July 15, 2010 The Spill’s Silver Lining?

By Christine MacDonald positive effect of the disaster, however, challenges and other activist tools to has been a resurgence of hope among block 129 of some 200 planned coal n the steamy hot morning of environmental leaders that Congress and plants around the country. Now the June 30, the ’s new the president may finally be willing not Sierra Club will use the same methods executive director, Michael simply to talk about moving the United against oil, employing “all means” at its O States off fossil fuels and tackling climate disposal, Brune says. Brune, stood on the Mall in Washington, surrounded by an estimated 10,000 change but to do something about it—or Like the coal fight, the Freedom From Oil American flags that had been hammered at least, that official Washington may into the parched and scraggly-looking now be more susceptible to pressure campaign will emphasize the full costs grass by a few dozen members of the from activists pursuing that goal. of producing and consuming oil—local club, the oldest and largest grassroots air and water pollution; rising fatalities “People are watching oil spewing out environmental group in the country. from asthma, heart disease and other into the gulf on their computers and ailments; intensifying ; Brune and his fellow demonstrators were television sets. They are desperate and the prospect of more catastrophic there to call for an end to America’s to help, and it’s not just the classic accidents as companies drill in ever dependence on oil within the next greenies who live in San Francisco,” more remote and risky areas to extract twenty years. The flags, which spelled says Brune, who lives in the Bay Area, the earth’s dwindling oil reserves. out “Freedom From Oil,” represented where the Club is headquartered. “The “tens of thousands of Americans who bigger challenge is one of confidence. The Sierra Club’s new campaign also have watched the BP disaster in the gulf People don’t necessarily believe that borrows some elements from a long- and want to make sure it never happens we can do it. There is a very defeatist running one at the Rainforest Action again,” Brune declared. He called for bold attitude that permeates the national Network, the scrappy activist outfit leadership from President Barack Obama, conversation on this topic.” Though, he Brune led before taking the Club’s who, at that moment, just happened to adds, “we actually do have very real- helm in March. Brune wants to pitch be flying overhead in his Marine One world solutions for getting off oil, but we as big a tent as possible, attracting helicopter. The president was headed don’t yet have politicians and corporate labor, youth, churches, sports leaders to a town hall–style meeting in Racine, leaders who have the political will.” and—the big question mark—the Wisconsin, to address a subject that mainstream environmental organizations routinely receives more attention than The Sierra Club hopes to change that headquartered in Washington, several environmental woes—the economy. by applying the same tactics it used of which run competing initiatives to to win perhaps the greatest victory yet promote clean energy. But the environment has commanded achieved in the battle against climate the president’s attention, and that of the change. Over the past few years, Dale Bryk, director of the Air and media and general public, ever since the Club and its state chapters have Energy Program at the Natural Resources BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig exploded spearheaded a nationwide grassroots Defense Council (NRDC), says that work on April 20, killing eleven workers and movement that has established a de facto by her organization and others means sending millions of gallons of crude oil national moratorium on the construction that technology and policy options are cascading into the Gulf of Mexico. The of coal-fired power plants. Uniting well developed but that the harder part onslaught of media images—oil-soaked , local public officials, is getting the public’s attention and ospreys, burning turtles and other dead health professionals, youth groups convincing elected officials to take on the and dying wildlife—has also highlighted (especially at colleges and universities) oil industry and its legions of lobbyists. the daunting environmental challenges and others, the Beyond Coal campaign “We have a heavy lift,” Bryk says. “The facing the country. One potentially used lobbying, demonstrations, legal industry has a lot of money and lots of lobbyists.” (The oil and gas industry in the Senate. Meanwhile, many local one of the first big decisions made spent $38 million on lobbying in the first activists and more aggressive national by the Club after Brune took over as four months of 2010, according to the environmental groups think the Big executive director from longtime leader Center for Responsive Politics.) Greens have compromised too much Carl Pope. The Club also declined and want to break with their “inside the to sign on to the joint July 2 letter to But most green leaders agree that Beltway” strategy. Obama, opting instead to send a more the BP disaster has created a historic sharply worded one of its own. opportunity. “Largely, people are pulling The Tucson-based Center for Biological in the same direction on oil. It’s been a Diversity (CBD), for example, charges Disappointed that Obama hasn’t been unifying issue” for the environmental that many of the Big Green groups “twisting arms and cracking heads to movement, says Phil Radford, executive are not only out of step with the get a strong climate bill,” Brune says the director of USA. country’s needs but tone-deaf to the Sierra Club’s support for the president public outrage over the gulf spill and may not last forever. “I think Obama Still, disagreement remains on how to the political openings it has created. needs to be reminded that he shouldn’t move forward, and even what “forward” “Here is a moment when you can strike take the environmental