiring, and I know that Trump has heard our outcry. A man so narcissistic must be hurt by the unity and determination of people who have spoken out against him. Let's keep it going, so we can make America greater than ever before.