A group of climate protestors were arrested for engaging in nonviolent civil disobedience at the White House on September 7th to demand that President Joe Biden finally declare a climate emergency and keep his promise to move to end fossil fuels.
The protestors, who represented a variety of organizations, including Extinction Rebellion, Sunrise Movement, and Fridays for Future, chained themselves to the White House fence and refused to move.
Secret Service officers arrested three climate activists after they tied a banner to the White House fence, demanding Biden declare a climate emergency. They were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct as a record-breaking post-Labor Day heat wave prompted extreme weather alerts to tens of millions of people in the U.S.
The action came ahead of a March to End Fossil Fuels planned for New York City on September 17.
The record high temperatures forced many school districts to cancel outdoor activities like recess or to switch to online classes for the start of the school year.
In Washington, D.C., the high temperature at Dulles International Airport reached triple digits for the first time ever in the month of September.
The protestors said that they are taking action because they are running out of time to address the climate crisis. They say that each day Biden delays in taking action is precious time lost to save lives and secure a habitable future for humankind.
“We are here because we are desperate,” said one of the protestors. “We are here because we know that the climate crisis is a real and urgent threat, and we are here because we know that President Biden has the power to act.”
The protestors’ actions are part of a growing movement of climate activists who are using nonviolent civil disobedience to demand action on climate change. In recent months, there have been similar protests in cities around the world, including London, Paris, and Berlin.
The protestors are calling on Biden to declare a climate emergency, to phase out fossil fuels, and to invest in renewable energy. They say that these are essential steps to avert the worst effects of climate change.
“We are asking President Biden to lead us out of this crisis,” said another protestor. “We are asking him to show the courage and compassion that we need to save our planet.”
Biden’s agenda to tackle the climate crisis has so far involved allowing offshore drilling in an area the size of Italy, destructive drilling & liquid natural gas exporting in Alaska, four times more federal oil and gas leases than were issued by Trump, permitting the Mountain Valley Pipeline, plus financing such fossil fuel projects as an Indonesian oil refinery.
The protestors’ actions are a reminder that the climate crisis is a serious threat that demands urgent action. They are also a call to action for all who care about the future of our planet.
“The fossil fuel industry has made over $1.4 billion in federal campaign contributions since 1990, including over $968 million since Citizens United,” said New Jersey environmentalist Lisa McCormick, who has called on authorities to nationalize the oil companies, prosecute the people who engineered the destruction of Earth’s climate and use their resources to save the world.
If you want to join the fight against climate change, McCormick said there are many ways to get involved.
“You can sign petitions, contact your elected officials, or donate to organizations that are working to address the climate crisis. You can also take personal actions to reduce your carbon footprint, such as driving less, eating less meat, and recycling,” said McCormick. “Together, we can make a difference.”
Climate Week NYC will take place from September 17-24, 2023. The event is run in coordination with the United Nations and the City of New York.
The March to End Fossil Fuels will take place in New York City on September 17, 2023.
The march will call for an end to fossil fuels and will take place before the United Nations Climate Ambition Summit.
The march will present a demand that Biden take bold climate action a will begin at 1 PM and will take place at the northeast corner of 53rd Street and Broadway.
Fossil fuel production has increased under Biden, despite his campaign promises to reduce emissions and transition to clean energy. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), US oil production is expected to reach 12.9 million barrels per day in 2023, which would be a new record.
This is a 16% increase from the level of production when Biden took office in January 2021. Oil production peaked under President Donald Trump at 12.3 million barrels per day in 2020; under President Barack Obama at 9.7 million barrels per day in 2016; and under President George W. Bush at 9.1 million barrels per day in 2008.
The Biden administration has taken some steps to reduce fossil fuel production, such as revoking the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline and pausing new oil and gas leases on federal lands.
However, these actions have been largely offset by other policies, such as approving the Willow oil project in Alaska and the Mountain Valley Pipeline from West Virginia to Virginia, plus auctioning off 73 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas drilling.
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