http://understory.ran.org The Understory is the official blog of Rainforest Action Network. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 23:16:07 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Today RAN was part of a coalition that released a joint public letter to Ontario's premier calling on him to implement his promises for the Northern Boreal with full respect for Indigenous rights. The letter is here. The Canadian news release is here, and the U.S. one is on RAN.org. It ... http://understory.ran.org/2008/07/24/broad-coalition-writes-to-ontario-premier/ What a difference a weekend makes. Late last week, John McCain supported Al Gore’s call for a nationwide commitment to a ten-year clean energy revolution by declaring, “If the vice president says it’s doable, I believe it’s doable.” In the hopes for a grand, bipartisan climate and energy deal in Congress, ... http://understory.ran.org/2008/07/23/mccain%e2%80%99s-new-attack-ad-won%e2%80%99t-stop-pain-at-the-pump/ Our friends Ryanne and Jay, over at Ryan is Hungry recently made an amazing video to help get folks excited about RAN. Giving a presentation to a group of students? Explaining what RAN does to your friends before convincing them to join you in an action? Want to inspire the ... http://understory.ran.org/2008/07/21/our-new-grassroots-video/ The Rainforest Ag interns—the stupendous Peter, Aja, and Kate— and I took it to the supermarkets last week in the trial run for our August 13th Stick it To Palm Oil Day of Action. Here’s what happened: 1) (from left to right) Kate, Aja, and Peter (and I) hit ... http://understory.ran.org/2008/07/21/sticking-it-literally-to-palm-oil/ Appalachian Mountain defense and anti-coal direct action is definitely on the rise in Appalachia and the southeast. Today, four were arrested after crossing a line onto Zeb Mountain in east Tennessee where National Coal Company operates a strip mine. The civil disobedience was part of a larger march organized by United ... http://understory.ran.org/2008/07/20/more-anti-coal-direct-action-at-east-tennessee-strip-mine-site/ The Billionaires for Coal are busy these days. Making appearances in New York, North Carolina and now Atlanta over the past few weeks, they must be getting worried that the grassroots anti-coal climate movement is taking off. In Atlanta the Billionaires held a cocktail party outside the “Climate Change: The ... http://understory.ran.org/2008/07/18/huzzah-billionaires-for-coal-party-down-in-atlanta/ Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) Chief Donny Morris has posted a youtube video on his community web site explaining his position on Ontario's recently announced plans for Ontario's Northern Boreal Forest, an area the size of California. This is a rare chance to hear analysis of this important development directly from a community ... http://understory.ran.org/2008/07/18/ki-chiefs-statement-on-youtube/ If you haven’t already heard about Ontario’s huge announcement for the Boreal and Indigenous rights then you should REALLY check out this earlier post. Ontario's Premier committed to protect 50% of the province's Northern Boreal Forest from all industry, and to allow new logging and mining only with the support of ... http://understory.ran.org/2008/07/18/indigenous-resistance-gets-the-goods/ I had another day in court in my ongoing legal battles in Australia. Many of you may or may not know that in 2005 I traveled through Australia as a peace and environmental activist doing trainings on civil disobedience, corporate campaigning and the war in Iraq. The government in Canberra ... http://understory.ran.org/2008/07/18/australian-federal-court-upholds-ran-activists-right-to-secret-files/ Check out this great piece from longtime RAN friend Marc Geller from Plug In America. He took a CNN reporter for a ride around San Francisco in his petroleum-free, solar powered electric car. The best way to solve our addiction on oil (and high gas prices, and wars for oil, ... http://understory.ran.org/2008/07/17/cnn-ran-activist-shows-how-to-live-life-without-oil/