Scientist Rebellion has been supporting the Summer of Heat campaign by participating in nonviolent direct actions in New York since the “Spring Spark” in April of this year. Most of the actions have targeted the headquarters of Citibank, one of the largest funders of fossil fuel projects.
As Summer of Heat approaches a finale, this blog post reviews the many ways that SR Turtle Island has been involved:
Spring Spark
The People vs CITI: Confronting Citigroup’s Environmental Racism
The people charge Citibank with financing environmental racism and fueling the flames of the climate crisis.
On Earth Day, Scientist Rebellion helped to host this powerful hearing on Citi’s role in fueling the climate crisis, the impact on frontline communities, and their demands for change.
The hearing was chaired by Roishetta Ozane, a community leader from Sulphur, Louisiana, a community that has had its air, land and water polluted by petrochemical facilities and oil and gas refineries, leading to an increase in illness in the community. She is the founder of The Vessel Project and the Gulf Fossil Finance Coordinator for the Texas Campaign for the Environment.
Other panelists included GIS Data Manager in the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice Naomi Yoder, Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chief, Chief Na’Moks, tribal attorney and founder of the Giniw Collective Tara Houska, and Goldman Environmental Prize-winner and Laetare Medal recipient, Miss Sharon Lavigne of Rise St. James, and more. Many of the fossil fuel projects that are negatively impacting the speakers’ communities are being directly financed by Citigroup.
“Spring Spark” Blockade of Citibank
On both April 24th and 25th, activists blocked the entrance to Citibank headquarters in New York, to hold Citi to account over its failed promises on climate justice. Among the 100 activists there were several Rebels in labcoats. One was arrested by NYPD.
Another was interviewed by Inside Climate News:
Griffin Gowdy, a biomedical researcher with Scientists Rebellion, said Wednesday that participating in climate action is a responsibility for scientists.
“It feels less than productive to just continue doing research in a world that isn’t listening to it,” Gowdy said. “I think that this is in my job description, this is one of my responsibilities as a scientist, is to communicate the science.”
Chief Na’Moks, Wet’suet’en Hereditary Chief, has a message for everyone who turned out: “We are here doing the right thing. For this planet, and the future of all children.
Citibank must stop funding the destruction of this planet. You are the power. Their money is not power.“
SOH Week 1: Party in the Plaza
Dozens of scientists were on the street, and at least 12 were arrested in labcoats, during the first week of Summer of Heat. We offered a teach-in on Wednesday, June 12th – Scientists Speak Out Day (video below), in addition to participating in other actions that week and throughout the summer. A video of one of our scientists being arrested on June 10th was featured on ABC News. Another scientist interviewed “orcas” on June 11th. Democracy Now! highlighted video of two scientists being arrested on June 12th (others are also featured in this video by @pop4climate and this one by @stopthemoneypipeline). Several were arrested alongside other elders on June 13th, and we joined in the festivities on June 14th as well.
“I did not become a biologist to write eulogies for the species I study.”
~ Dr. Susan Steingraber
Solidarity Actions Across the Country
In the weeks that followed, Scientist Rebels continued to engage in solidarity actions in other states, in addition to some who participated in more of the actions in New York.
San Francisco, June 26
Four scientists donned their labcoats and spoke out near the Chubb Insurance offices, talking about the insurance industry’s complicity in climate disruption. This action was timed to be in solidarity with the Gulf South Rising action at Summer of Heat that focused on Chubb, a major insurer of new fossil fuel projects in Texas and Louisiana.
They were supported by other climate finance activists from around the San Francisco Bay Area, engaged in a campaign called Insure Our Future.This issue is of particular interest locally since California Homeowners Face Billions in Property Loss from Climate-Related Insurance Non-Renewals.
Elders Week in July
Scientist rebels also showed up in labcoats to support local elders at a San Francisco Summer of Heat action targeting Citibank on July 9th.
On July 12th, scientists joined an action in Santa Fe, New Mexico supporting Third Act in targeting a Wells Fargo bank.
Sending a Message to Citi Credit Card Collaborators
In mid-August, we helped to maintain the Summer of Heat pressure-cooker on Citi through both online and in-person actions targeting retail companies that partner with Citibank for co-branded credit cards.
On August 9th and 10th, a few of our SRTI Rebels who were in Long Beach after the Ecological Society of America conference showed up in their labcoats to deliver petitions to local Costco, Home Depot, and Best Buy stores.
Online actions targeting Citi’s Co-Branding Collaborators
On August 14th, SRTI launched our share in an email flood campaign targeting retailers like Costco, LL Bean, Macy’s, Home Depot, Best Buy, Sears, and AT&T. We sent almost 1,400 emails to corporate executives in the first 48 hours! This email flood is ongoing, with different groups launching email campaigns on different days. You can still participate – just a few clicks and you can send dozens of emails! Even more powerfully, you could print up and mail a letter to one or more of these executives. Download our template below.
Sacramento Solidarity August 17th
Rebels also participated in an art-filled solidarity action for the Summer of Heat in Sacramento, California in August.
Feminist Against Fossil Fuels August 20th
Back in New York, a couple of our Rebels were “Hot To Go”, helping to blockade Citi headquarters once again, forcing hundreds of employees to wait while arrests were made.
The Energy of the Summer of Heat Isn’t Over Yet
While the planned season of action is coming to a close, we are not yet done with actions targeting the companies that finance fossil fuel projects. We know that banks could do just fine without funding fossil fuels, but new projects can’t go forward without their financing, so banks are a high-leverage target for climate action. We intend to keep up the heat, from sending emails and mailing letters to civil disobedience. We won’t stop, until they stop funding fossil fuels!
We are here for the long haul.
There will be many battles in the fight to end fossil fuels. Our work isn’t about one campaign or one moment, it’s about building toward our collective vision of a livable future.
Five scientists in labcoats were arrested this morning at another big Summer of Heat action at Citi HQ in NYC — pictures at https://www.instagram.com/p/C_ipwhFJJt5/