The science is clear that no new fossil fuel infrastructure can be built. We must keep existing fossil fuels in the ground and transition rapidly to renewable energy sources. The government is not taking up this action, so people around the world are taking it upon themselves to stop fossil fuel projects. One current effort is taking place in North Dakota. The Sacred Stone Camp was created by the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota Nations on April 1, 2016 to stop construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), which would carry Bakken oil through four states. All pipelines spill and the DAPL could contaminate the Missouri River, as well as the land and other aquifers. Construction of the pipeline is destroying sacred sites and wildlife habitat. Matt Remle will speak with us about resistance to the pipeline and what people can do to support the efforts.
At the same time, we must build alternatives to meet our needs for energy and transportation. Bill Moyer and Steve Chrismer have been working together on a project that they call Solutionary Rail. They envision rebuilding the rail system in the US to run on electricity, which can be created through renewable sources, to carry goods and passengers.
Listen here:
Relevant articles and websites:
Recalculating the Climate Math by Bill McKibben
Guests:
Matt Remle (Lakota) lives in Seattle, WA. He works for the office of Indian Education in the Marysville/Tulalip school district. He is a writer for Last Real Indians @ www.lastrealindians.com and runs an on-line Lakota language program at www.LRInspire.com. He is a father of three and the author of Seattle’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day resolution.”
Steve Chrismer has worked in the rail industry for 35 years and has his PhD in Civil Engineering. He is presently on the design team developing the Next Generation High Speed trainset that will operate on Amtrak’s Northeast corridor between Washington D.C. and Boston and will be capable of up to 186 mph and is Chairperson of the national High Speed Rail Committee and is part of the Solutionary Rail Team organized by Bill Moyer.
Bill Moyer is a fourth generation Washingtonian who lives with his wife and daughter in the woods of Vashon Island, WA in the Salish Sea (near Seattle). He co-founded and Backbone Campaign and has served as executive director since 2004. A leader in the theory and practice of artful activism, Backbone combines lessons of the performing arts with grand strategic principles from the Art of War to invigorate nonviolent social change movements. Bill and his Backbone colleagues have designed and produced hundreds of creative protests and trained thousands of change agents. They have helped transform mundane demonstrations into cultural happenings with innovative tactics like spotlights to project messages onto buildings and introduced the world tokayaktivism during the sHellNo! campaign to stop Arctic drilling.
Bill presents on the application of grand strategy, creative tactics and campaign design in workshops around the country. His moral and strategic commitment to always balance critique with proposal resulted in the Solutionary Rail project. Now Bill humbly conducts the talented Solutionary Rail team. He is extremely proud of this book on how America can transform a broken and dangerous railroad business model into a catalyst for social and environmental solutions and integral component of a just transition to sustainable society.