Un Fracking the COP talks

Yesterday was the day to Un-frack the #COP21 climate talks in Paris. Dozens of Environmental Action members chipped in to support a delegation from Beyond Extreme Energy — our pipeline fighting, export terminal busting, front-line community supporting buddies who you’ve met before on the sidewalks in front of FERC.

Don Weightman of Philadelphia was one of a delegation of international fracktivists who spoke at a rally just outside the main negotiating space, called the “blue zone”. Police are still on high alert, especially up here at the Le Bourget conference site, so the entire press conference, including speeches in 4 languages, and several vigorous rounds of chanting “what do we want? BAN FRACKING! When do we want it? NOW!” were delivered inside a semi-circle of French military armed with machine guns (yike!)

Undaunted by the police presence, Don delivered some great remarks, as did a member of the Dutch parliament — which has recently enacted a ban on fracking. And some leaders from the Indigenous Environmental Network, who we’ve met before at our Denver Stop the Frack Attack summit.

One particular demand of the group was the Governor Jerry Brown ban fracking in California. Brown has been here at the #COP21 talks for a few days, and is generally being celebrated as a climate hero. But more than a year after Gov. Cuomo banned fracking in New York, and months after the Maryland legislature put a moratorium on fracking, Brown has still failed to take action. To send the message that real climate leaders don’t frack, we’ve previously staged the largest climate and fracking demonstration in California history, the march for real climate leadership. And today we joined with Californians and dozens of other groups calling on Brown to live up to his reputation by banning fracking once and for all in California.