Begin forwarded message:
From: Joanna <jkemp...@gmail.com>
Date: July 8, 2015 9:56:10 AM EDT
To: clarkparktot...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [TotLot] Stop Oil Trains Protest
A family friendly protest this weekend... if that's your kind of
thing.
Stop Oil Trains! A Jazz Funeral at the Schuykill River Park
When: This Saturday, July 11th, from 2 - 5 PM
Where: Join us at Schuylkill River Park at Spruce and 25th Streets
What: Commemorate the 47 lives lost in the Canadian derailment of
2013, which incinerated the town of Lac Megantic; and celebrate the
solutions: Clean Energy, Green Jobs, and a Sustainable Future
Why: Oil bomb trains threaten 25 million Americans' lives, including
in Philadelphia where two derailments have already occurred. This is
unacceptable. To protect climate, health, safety, and waterways,
keep Bakken Shale oil in the ground!
Shale fracking harms workers, residents, air and water during the
extraction, flaring and waste handling phases, as well as during
refining and transportation. We need to re-train refinery workers in
a just, equitable way for safe jobs in the new sustainable economy,
rather than putting workers and residents in harm's way.
700,000 Philadelphians reside within the blast zone of the oil bomb
trains, and even more live within the 5-mile evacuation zone for
toxic smoke.
On this day we act in solidarity with communities across U.S. and
Canada to stop dangerous and toxic oil trains during the Stop Oil
Trains Week of Action: www.stopoiltrains.org
Co-sponsored by Clean Water Action, Delaware Riverkeeper Network,
350 Philadelphia, EDGE, and Protecting Our Waters
More details below and all details, with map and full text, here.
Visuals: B.Y.O.U.
Bring Your Own Umbrella to be adorned with fabric pom-poms, glitter,
and bling so you'll fit right in to the New Orleans-Style Funeral
Procession featuring the West Philadelphia Orchestra!
Come at the beginning if you can: Join us at 2pm at the footbridge
entrance to the park that crosses the train tracks at Locust Street.
At 2:30 we will hear from our neighbors who live and breathe closest
to this toxic infrastructure on a daily basis.
Reference: Ralph Nader, consumer advocate, lawyer and author, on
Huffington Post: Unsafe and Unnecessary Oil Trains Threaten 25
Million Americans.
Specific Demands: What We Are Calling For:
-A ban on all tank cars in use today to end environmental injustices
to Philadelphians within the 1/2 mile blast zone.
-More community workshops on crude by rail emergency response plans
to protect public safety and community health
-Support for a renewable and sustainable energy future in
Philadelphia.
-Commemorating the second anniversary of the oil train disaster at
Lac Megantic, Quebec, Canada, which killed 47 people.
SCHEDULE
2:00 pm -- Assemble at the footbridge area
2:30 pm – Press Conference
3:00 pm – Remembrance of lives lost in Lac Megnatic
3:15 pm – March for environmental justice and solidarity across our
nations – New Orleans style funeral procession with West
Philadelphia Orchestra, decorated umbrellas and banners
3:30 pm through 5:00 pm - "Rainbow Bridge to Philly's Future" visual
arts workshop and info-graphics gallery for ages 5-adult.
- Rainbow balloon hanging
- Child-friendly oil train and rainbow of renewables pavement chalking
- Summer treats
- Photo ops, outreach and creative happenings all afternoon!
Location details: Trail access via the Schuylkill River Park, 25th
and Spruce Streets, Philadelphia, just upstream from South Street
Bridge; main assembly at the pedestrian footbridge that crosses over
the train tracks at Schuylkill River Trail Park.
"Rainbow Bridge to Philly's Energy Future," a leafletting and visual
education area, on the footbridge for most of the afternoon and
early evening, as well. Child and family friendly activities and
lots of visuals and creative expression to affirm life in Philly.
Context: "Philadelphia Energy Solutions," aka PES -- Philadelphia
Energy Suicide -- refinery in South Philadelphia has become the
largest consumer of Bakken crude oil in the nation. We've already
had two oil train derailments in Philly. The US Department of
Transportation has overwhelming evidence that calls for the use of
DOT 111 and CPC 1232 tank cars to be prohibited, yet recent updates
to crude by rail safety standards failed to protect the 25 million
Americans who live in the oil train blast zone, allowing inadequate
tank cars to continue to be in use for up to ten years.
Industry and their allies want to develop Philadelphia into a dirty
energy hub exploiting shale oil and gas. Not only does this expose
hundreds of thousands of people to the dangers and pollution of oil
trains, pipelines, shipping and other infrastructure, it worsens the
air and water pollution people suffer in the neighborhoods near the
PES refinery. Already 72% of all Philadelphia's toxic air pollution
is from the PES refinery, and asthma is increasing beyond its
already high rates. Philadelphia is not a sacrifice zone!
