This is interesting:

“It’s important to change lightbulbs,” he says, in a well-burnished soundbite, “but more important to change policies and laws.” Or perhaps to break laws instead: peaceful occupations of the kind witnessed recently in the UK, he predicts, are only going to become more widespread. “Civil disobedience has an honourable history, and when the urgency and moral clarity cross a certain threshold, then I think that civil disobedience is quite understandable, and it has a role to play. And I expect that it will increase, no question about it.”

Jerry Cope at Huffington Post:

For the past week a drama has played out in Pettry Bottom, West Virginia as tensions in the area continue to threaten violence in what is now ground zero in the battle to preserve a stable climate and protect the environment. The long struggle against Mountain Top Removal Mining has drawn national attention this summer after numerous arrests including those of pre-imminent climate scientist James Hansen, actor Daryl Hannah, and ex- secretary of state Ken Hechler. As the battlelines are drawn between King Coal represented by Massey energy and opposition the threat of violence from Massey and it’s employees is very real and authorities at the federal, state, and local level appear content to stand behind big energy and wait for bloodshed. It would not be the first time.

Media advisory via email:

WHAT: Dozens of concerned citizens will peacefully block the entrance to Virginia Congressman Boucher’s office at noon on Thursday May 21st to protest his efforts to block strong climate legislation. Congressman Boucher has personally driven efforts in Congress to give away billions of dollars worth of free permits directly to coal, oil and other dirty fossil fuel companies under a cap and trade bill. Instead of free handouts, protesters support President Obama’s campaign pledge to auction 100 percent of the carbon permits and rebate most of the money to consumers.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, giving free allocations under a cap and trade program will raise the total cost of the program and hurt poor Americans the most. On Thursday, activists will be risking arrest in order to shine a spotlight on how Boucher’s handouts to the coal industry will hurt working families and diminish efforts to fight global warming.

WHERE: Congressman Rick Boucher’s office – Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2187

WHEN: Thursday, May 21st at 12 PM

WHO: Organized by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, an advocacy group that works to fight global warming in Virginia, Maryland, and DC

VISUALS: Activists, many of whom will be risking arrest, will carry banners and a giant check made out to the “Coal Industry”