Congress, you have oil on your hands
Climate activists rallied at the Capitol on Tuesday to demand that Congress enact “Clean Energy Policy Now!” The BP Oil Crisis spurred many organizations, including 1 Sky, 350, Code Pink, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, and concerned citizens to demand that oil money and influence be cleansed from our politics as oil is being cleaned from our shores. Rallying cries included:
- What do we want? Clean Energy! When do we want it? Now!
- Oil on your hands, Pollution in the air – Congress, it’s time to show you care!
There were calls to action from environmental leaders and moving speeches by Louisiana residents on the impact of the oil disaster on their lives. An oil-soaked, money-eyed “BP representative” was running around, making a mockery of cleaning off a turtle. Friends of the Earth had a “Wanted” sign listing “The BP Ten,” the ten Congresspeople who have taken the most money in campaign contributions from BP. The most wanted list includes well-known names like Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA). Congressional offices of each of the BP Ten were visited by volunteers and activists from Friends of the Earth, who demanded that oil money contributions received in the last two election cycles be donated to Gulf Coast recovery efforts. Sign a petition on the Friends of the Earth website to pressure Congress to reject dirty oil money.
The women of Code Pink ended the event with a humorous yet poignant song, to the tune of the Beverly Hillbillies Theme (posted with permission):
“Let us tell you the story ’bout Company BP
It wanted more oil so it dug deep into the sea
They wanted more profit so they did it on the cheap
And up from the sea came a bubbling leak
Oil, that is. Black Gold. Louisiana Tea.
So the birds and the shrimp and the fish began to die
And the people on the gulf, they all began to cry
They asked the folks in Congress to listen to their pleas
But Congress was in bed with the oil companies
Oh no, get them out! That’s bad.
Get oil money out of Congress, we want green energy
The sun and the wind and the waves of the sea
We can’t stick with oil cause we’re running out of crude
If we don’t make the change, the planet will be screwed.”
Social Grace 