#savethearctic30

[ricardoibarra84]

Greenpeace

[urgencynetwork]

Nicole R.'s Grand Prize Experience

The Urgency Network recently sent the winner of the Save the Arctic: Atoms For Peace campaign, Nicole R. of Upton, Massachusetts, to Los Angeles, California to see Thom Yorke and Atoms For Peace at the Hollywood Bowl.  For Nicole's take on her once-in-a-lifetime experience, read on! 

I could remember expecting to meet an intimidating formal businessman when I was told that I was going to meet the co-founder of The Urgency Network, only to find that the said person was this interesting, charismatic man wearing a jacket and a baseball cap. When I told him that, he said to me, “I worked all my life not to be that person,” and I realized that here is the kind of person I want to grow up to be like.

My feet serve as a constant reminder of my walk around Hollywood. I walked to and from my hotel, and I don’t regret that decision. Even if I had to buy shoes on the way back, I’m glad I chose to walk, because then I got the chance to get lost and meet new people and really savor my stay there, especially while I was still alone.

My friend (and her family) chose to drive from Vegas to the concert venue, and she arrived a few minutes into the concert. This is one of those happy reunion moments in the movies, except we were both focused on running to our VIP seats! 

The concert and the after show parties were unlike anything we’ve ever experienced before: the music, the venue, the people, everything was just phenomenal! We even got an autograph from Nigel Godrich!

A huge bulk of the pictures from the trip were taken at the Mondrian Hotel because it was so brilliantly designed, and the pool was just beautiful!

The ride around LA was also exciting! I enjoyed chatting with the Lyft people, and it was amusing how we just had so much to talk about. 

Throughout my stay there, I was literally shaking with excitement because everything was so new to me; I have never travelled alone, never been to the west coast, never watched an outdoor concert, and especially never seen Atoms For Peace in person!

The whole experience was thrilling, and it really opened my eyes as to how many opportunities there are out there that could potentially be life-changing, just as this was for me and all the people involved. After hearing that I won this experience, a friend of mine even told me that she found the courage to take more chances in life.

This made me happy because my motto in life is to be the reason for change, and I was empowered to do just that. Simply by watching videos, reading articles, and signing petitions, I made a difference. Just by doing those things, I was given this incredible experience.

Written by Nicole R. 

Edited by Jessica Lipman of The Urgency Network 

[fabioballor-blog]

Aiutiamo i nostri ragazzi di Greenpeace detenuti in Russia Ecco quello che è successo: L'equipaggio dell'Arctic Sunrise sta protestando pacificamente contro le trivellazioni della compagnia petrolifera Gazprom, la prima destinata ad estrarre petrolio dall'Artico. Due attivisti tentano di scalare la piattaforma per appendere uno striscione, ma vengono fermati dalla guardia costiera russa. Il giorno successivo la guardia costiera russa abborda illegalmente la nave Arctic Sunrise in acque internazionali, arrestando le altre 28 persone a bordo, tra cui l'italiano Cristian d'Alessandro. La nave viene trainata a Murmansk dove nei giorni seguenti iniziano i processi. Gli Arctic30 erano lì per testimoniare la distruzione di un delicato ecosistema: le compagnie petrolifere approfittano dello scioglimento dei ghiacci per perforare alla ricerca di petrolio. L'Artico è un posto meraviglioso, habitat di specie uniche come orsi polari, volpi artiche. Le trivellazioni minacciano la loro casa e il clima dell'intero Pianeta. In che modo possiamo aiutarli? Chiaramente è una delicata situazione in cui i nostri diplomatici dovrebbero darsi da fare, intenato però noi tutti possiamo:  1) firmare la petizione qui: http://www.greenpeace.org/italy/it/libera-i-nostri-attivisti/?FbCD 2) telefonare direttamente all'ambasciatore russo (sempre che ve lo passino), qui le info: http://free-arctic30.org/?lang=it Ognuno di noi può fare qualcosa! Facciamolo! http://click-to-read-mo.re/p/40Ak

[sfbeachbum1982]

#rainbowwarrior #greenpeace #arctic30 #savethearctic30 (at Pier 15)

[linosaur]

To all my followers! Please sign this petition to free the 30 (PEACEFUL) activists and photographers who are currently imprisoned in Russia and have received piracy charges. This is a disgrace and we in Greenpeace want them free! Activism is not a crime!

Sign here: http://www.greenpeace.org/freeouractivists?GPI_A30_profiles_bottom

Please reblog to spread the word.