community for means. While the Sierra Club is directly hard and fast and really affect policy. granted,” he warns. “Millions of young challenging Big Oil, other groups are This focus on [passing a climate] bill people helped put him in office, and they focused more narrowly on outlawing is damaging to the environmental want what he promised: a shift to clean- offshore drilling and enacting reforms movement, especially when it’s not a energy solutions that will fight climate to other types of oil drilling. Meanwhile, very strong bill,” says Kierán Suckling, change and create good jobs in a green so-called Big Green groups—such as the CBD’s executive director. “To divert economy.” Environmental insiders NRDC, the Environmental Defense Fund attention away from this once-in-a- speculate that if the Club, which has (EDF), the National Wildlife Federation lifetime opportunity to shut down deep- a history of working with Democratic and others with the most brand-name sea drilling is really a shame.” lawmakers, turned on them, it could set recognition, the deepest pockets and off a chain of defections among smaller closest ties to Washington deal-makers— Mainstream groups’ determination to groups increasingly disenchanted with are intensely focused on a last-ditch effort pass a climate bill has at times taken the timidity of the president and the to pass a climate and energy bill before them down unlikely paths. NRDC Action Democratic Congress. Congress’s August recess. Fund, for instance, launched TV ads this past spring targeting Democrats like Bill The Sierra Club’s new campaign, “Right now, there is the best opportunity Nelson of Florida and Robert Menendez however, is by no means assured of for a president to lead on this topic that of New Jersey, who opposed climate success. Unlike the Beyond Coal fight, any president has had in a decade,” legislation sponsored by Senators John the anti-oil campaign must be waged says EDF president Fred Krupp, who Kerry and Joe Lieberman because they on many different fields of battle—not along with eight other national groups regarded its position on offshore drilling just the hyper-local front of one very sent an open letter to Obama on July as too lenient. The ads featured footage large coal power plant at a time. “Oil is 2 beseeching him to draw up his own of the burning BP oil rig, accompanied climate legislation blueprint. a tricky one,” says Rebecca Tarbotton, by a voiceover: “Congress won’t pass Rainforest Action Network’s interim a clean-energy climate plan to cut our “He’s done more than any president in executive director. “Our dependence on addiction to dirty fuels because Congress history, but if he doesn’t put forth his oil is rooted in the actions of millions of is still addicted to big oil influence. own package that he wants the Senate to individuals across the country, not just It’s time for politicians to break their pass, it could lead nowhere,” says Krupp. a few giant corporations. But the public addiction, so we can break ours.” “Will [the upcoming climate legislation] has an unprecedented lack of trust at make us energy independent? No. Will it And coastal state lawmakers haven’t the moment for Big Coal, Big Oil and solve the climate problem? No. Is that a been the only ones unwilling to accept Big Banks,” and, she adds, “the Sierra reason not to do it? No. Now is the time the White House’s trade-off of increased Club is a big stage.” to get something done.” offshore drilling in return for a climate bill. The CBD, Sierra Club and other But is it big enough? CBD’s Suckling The lack of consensus on what should be members of the more aggressive wing does not believe the Sierra Club can done, and how, reflects a longstanding and of the also shut down the oil industry without growing divide within the environmental declined to support the Kerry-Lieberman a united environmental movement, movement. Groups like EDF have spent bill, balking at its offshore drilling including support from the Big Green decades cultivating ties to corporate provision, among other things. groups—which, despite the simmering leaders and politicians in anticipation of discontent at the grassroots, continue to this summer’s climate change showdown The move not to endorse the bill was serve as its official voice. Those groups, he says, “have so much power that if government,” says DeChristopher, level of courage and commitment than they are willing to endorse anything who made headlines in 2008 when he we have shown.” less” than the rapid end of the country’s posed as a bidder at an auction for oil Brune says the Sierra Club is undaunted oil dependence, “the political system and gas leases on more than 110,000 by the challenge. “We’re not kidding will gravitate toward them.” acres of federal land, winning thirteen ourselves. [This country has] been leases before officials caught on and talking about getting off oil since Other grassroots activists, like Utah halted the auction. “There would Nixon, and it has not yet succeeded. monkey-wrencher Tim DeChristopher, have to be a movement willing to But today we have certain advantages: Andy Mahler of the Heartwood raise more hell than the oil industry, we only have to try to convince six environmental network and Native and we don’t have that right now,” Forest Council president Tim Hermach, automakers and one decision-maker says DeChristopher, who has started in the White House. There are choke are skeptical that the country can be a grassroots group aimed at building points, where one important leader can weaned off oil without a much wider just such a civil rights–style climate make historic decisions.” societal shift. “What we are talking movement as he awaits trial on the about is going to war with the richest federal auction disruption charges. “When you set a bold and ambitious and most powerful corporations in the “If we won’t do that,” he says, “we’re goal, it inspires people to work with world that have a stranglehold on our asking our politicians to show a higher you,” he says.