polidoc

This video interview of author Frank Schaeffer by Rachel Maddow is worth a listen to if you want some insight into the Evangelical power hold over the Republican Party. It was aired back in September in the lead up to the November election. In it, the former Evangelical turned critic Schaeffer describes the cultish undertow drawing the Republican Party away from what many of us call reality into "La-La land." Schaeffer says he knows of no Republican brave enough to bark down the mad dogs for whom anything good is bad because they seek negative feedback to reinforce their belief that America is being punished for its "sinfulness".Eco-Savvy Storytellers watching the greening of politics.

Joseph Cao, Congressional Representative from Louisiana has an independent streak and won't buckle down to Republican Party rhetoric. As seen in this video(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tcAYd7QXyI) on the day of his landmark election in December 2008, this lawyer hopes to represent his community even in areas that aren't considered Republican today. On November 7, 2009, Cao, a lawyer and the first Vietnamese Representative in the history of the United States, demonstrated his willingness to break from the Republican Party rhetoric by voting for a landmark healthcare reform bill. While the bill is still considered a win for the insurance industry by and large, the young Republicans break sharpens points of difference between the teabagging Constitutionalist Party leaning Republicans from more moderate voices. Cao, who ran as independent in a previous election, was the first Republican to win this district since Reconstruction. Eco-Savvy Storytellers watching the greening of politics.

Fun video by Polidoc featuring the Yes Men's Halliburton Survivaballs Escorted down Market Street by "Chevron Minions" during this San Francisco action on November 1, 2009. Serving up the message of corporate responsibility to San Ramon, CA based Chevron Oil, the YES Men marched down San Francisco streets after the premiere of their activist movie "The Yes Men Fix the World" on November 1, 2009. In conjunction with Global Exchange and other Bay Area environmental and human rights groups, the Yes Men hope to link Chevron's plan to expand its refinery in the East Bay to human and environmental rights abuses in other countries and part of the United States. In "The Yes Men Fix the World," the infamous pranksters, amongst them Andy Bichlbaum, heaps doses of irony to shine a light on the negligence of companies that place profit over people. Clever vignettes, something that crosses between "Ocean's Eleven" "Pink Panther" and "Get Smart" weave the documentary pieces of their actions together into a great piece of entertainment. This movie now showing across the nation serves up a hopeful and eviscerating commentary on the corporate players of our world.Eco-Savvy Storytellers watching the greening of politics.

Climate Activists Charge the Fence of a Coal Energy Plant in the United Kingdom in a series of protests leading up to the U.N. Climate Convention in Copenhagen in January, 2010.Eco-Savvy Storytellers watching the greening of politics.

Eco-Savvy Storytellers watching the greening of politics.

Saturday marked a day of unprecedented international climate actions by activists in 170 countries who are building momentum to inspire political leaders to take substantial steps towards climate reform at the U.N. Climate Change Conference inCopenhagen this December. In the Bay Area of California, cyclists from as far away as Arcadia descended upon Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco in the culmination of the kickoff. City Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, a consistent fighter for green legislation in one of the greenest cities in the country. Mirkarimi most notably initiated the anti-plastic bag initiative which has since spread internationally. However, he's also been a strong advocate for local control. In a speech Mirakrimi offered at the rally, he urged people to push their municipal and state legislatures to take aggressive action to reform climate regulation, regardless of what the international community does (or does not) do. The international day was spearheaded by the group 350.org and supported by numerous environmental activist groups, including GreenPeace. The number 350 represents the parts per million of carbon dioxide emissions that the atmosphere can bear if we want to avoid runaway global warming.Eco-Savvy Storytellers watching the greening of politics.

Heather Graham embodies an energized and healthy government sponsored public health insurance option in a race with health care insurance company execs who seem to have forgotten the benefits of competition. It's a very hopeful and funny ad campaign for public option.Eco-Savvy Storytellers watching the greening of politics.

