Media

We have gathered a representative set of links to coverage of our work. If you're looking for something you don't see here, Marla is happy to help you find it.

 

Apart from some of the "Featured" links, coverage is recorded with most recent efforts toward the top of the page.

 

FEATURED COVERAGE

Companies Decry 'Valve Turners' Who Shut Down Pipelines - Associated Press, March 9, 2019

This Landmark Trial of Climate Activists Puts the Political System Itself on Trial - The Nation, Wen Stephenson, October 5, 2018

Sometimes Fighting Climate Change Means Breaking The Law - The New Yorker, April 3, 2018

The Boston climate trial that might have been - Wen Stephenson, Commonwealth Magazine, March 28, 2018

'I'm Just More Afraid of Climate Change Than I Am of Prison': How a Group of Five Activists Called the Valve Turners Decided to Fight Global Warming by Doing Whatever It Takes - New York Times, Michelle Nijhuis, February 13, 2018

Civil Disobedience often leads to jail. But now, protesters can explain themselves. - Tim DeChristopher, The Guardian, January 13, 2016

Tim DeChristopher: End All New Fossil Fuel Leasing on Public Lands - DemocracyNow!, September 17, 2015 (Tim discusses the #KeepItInTheGround campaign and the launch of Climate Disobedience Center!

Activists Harness the ‘Francis Effect’ to Demand Action on Climate Change - Take Part,  Emily J. Gertz, Sept. 17. 2015 (Marla discusses the launch of the Climate Disobedience Center!)

 

FEATURED OPINION PIECES & PRESS RELEASES:

Washington Court of Appeals Upholds Right to Present Necessity Defense In Climate Case - Climate Defense Project, April 8, 2019

Break the Law to Make the Law: Importance of Protest for Climate Justice - Alice Cherry, Ted Hamilton, and Kelsey Skaggs (The Climate Defense Project team), OpEd, The Hill, March 31, 2019 

Valve Turner's View: Action Taken 'In the Face of Extinction' - Michele Naar-Obed, OpEd, Duluth News Tribune, March 30, 2019

Valve Turner's View: Doing Nothing About Oil, Pipelines Poses the Far Greater Risk - Daniel Yildirim, OpEd, Duluth News Tribune, February 23, 2019 

Courts Across US Move Closer To Finding Civil Disobedience Necessary To Avert Climate Change - Climate Disobedience Center, April 17, 2018

 

#4Necessity Valve Turners (follow them directly at fournecessity.org)

Text

Valve Turner's View: Action Taken 'In the Face of Extinction' - Michele Naar-Obed, OpEd, Duluth News Tribune, March 30, 2019

Valve Turner's View: Doing Nothing About Oil, Pipelines Poses the Far Greater Risk - Daniel Yildirim, OpEd, Duluth News Tribune, February 23, 2019 

Companies Decry 'Valve Turners' Who Shut Down Pipelines - Associated Press, March 9, 2019

Reader's View: Support Walz, 'Valve Turners' Against Oil - OpEd, Duluth News Tribune, March 2, 2019

Podcasts

This is America #62: Interview With Pipeline Valve Turner on Mobilizing Against Enbridge - It's Going Down, March 2, 2019

A Human-Sized Drama in Minnesota - The Climate Minute Podcast, MCAN, February 24, 2019 

Doing Right Even When You Are Afraid - The Climate Minute Podcast, MCAN, February 26, 2019 

 

Resisting Ongoing Efforts to Hamper Dissent

Ohio and Iowa Are the Latest of Eight States to Consider Anti-Protest Bills Aimed at Pipeline Opponents - The Intercept February 2, 2018

 

Atlantic Coast Pipeline Resistance

Update: Atlantic Coast Pipeline Protesters Arrested After Occupying Governor Cooper's Office - Public Radio East (North Carolina),  February 2, 2018

Atlantic Coast Pipeline protesters arrested outside NC governor’s office after sit-in - The News & Observer, February 2, 2018

Stay updated via Alliance to Protect Our People and the Places We Live (APPPL)

 

Tacoma Direct Action #ClimateTrial(s)

Tacoma News Tribune Dec 14, 2017: Jury acquits grandmas who chained themselves to equipment at Tacoma’s LNG construction site

Northwest Tribes Aid a Fight Against Fossil Fuels - High Country News, March 18, 2018.