[saraguix]

The melting Arctic is under threat from oil drilling, industrial fishing and conflict. You Can Save The Arctic.

www.savethearctic.org

[urgencynetwork]

The Arctic 30: The Evolution of Grassroots Efforts to Halt Climate Change

The ‘Arctic 30’ are the Greenpeace activists, from over 18 different countries, who are currently being detained by Russian authorities for peacefully protesting against the Arctic oil rush, most of which have officially been charged with piracy as of October 2nd. The ship that they approached, Prirazlomnaya, is the first oil rig to begin oil production in this part of the Arctic, threatening the region with a detrimental precedent that would devastate the environment and humanity. It is worth noting that this potential drilling is in an area that was once inaccessible, but that has now opened up due to climate change and the rapid melting of ice in the Arctic.

What is the collective fate of these activists who are currently being detained for two months for an investigation of the piracy charges? And how will charges of piracy affect the larger grassroots efforts to halt climate change? 

Greenpeace will not stand for that, though. On September 30th, Greenpeace’s legal team issued a Statement of Concern refuting the piracy charges on the grounds that piracy involves “violence, detention, or depredation” that is “committed against a ship or aircraft for private ends.”  As stated in the document, “It does not apply to non-violent protests against offshore installations undertaken with the aim of informing public opinion.” Ultimately the document urges the Russian Federation to put the piracy investigation on hold, particularly citing that to even use piracy as a means of understanding the activists’ work in the arctic is to erode the international community’s work with addressing actual piracy issues.

As of October 1st, Greenpeace’s legal team was notified that two activists of the ‘Arctic 30’, Sini Saarela and Dima Litvinov, will be charged on October 2nd. Moving forward, we will probably see the international community stand with Greenpeace, traces of which we already see in the Netherlands’ demand that the Arctic Sunrise and its crew be released. Even Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Arctic 30 are “obviously not pirates,” which he stated in a speech he delivered at the Third International Arctic Forum "The Arctic – Territory of Dialogue" held in Salekhard, Russia.

Experts come forward for the Arctic 30

John Dalhuisen, Director of Amnesty International’s Europe and Central Asia Programme, reiterates the damage caused by such outlandish charges of piracy for which the Arctic 30 are being investigated. He stated on September 24, 2013: "There’s very little question that unarmed Greenpeace activists are not pirates ... Charges of piracy are manifestly unfounded in this case – having no basis in law or reality – and it's profoundly damaging to level such serious charges so carelessly ... The Greenpeace activists must be released on a reasonable bail and given full access to defence lawyers, pending any possible trial."

Dr. Eugene Kontorovich, Professor of International Law at Northwestern University in Chicago, brings out an interesting notion that explains why piracy, of all charges, has entered this case.  He issued a commentary on September 25, 2013 entitled 'Russia's Piracy Charges Against Greenpeace Groundless and Illegal', in which he states that:

"The Greenpeace activities are most certainly not piracy for several reasons."

"[P]iracy requires 'acts of violence or detention.' Here the Greenpeace activist merely put a poster on the platform. This does not constitute violence." (...) "The Greenpeace activists certainly committed trespass, but not piracy."

"Indeed, it is Russia that fairly clearly violated UNCLOS by seizing the ship for the misconduct of the crew. The arrest of a vessel is strictly forbidden 'even as a matter of investigation,' (Art 97(3)), except for piracy. The piracy allegations here are clearly pretextual, making Russia liable to the Netherlands for seizure 'without adequate grounds'."

Onward: Understanding the Arctic 30 and Activism in an age of Climate Change

The ‘Arctic 30’ is notable on a number of fronts, and needs to be addressed within the larger scope of protests that come in the hot mix of climate change’s popular register. For one, this is certainly not the first protest against fossil-fuel removal and consumption, and it will not be the last.  North America is seeing a seismic coalition to stop the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, whose protests actually resulted in President Obama’s decision to delay approval of the pipeline.  Another notable movement against fossil-fuel removal and consumption deals with the exploitation of the Alberta tar sands.  The former director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, James Hansen, wrote on Keystone XL, “If Canada proceeds, and we do nothing, it will be game over for the climate.” As Amy Goodman suggests, the international grassroots efforts to halt climate change are imperative and will surely grow in light of the continued corporate interest in drilling in the Arctic. And the set of charges of piracy being issued upon activists as part of these grassroots efforts only serves as a roadblock for their urgent and imperative work for  climate change.

By Jessica Lipman 

Staff Member, The Urgency Network 

Stay informed about the Arctic 30 here and sign the petition here.

Works Cited: 

Greenpeace's Latest Updates from the Arctic Sunrise Activists

Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! "Climate Change Protests Heat Up"

The New York Times. Global Warming and Climate Change