Greenpeace Activists Occupy Mount Rushmore

As President Obama meets with G8 leaders in Italy to discuss global warming, a team of 11 Greenpeace climbers scaled Mount Rushmore today and unfurled a huge banner proclaiming “America honors leaders not politicians: Stop Global Warming”.

“This monument celebrates leaders who rose to the great challenges of our past. Global warming is the greatest crisis humankind has ever faced and it is the defining test of leadership for this generation. It’s an open question whether President Obama will pass that test.” – Carroll Muffett, Greenpeace Deputy Campaigns Director

After climbing the back of the monument, three activists rappelled down to hang the 2300 square foot banner across the face of one of America’s most famous landmarks, and out of respect, used the existing National Park Service anchors. [Watch the streaming video at USTREAM or follow the Twitter stream.]

“We’re at a moment in history where President Obama must show real leadership on global warming, not only for Congress and the American people, but for the world. Unfortunately, the steps taken to address the crisis so far have been grossly inadequate. While President Obama’s speeches on global warming have been inspiring, we’ve seen a growing gap between the president’s words and his actions.” – Muffett

This morning, another team of Greenpeace activists occupied coal plant smokestacks in Italy and hung banners attesting to the failure of global leadership to address the issue of global warming.

Greenpeace is calling on President Obama to:

• Strive to keep global temperatures as far below a 2 degrees Celsius increase as possible, compared to pre-industrial levels to avert catastrophic climate change

• Set a goal of peaking global emissions by 2015 and be as close to zero as possible by 2050, compared to 1990 levels

• Cut emissions in the U.S. by 25-40 percent by 2020, compared to 1990 levels

• Join and encourage other members of the G8 to establish a funding mechanism that provides $106 billion per year by 2020 to help developing countries adapt to global warming impacts that are now unavoidable and halt tropical deforestation.

Greenpeace is also calling on President Obama to attend the Copenhagen conference personally to ensure a strong, science-based agreement is reached.

“Doing what it takes to solve global warming demands real political courage. If President Obama intends to earn a place among this country’s true leaders, he needs to show that courage, and base his actions on the scientific reality rather than political convenience.” – Muffett

Read more: global warming

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Subhash J.

10:44PM PDT on Aug 3, 2009

Many thanks to Derek for bringing this to the notice of our Care2 family. I believe the suggestions here are a wee bit late though they have been repeatedly made in the past too to unheeding, uncaring and apparently unconcerned politicians.

Nancy H has a point of view which needs consideration too. Thanks Nancy for giving it a voice.

I believe overreaction either way is harmful to the world and Mother Earth.

Much has been said about the harmful effects of the global warming but apart from action negating development and curbing growth to make life equitably comfortable for the inhabitants of the earth, not many seem to have given a thought to how the developed countries can reduce their consumption and thus emissions without eroding the standard of living that they consider human while also ensuring that the developing and under-developed world attains the same standards. I believe science and sociology have to go hand in hand. Gladiatorial activity one way or the other is not the answer.

Let no one act as unguided missiles to stem the growth of the poorest while let not the poorest expect that they can go the way the developed world went without a care as to what happens to our planet.

send a green star

Jamie L.

6:47AM PDT on Jul 18, 2009

Thanks Derek!

Cathy R.

3:48AM PDT on Jul 15, 2009

Thank You Susan, people want to turn a blind eye. We need to keep up with petitions, contacting the right organizations and government officials. Of course, talk to everyone we meet about it.

Wiebe S.

3:29AM PDT on Jul 15, 2009

Thank you Susan, it's good to read that not everyone here is a blind follower. This climate change scam has all to do with power and control, "herding the sheeple" of which there are plenty here.

Amanda R.

5:39PM PDT on Jul 13, 2009

That's one of the coolest things I've ever seen.

Susan S.

2:30PM PDT on Jul 13, 2009

Global warming is a joke on the American public. The earth has actually been cooling for the last 30 years! (Anyone notice the name change from "global warming" to "climate change"??) The climate has changed from "warming" to "cooling" and back again for millions of years. There is nothing people can do to change that. Follow the money and look at who has set himself up to make millions (if not BILLIONS) of dollars off convincing everyone about climate change - Al Gore!!

2:23AM PDT on Jul 13, 2009

Time to wake up people! Or should I say sheeple? Read this:
http://www.capitalresearch.org/pubs/pdf/v1217525953.pdf

dve d.

1:30AM PDT on Jul 12, 2009

that another way. but they the so called leader all deaf dumb and blind with a lot of greed just like the stone figures

judy k.

8:47AM PDT on Jul 11, 2009

SOMETIMES IT TAKES A KNOCKOUT ADD TO GRAB PEOPLES ATTENTION , SO GREENPEACE WANTED TO SAVE THE PLANET SO THEY GOT THE PUBLICS ATTENTION. THIS IS THE STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

Walter G.

2:44AM PDT on Jul 11, 2009

Sadly,it would appear, at least to me, that governments around the world, while pretending to be democratic, no longer consider the will of their citizens. In this case, as exists sadly in every case of protest, not only do the particular goals of the protesters clash with possible greed and avarice influencing the governments through bribery, graft and corruption, but rule of law and the rights of citizens to representation are ignored, or worse. Because of this, as a last resort, civil disobedience emerges.

I am an old man now, thinking back to what my ancestors told me about Mac Arthur breaking up the veterans' protest in Washington after the first world war. The cavalry killed many of those veterans. The use of deadly force was covered up by the government.

People and organized efforts protest because they are frustrated. The due process has been withdrawn, and is the guarded advantage of whatever influence actually pays off the government to act in its interests.

The "war on drugs" is a case in point. It grinds on, generation after generation, with arms makers and federal law enforcement, special operations, and "black ops, and goes" nowhere. is it possible that this is because the vast majority of civil servants the federal government in some way benefits individually from not winning that "war?" Just as in every war since WWII, our government is going through the motions with no beneficial product, except perhaps to their off shore accounts. Game over.