I Help Organize a Peaceful Protest About Climate Crisis at Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce
On December 5, 2013, about 5 groups united together to hold a nonviolent protest about the pivotal role of the Chamber of Commerce blocking progress addressing the climate crisis. For several years, I held an email dialogue with the director of the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce, Dave Hauser. This last summer several of us held a street theater event at the Eugene Saturday Market and together we nominated the local Chamber for a Golden Ostrich Award.
We used humor to point out that our local Chamber should join 56 other local Chambers that have said “No” to the horribly Earth-damaging U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. We gave the award plaque to our local Chamber just before weird lingering snowy weather in Eugene, which scientists predict will be an indicator of the climate crisis.
Below is a brief 5 minute video of our award presentation, in which I become a bit emotional. Below that is more info about our campaign.
Our Golden Ostrich Award to the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce because of the climate crisis.
Action you can take from anywhere in the world to help our campaign:
1. Please contact our local Chamber by email or phone (541-484-1314) with your peaceful, civil, but strong message. Your sample message: “Please say ‘No!’ to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which is one of the main blockades to addressing the climate crisis.”
2. For extra credit, you may contact the Eugene Chamber Board: http://www.eugenechamber.com/contact/leadership.aspx
Here is the award, by Artist Tim Boyden, that we gave to the Eugene Chamber with our tongues in our cheeks.
More info. about our campaign:
To reach your local Chamber anywhere in the USA, see a special web site by a group dedicated to combating the climate crisis, 350: http://chamber.350.org/
How We Stop Worrying and Deny Climate Change
(our street theater to nominate the local Chamber of Commerce for the Golden Ostrich award – summer 2013)
Close up of the Golden Ostrich with its head in the sand of denial.
The group protest represents 5 organizations, including the International Association for the Advancement of Creative Maladjustment, envisioned by Martin Luther King, Jr. For info about the IAACM, go here: http://www.mindfreedom.org/kb/mental-health-global/iaacm/MLK-on-IAACM
Continued thanks for your great work, David Oaks, David Zupan, and all my Eugene friends!