 

West Roxbury Sustained Resistance Campaign and #ClimateTrial

Text

Sometimes Fighting Climate Change Means Breaking The Law - The New Yorker, April 3, 2018

The Boston climate trial that might have been - Wen Stephenson, Commonwealth Magazine, March 28, 2018

Why I was Arrested In West Roxbury - Karenna Gore, The Boston Globe, July 24, 2016

Pipeline Protests Just Got a New Legal Defense - Vice News, March 31, 2018

Judge rules civil disobedience a 'necessity' to prevent climate change - Natasha Geiling, ThinkProgress, March 28, 2018

Long-time Bedford resident still fighting for a cause - By Jesse Collings, Wicked Local, March 12, 2018

Judge sets aside charges in pipeline protest - Boston Herald, March 29, 2018

Defendants Acquitted Based on Climate Necessity Defense - eurasia review, March 29, 2018

Anti-pipeline campaigners found not guilty by judge because 'protest against climate change crisis' was legal 'necessity' - Andrew Buncombe, The Independent (UK) March 27, 2018

Radio

Resistance is Necessary to Overcome the Climate Crisis - Clearing the FOG (radio), April 2, 2018

Judge Rules Boston Climate Change Protest A Legal 'Necessity' - Radio Boston, WBUR, March 29, 2018

Television/Video

Pipeline Protest and Climate Change - New England Cable News, March 29, 2018

Judgement Frees Pipeline Activists: Tim DeChristopher - Thom Hartmann Show, March 29, 2018

Blog/Update/Press Release

Courts Across US Move Closer To Finding Civil Disobedience Necessary To Avert Climate Change - Climate Disobedience Center, April 17, 2018

Exciting News from West Roxbury - Marla Marcum March 27, 2018

Prosecution Backs Down--Reduces Charges to Avoid Trial of 13 West Roxbury Pipeline Protesters - Marla Marcum March 26, 2018 

West Roxbury Judge Ruling Outcome - March 27, 2018

 

#ShutItDown Valve Turner Actions & #ClimateTrial(s) - follow them directly at shutitdown.today

The Amazing Climate Trial (That Never Happened) - The Other 98, Emily Johnston, Fall 2018

'I'm Just More Afraid of Climate Change Than I Am of Prison': How a Group of Five Activists Called the Valve Turners Decided to Fight Global Warming by Doing Whatever It Takes - New York Times, Michelle Nijhuis, February 13, 2018

Sentence for "Valve Turner" Climate Activist Ken Ward: No More Jail Time - Press Release, Climate Disobedience Center, June 24, 2017

Action

Blog Posts/Press Releases archived under #ShutItDown tag

Climate Direct Action: Activists Halt Flow of Tar Sands Oil by Shutting Off Valves of Five Pipelines  - Democracy Now! Oct 12, 2016

Activists just disrupted Canada’s tar sands pipelines into the United States Five oil pipelines into the U.S. were allegedly disrupted. - Think Progress, October 11, 2016

Trials

Washington Court of Appeals Upholds Right to Present Necessity Defense In Climate Case - Climate Defense Project, April 8, 2019

Minnesota court says activists can use climate change as a defense in trial - ThinkProgress, Natasha Geiling, April 23, 2018

This Landmark Trial of Climate Activists Puts the Political System Itself on Trial - The Nation, Wen Stephenson, October 5, 2018

‘Valve turner’ trial starts Tuesday - Corvallis Gazette-Times Nov 16, 2017:

Judge Allows 'Necessity' Defense by Climate Activists in Oil Pipeline Protest - Inside Climate News Oct 16, 2017

Activists in 4-state pipeline protest embrace unique defense - Associated Press Oct 1, 2017

It's Time to Put Our Bodies on the Line to Build a Widespread Nonviolent Climate Justice Insurgency - AlterNet June 6, 2017

"Valve Turner" Case a Mistrial, but Also a Warning for Direct Action Activists - YES! Magazine Feb 2, 2017

Jury Deadlocks in Oil Pipeline Activist Trial - KING-5 Seattle NBC Feb 1, 2017

 

Delta 5 #ClimateTrial (January 2015)

Democracy Now! January 11, 2015 episode, Tim DeChristopher (CDC) and Abby Brockway (defendant) talk about the trial of the Delta 5 oil train blockaders in Lynnwood, WA on the first day of court proceedings

 

Climate Defense Project - follow them directly at climatedefenseproject.org

Washington Court of Appeals Upholds Right to Present Necessity Defense In Climate Case - Climate Defense Project, April 8, 2019

Break the Law to Make the Law: Importance of Protest for Climate Justice - Alice Cherry, Ted Hamilton, and Kelsey Skaggs (The Climate Defense Project team), OpEd, The Hill, March 31, 2019 

 

Each of member of the Climate Disobedience Center Team has supported and participated in many actions. While a number of those actions predate the creation of the Center, they form a foundation for our approach to this work. We'd like to share two of those actions and the legal cases they launched with you here: Tim DeChristopher's "Bidder 70" action and the Lobster Boat Blockade action, taken by Jay O'Hara and Ken Ward, with support from Marla Marcum.  Below are media highlights from these cases.

