Highlights
– Environmental groups stage increasing number of protests and direct actions against the coal industry and associated targets in the United States
– RAN launches new “Adopt a Bank Branch” campaign as part of its efforts against the use of coal
– Protests and acts of civil disobedience likely to continue in the near to mid-term; most to remain peaceful in nature
Over the past several months, the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) and associated environmental groups have stepped up their ongoing campaigns against coal in the United States (US). As part of their efforts, activists have engaged in protests, non-violent direct actions, and fundraising, in an attempt to halt mountaintop removal coal mining, the construction of new coal plants, and other coal developments.
We believe that direct actions against the coal industry and associated targets will continue in the near to mid-term, as RAN and other groups focus efforts on this campaign. To date, actions have remained non-violent in nature, and we believe that future activities associated with the coal campaign will also remain peaceful.
Increase in Protests, Direct Actions
Since late June 2008, we have noted an increase in statements by RAN detailing activities against various coal targets across the US, including:
• July 20, 2008: Environmental activists staged a demonstration near Zeb Mountain in east Tennessee, in an area where National Coal Company operates a strip mine. Four individuals were arrested during the event.
• July 11, 2008: Activists from various environmental groups held protests at Bank of America’s regional headquarters in Ashville, North Carolina in opposition to the company’s investments in the coal industry.
• July 7, 2008: Activists from Earth First! staged a demonstration at the headquarters of American Municipal Power in Columbus, Ohio, with five individuals entering the building and chaining themselves to the property. Eight protesters were arrested.
• June 30, 2008: Activists from Earth First! and Mountain Justice blockaded the Richmond, Virginia headquarters of Dominion Power, in protest of an air permit recently granted for a proposed coal plant in the area. One activist climbed a suspension bridge during the action and suspended herself from the structure. Police arrested 13 individuals during the incident.
We believe that similar actions against the coal industry and related targets will continue in the near to mid-term.
RAN Launches “Adopt a Bank Branch” Campaign
On July 16, 2008, RAN announced a new addition to their ongoing efforts against the use of coal, called the “Adopt a Bank Branch” campaign. According to the organization, the new program was designed for those who do not live in “Appalachia, the American southwest, or in coal-plant affected areas.” As part of the “Adopt a Bank Branch” campaign, activists are instructed to find a local branch of Citibank and/or Bank of America, who RAN states are the largest financers of coal, and begin efforts against these companies in the local area, such as letter writing, protests, or other “creative actions.” RAN has indicated that any action against these two companies is considered an action against the coal industry in general.
We believe there is the potential for a slight increase in actions, including protests, against both Citibank and Bank of America, in the near-term, as local activists throughout the US learn about RAN’s “Adopt a Bank Branch” campaign. Additionally, activists could potentially target other companies investing in the coal industry.
Looking Forward
Statements released by RAN concerning the recent actions against the coal industry, have included several comments concerning the group’s belief that further action is needed to bring an end to the use of coal in the US, such as:
• “Legal, regulatory, and legislative channels are used as well, but more and more often direct action is becoming necessary as corporations hold great power and influence to sway those legal channels.”
• “Non-violent direct actions against coal-fired power plants and mountaintop removal coal mining are increasing this year as it becomes more and more apparent that challenging the plants legally… are only part of the strategy and that radical action is needed as well.”
We believe that RAN and other environmental groups will continue to engage in protests and other non-violent direct actions against the coal industry and associated targets. We believe that the current trend of increasing direct actions will continue, particularly if they are met with success (i.e. halting plans to build new coal plants or companies reducing investments in the coal industry). Future direct actions are likely to take the form of protests and acts of civil disobedience, as they are staged primarily to draw media and public attention to the cause.