"This event is about the only sane thing for the US Chamber of Commerce to do." defended the bold and theatrical Hingo Sembra, one of the celebrated or notorious Yes Men, depending upon your position, at a Press Club event in Washington, D.C. this morning. The Chamber of Commerce has been criticized recently for holding out against Climate Bill efforts, though a growing number of business have pulled away. Sembra, a master of political hoaxes started his style of activism pretending to be a DOW chemical company executive and apologizing for the Bhopal disaster on the BBC. Based upon how nervous he appeared in this action, he might be suspecting his poser days are numbered. His new activist movie "The Yes Men Fix the World" premiered in NYC last week, introduced by the Reverend Billy, a political performance activist and Green Party candidate for Mayor of the city. And this last weekend, it had it's West Coast Premiere at the Bioneers 2009 convention where the audience responded with uproarious laughter and applause.Eco-Savvy Storytellers watching the greening of politics.

Governor Joe Manchin of West Virginia has taken a lot of heat these days, all for the love of coal. Protesters in the state Capitol insisted that the two-time Governor could arrest the violent surface mining of Coal River Mountain, situated in the South-West of the state if he wanted to. However, the only thing arrested were the protesters. Our friend and fellow videographer, "FluxRostrum" posted this video today showing local and student activists squatting at the Governor's with a burning desire to speak truth to power. Manchin has said that he does not have the authority to overstep the federally granted rights of the out-of-state corporations who are conducting the surface mining. A legal opinion called Dillon's Law which instituted, the rights of property owners ( in this case corporations) over the right of individuals (read "communities"), provides the necessary veil behind which the Governor can defend himself. However, the opinon can be challenged and that would be a strong statement from the pro-death penalty, anti-choice Democratic Governor of West Virginia for his constituents. Where the Governor's pro-corporate cards may be more apparent is in the lack of prosecutionof errant coal and drug companies whose accidents have often cost local communities their survivability and have compromised the health of its residents. West Virginia residents concerned with demanding local rights within their state may have to model themselves after other communities seeking to dominate local control. In Spokane, WA, a town under the oligarchical control of a few families, a nexus of organization have created Envision Spokane. Guided by the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF), Envision Spokane has placed an initiative on their November ballot calling for a community bill of rights that could challenge Dillon's Law. Speaking at the 2009 Bioneers, CELDF spokesperson Breean Beggs said, "The game is up all over the country." It is perhaps time for

"The Yes Men Save the World" premiered in NYC last weekend, introduced by Green Party candidate for Mayor of the Great Apple, Reverend Billy Talen. The Reverend has been preaching his philosophy of local community building and anti-credit cards for more than 10 years. In a city where shopping and high finance is a major passtime, he draws a loyal niche crowd. After the screening and a march with the audience through city streets to the immigration detention center, Rev. Billy shared these words: "Once you understand that we're controlled by clowns, you can be a clown yourself. Once it's clown versus clown, maybe the best idea can win. And the best idea is compassion."Eco-Savvy Storytellers watching the greening of politics.

Our friend Flux Rostrum has posted this video of a rally and march against Mountain Top Removal (MTR) going on over a five day period in West Virginia. Starting at the Capitol steps, senior members of ILoveMountains, Christians for the Mountains, and others have taken to the streets. Jesse Johnson, the Green Party's 2008 Gubernatorial candidate was on hand and has described a growing tension between the marchers and coal workers. We'll update when we get more news.Eco-Savvy Storytellers watching the greening of politics.

The National Sierra Club ad campaign targets schools in 11 states which currently rely on coal power. * Indiana University-Bloomington * Indiana University of Pennsylvania * Lewis and Clark * Ohio University * Penn State University * SUNY-Binghamton * University of Colorado - Boulder * University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill * University of Georgia * University of Iowa * University of Minnesota-Twin Cities * University of Missouri-Columbia * University of North Dakota * University of Southern California * University of Washington * Virginia Tech * Washington University-St. Louis It offers a petition website for students.Eco-Savvy Storytellers watching the greening of politics.

Congressman Anthony Weiner (NY- 9) discusses the healthcare system with Bill Maher on Real Time and takes a bold stand on Obama's centrist style that has contributed to the confusing conversation on healthcare. "The President has tried to be half pregnant with the insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies....The healthcare insurance company shouldn't exist at all...It's not to say that they are venal. I'm sure there were some very good people in the '80s making $800 toilets for the Dept. of Defense. I'm not sure that's an argument for keeping them around." -Anthony WeinerEco-Savvy Storytellers watching the greening of politics.

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell MoveOn.org Political Action brings us this bit of satirical political humor from Will Ferrell and friends.Eco-Savvy Storytellers watching the greening of politics.