 

Tim DeChristopher / Bidder 70

Alternet - Neoliberal Environmentalism's Dangerous Paradox: Why the Free Market Won't Solve Global Warming
By Paul Rosenberg |  Aug. 29, 2015

High Country News - The unusual occupation at Utah’s Book Cliffs
Essay by Cally Carswell | Jan. 19, 2015

Truth Out - Civil Disobedience Is an Act of Love
Interview by Leslee Goodman  | December 8, 2014

Yes! Magazine - The Boomers "Failed" Us: Climate Activist Tim DeChristopher on Anger, Love, and Sacrifice
First the anger, then the love—overcoming generational anger to find the courage required for the difficult work ahead.
By Sarah van Gelder | May 30, 2014

Acronym TV - Climate Change is The Context of Our Times
Interview with Dennis Trainor, Jr. | Feb 18, 2014

Rolling Stone - Tim DeChristopher Is a Free Man: 'We Need a Movement That Gets a Little Bit Out of Control'
The climate activist on his prison stay and the future of the fight
Interview by Alexander Zaitchik |   April 22, 2013

MSNBC All In with Chris Hayes - Climate activist served two years in federal prison for civil disobedience
Interview by Chris Hayes | May 15, 2013

Yes! Magazine - Newly Released Tim DeChristopher Finds a Movement Transformed by His Courage
By Melanie Jae Martin | April 22, 2013

Rolling Stone - Jailed Climate Hero Tim DeChristopher Thrown In the Hole
By Jeff Goodell | March 28, 2012

Orion Magazine - What Love Looks Like
Interview by Terry Tempest Williams | May 28, 2011

 

Lobster Boat Blockade and #ClimateTrial

LOBSTER BOAT BLOCKADE VIDEOS


PRESS ABOUT THE OUTCOME OF THE TRIAL

New York Times, “Charges Dropped Against Climate Activists”

Wall Street Journal Blog, “DA Drops Criminal Charges Against Climate Change Protesters for Sake of Planet”

NPR’s Here & Now, “DA Drops Criminal Charges Against Environmental Activists”

Democracy Now, “The Climate Change Defense? Citing Global Warming, DA Drops Charges Against Anti-Coal Activists”

National Journal, “Verdict: Charges Dropped on Account of Climate Change”

Huffington Post, “Lobster Boat Blockade of Coal Plant Leads District Attorney to Climate Leadership”

Salon, “DA drops charges against anti-coal activists, says he’ll see them at the Climate March”

Associated Press, “Criminal charges dropped in lobster boat blockade”

Grist, “Is necessity the mother of climate protest?”

The Nation, “Charges Were Just Dropped Against These Climate Activists in the Most Stunning Way”

Climate Central, “Prosecutors Side with Coal Blockaders, Drop Charges”

Boston Globe, “Bristol DA Drops Charges, Says Protesters Were Right”

Boston Magazine, “District Attorney Lessens Charges in ‘Lobster Boat Blockade’ Case”

Bloomberg Businessweek, “Activists Mount ‘Necessity’ Defense for Anti-Coal Action”

Boston Herald, “Global warming defense lets two protesters walk”

Providence Journal, “Plea deal reached for protesters who blocked coal shipment to Brayton Point Power Station”

Fall River Herald News, “Charges dropped against activists who used boat to block coal shipment”

Worcester Telegram, “Criminal charges dropped in Mass. lobster boat blockade”

WCAI Cape and Islands, “Bristol County DA Calls Off Climate Change Show Trial”

WCAI Cape and Islands, “Fifteen Minutes with the Lobster Boat Blockaders”

WBUR, “Prosecutors Drop Charges Against Activists Who Blocked A Coal Freighter”

WCVB, “Trial set for activists who blocked coal with lobster boat”

Inside Climate News, “DA in Mass. Drops Charges, Says Activists Were Right About Climate Crisis”

South Coast Today, “Sutter agrees to plea deal in Brayton Point coal blockade”

ABC 6 Providence, “Criminal charges dropped against climate activists”

PRESS FROM THE LEAD-UP TO THE TRIAL

Boston Globe “The Climate Made Me Do It”

Associated Press “Activists Say Massachusetts coal blockade was justified” (reprinted by San Francisco Chronicle, WLNE-Providence, Portland Press-Herald, Boston Herald, USA Today, Boston Globe, Berkshire Eagle, Washington Times, Cape Cod Times, The Columbian, Eugene Register-Guard, WCVB Boston, and more)

State House News, “Lobster Boat Trial

Climate Central, “Urgency of Climate Change to Debut as Legal Defense

South Coast Today, “Activists: Climate change justified Brayton Point blockade

Providence Journal, “Activists who blocked Brayton Point coal barge to use “necessity defense” at trial

Lansing News, “The Climate Made Them Do It

PRESS ABOUT THE LOBSTER BOAT ACTION

The Nation “The New Climate Radicals”

The Boston Globe “Anticoal activists block path of freighter”

Fall River Herald News “Activists declaring ‘Coal Is Stupid’ attempt blockade of coal delivery at Somerset’s Brayton Point”

CommonDreams “The Lobster Boat vs. The Coal Freighter”

Power Engineering “Lobster boat blocks coal shipment to Brayton Point coal-fired plant”

TreeHugger.com “Lobster Boat Successfully Blockades 40,000 Ton Coal Shipment”

EastBayRI.com “Protesters’ lobster boat stops Brayton Point coal shipment”

Commonwealth Magazine “The Zombie Coal Plant”


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