Rally for a Healthy Planet!

6 April 2008
Salt Lake City, UT

About 400 participated in a protest calling for the U.S. government to get out of Iraq, implement a single-payer healthcare system, and reduce carbon use without going nuclear for "a healthy planet for healthy lives of all of us."

The protest was innovative in tying the three issues together, especially bringing together antiwar and environmental activists with the call "no more war for oil." While about half the protesters walked in a typical antiwar march circling around several busy blocks of downtown Salt Lake City, over 100 cyclists, led by an electric pace car, circled the same route in the opposite direction - creating three enthusiastic meetings as the cyclists made three circuits in the time it took to walk the route.

This protest was the first action in the new "350 campaign" (see www.350.org) which Bill McKibben announced in early March during a visit to Salt Lake. In a discussion about the upcoming protest McKibben suggested organizing a "350 CO2 Cyclists" contingent. The number 350 refers to the 350ppm of CO2 in the earth's atmosphere which McKibben says we must get below to prevent eventually catastrophic global climate change. Currently the CO2 level in earth's atmosphere is at 385ppm.

The rally which followed featured a speaker on each of the three featured issues - Chris Conway of the newly founded Iraq Veterans Against the War chapter, Barbara Toomer who was a founder of the Disabled Rights Action Committee some twenty years ago, and Dr. Brian Moench who is the founding leader of Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment. There was dynamic poetry from Shae, Repo and Flora and music by Orion Chacon and by Rich Wyman. Wyman sang his searing new protest against "Guantanamo" which concludes that 'we don't know that we're all already in Guantanamo'.

Peter Camejo of the California Green Party and Salt Lake City's past mayor Rocky Anderson rounded out the program. Moderators Troy Williams of KRCL Radio and Diana Lee Hirschi of the Salt Lake Quakers and the Nader for President Committee brought Iraq war veteran Jeff Key on stage to tell about his autobiographical play "Eyes of Babylon" currently in performance in Salt Lake City. A documentary film "Semper Fi: One Marine's Journey" based on the play was produced for Showtime last year.

Demonstrators rally for a healthier planet Salt Lake Tribune
Utahns rally in quest to improve the planet Deseret News
Photos of Event

350 CO2 Cyclists

1 April 2008

Cyclists in Salt Lake City will lead the pack on April 5th at the downtown march and rally to promote a healthy planet. Riders will take to the streets to call for peace, health care and healthy air. Walkers and cyclists will kick off the event at noon, followed by live music, speakers and slam poets at the SLC Government Center.

We need 350 cyclists dressed for high visibility to bring the message home: 350 parts per million of CO2 is all our atmosphere can sustain. The current CO2 number is 383 ppm. Grab your bike and ten friends and come join Rocky Anderson in the fight for peace, health care and healthy air. The April 5th march and rally start at noon, 451 South State Street. The time to act is now.

www.350.org

Progressive Agenda for 2008

1 February 2008

In Salt Lake City, a coalition of groups initiated a conference on February 8th and 9th titled the "Progressive Agenda for 2008." There were film events with guest speakers and directors, activist panels, and various workshops from local activists and organizations.

At the conference plenary session we decided to organize a demonstration in Salt Lake City on April 5th to raise the issues listed above. We want to tie this action in with a commemoration of Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4, the 40th anniversary of his assassination.

more info >