USA: Teens win interim lawsuit in climate change case in Washington State

On Tuesday in Washington State King County Superior Court Judge Hollis Hill issued a judgement ordering the Washington Department of Ecology to reconsider a citzen petition on rulemaking for greenhouse gas reductions according to the best available science.

The petition (PDF) was brought by eight children and their legal guardians for a Department rule to recommend to the State Legislature an effective emissions reduction trajectory that is based on best available climate science, and will achieve safe atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide by 2100.

The petition for rule making was lodged with the Ecology Department in June 2014, but was denied by the Department in August 2014, which provided no argument disputing the scientific arguments in the children's petition. The Children lodged an appeal which was heard by Judge Hollis.

Their petition recommended that Washington’s minimum statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits should be updated according to the best available climate science for climate recovery to achieve a four percent annual reduction in overall carbon dioxide emissions in the state so that a target of 31 per cent reduction is achieved by 2020, 62 percent reduction by 2035, and 80 percent reduction by 2050.

USA: 398 arrested in civil disobedience at the White House saying no KXL

Washington, March 2, 2014: over one thousand young people marched on the White House demanding President Obama reject the Keystone XL pipeline and uphold his commitment to protecting the environment. Hundreds of these students then handcuffed themselves to the White House fence in the largest youth act of civil disobedience in a generation! There were 398 arrests.

According to DC Indymedia, "an estimated 2,000 opponents of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline marched from Georgetown University to the White House for the largest one-day civil disobediance against the pipeline DC has seen."

Interfaith religous activists arrested in Climate civil disobedience outside the Whitehouse

Day 6 of the Tar Sands Blockade continues with 20 civil disobedience arrests in Washington DC according to the Tar Sands Blockade website. Outside the Whitehouse on Thursday March 21 a gathering of concerned citizens from various American religous traditions - Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Native North American - called on President Obama to take bold and courageous actions on climate change, including rejecting the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. The call was underlined by a 'moral act of loving nonviolent civil disobedience' with 15 choosing to be arrested. View photos on Flickr by AnonMedia: 15 NoKXL Protesters Arrested at the White House .

The action was organized by the Interfaith Moral Action on Climate (IMAC) respresenting a wide variety of religious tradtions. They gathered in Lafayette Park at noon carrying three sacred symbols: palm fronds symbolic of greeting Jesus entry into Jerusalem; The Matzoh, unleavened bread that began as the food of the poor and afflicted but became the bread of life and freedom; and the Globe representing the planet we share, God's creation.

"Our governments are well oiled and they are coal fired" says James Hansen

An estimated 35,000 to 50,000 people attended the February 17th climate rally in Washington DC organised by 350.org, the Sierra Club and a few other groups. It was the largest climate rally to date that has occurred in the United States.

One activist, ebecker2000, caught up and briefly interviewed NASA climatologist James Hansen at the rally. Hansen bluntly stated "if we burn all of the fossil fuels, more than half the planet will be uninhabitable by humans."

But Hansen was heartened to see the numbers at the rally, "This is great. This is by far the biggest crowd we have ever had and finally I think the public is waking up to the fact that our governments are working for the fossil fuel industry...."

USA: Thousands march, about 100 arrested in Washington DC including climate scientist James Hansen

On the 27th of September, thousands of opponents of mountaintop removal coal mining converged on DC. Many were from West Virgina, Tennesee, and other areas devastated by this destructive mining practice. After blockading the EPA and PNC Bank, about 100 were arrested at the White House including NASA climate scientist James Hansen. This article is from DC indymedia.