To: Thomas Friedman, Columnist at the New York Times
Ask Tom Friedman to Get Arrested to Stop Keystone
In his Sunday, March 10 column, Thomas Friedman asked Bill McKibben and his organization to “go crazy” if President Obama approves the Keystone XL pipeline. We ask that Mr. Friedman join in any such “crazy” pipeline protests to help bring attention to climate policy.
Tom Friedman has long spoken out about the dangers of climate change. He is also one of the most widely read commentators in the U.S. and around the world. His being arrested would be a dramatic signal to millions of just how dire the need is for action on climate change. We ask that if Bill McKibben and 350.org do as you ask and organize further protests or civil disobedience at the White House, that you both join the protest and encourage your readers to do so, for the sake of our country and our world's future.
Tom Friedman has long spoken out about the dangers of climate change. He is also one of the most widely read commentators in the U.S. and around the world. His being arrested would be a dramatic signal to millions of just how dire the need is for action on climate change. We ask that if Bill McKibben and 350.org do as you ask and organize further protests or civil disobedience at the White House, that you both join the protest and encourage your readers to do so, for the sake of our country and our world's future.
Why is this important?
In his Sunday, March 10 column, Thomas Friedman asked Bill McKibben and his organization to “go crazy” if President Obama approves the Keystone XL pipeline.
Specifically, Mr. Friedman wrote: "I HOPE the president turns down the Keystone XL oil pipeline. (Who wants the U.S. to facilitate the dirtiest extraction of the dirtiest crude from tar sands in Canada’s far north?) But I don’t think he will. So I hope that Bill McKibben and his 350.org coalition go crazy. I’m talking chain-themselves-to-the-White-House-fence-stop-traffic-at-the-Capitol kind of crazy, because I think if we all make enough noise about this, we might be able to trade a lousy Keystone pipeline for some really good systemic responses to climate change. We don’t get such an opportunity often — namely, a second-term Democratic president who is under heavy pressure to approve a pipeline to create some jobs but who also has a green base that he can’t ignore. So cue up the protests, and pay no attention to people counseling rational and mature behavior."
We ask the Mr. Friedman join in any such “crazy” pipeline protests, to help bring attention to climate policy.
Specifically, Mr. Friedman wrote: "I HOPE the president turns down the Keystone XL oil pipeline. (Who wants the U.S. to facilitate the dirtiest extraction of the dirtiest crude from tar sands in Canada’s far north?) But I don’t think he will. So I hope that Bill McKibben and his 350.org coalition go crazy. I’m talking chain-themselves-to-the-White-House-fence-stop-traffic-at-the-Capitol kind of crazy, because I think if we all make enough noise about this, we might be able to trade a lousy Keystone pipeline for some really good systemic responses to climate change. We don’t get such an opportunity often — namely, a second-term Democratic president who is under heavy pressure to approve a pipeline to create some jobs but who also has a green base that he can’t ignore. So cue up the protests, and pay no attention to people counseling rational and mature behavior."
We ask the Mr. Friedman join in any such “crazy” pipeline protests, to help bring attention to climate policy.