From Keystone XL to Corporate Personhood – how the climate movement can keep winning

When the news broke Wednesday that President Obama and the State Department were rejecting the Keystone Pipeline Permits, Peaceful Uprising and our allies breathed a collective sigh of relief. The Tar Sands Action worked–direct action worked–thanks to you and all of the groups who put differences aside to focus on one issue. Our staff and core volunteers were there with many of you in DC, singing, celebrating and getting arrested. It was an honor to be part of this coalition. 

Peaceful Uprising's Henia Belalia & Tar Sands Action's Linda Capato leading in song.

Many said it was impossible to win on the Keystone XL pipeline. But the climate movement embraced history, which teaches us that if we respond with joy, resolve, and nonviolent civil disobedience, Justice has a fighting chance to overcome incredible odds.

It is important to celebrate, and to acknowledge this crucial Tar Sands victory. But we cannot afford to rest. Right now oil, gas, and coal industry executives are amassing an army of lobbyists, political allies & employees to push their dirty carbon agenda forward.

Now is the time to take the battle to the next level.

For almost a year, we have been organizing with many pro-democracy allies to end American Corporatocracy and re-establish a Democratic government in its place. Our Director is in DC right now, having dedicated most of his time with the organizers of the Occupy movement making the connection between a livable future and corporate personhood. That is, there is virtually no chance of comprehensive and sufficient climate legislation passing Congress until we reign in corporate money in politics. We want a Constitutional Convention, to revoke the absurd idea of “corporate personhood”, which is used to justify the “right” of corporations (fossil fuels and others) to donate unlimited amounts of money to political races.

Are you with us?

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The fossil fuel industry is just one tentacle of the monster that has infiltrated, and effectively overthrown, our electoral system and national government. It is time to reclaim our power and self-representation. If we don’t restore our Democracy from corporate control, hard-won victories like the Keystone XL pipeline will only slow down the fossil fuel industry, not stop it. Without another escalation of our movement, we’re still headed off the cliff of runaway climate change.

Peaceful Uprising's Dylan Schneider

Soon, we will be inviting you to get on a train and head to DC to join us again. It’s time US citizens to wrestle their country from corporate occupation; to peacefully un-overthrow our government.

Imagine future generations watching us right now. They would probably be cheering us all on, and as our friend Terry Tempest Williams put it, “praying for us to see beyond our own time.”

As a movement we are coalescing to rise up against the greatest threat to species survival humanity has ever faced. We have to stop the loading of carbon in our atmosphere and if our elected officials won’t listen to us we have no choice but to force them to do what is needed. We can bring true democracy to Congress by getting rid of corporate personhood and getting people elected to office that will vote in the interest of  public good and not just those with the deepest pockets.

We have demonstrated our potential. Let’s see what else we’ve got–as our co-founder Tim Dechristopher said 3 years ago, “It’s time to rush the field.”

Photo Josh Lopez http://joshlopezphoto.com/