ConserveLand Blog

This group of cheerful children had something to say about land protection as they performed to the Woody Guthrie tune, “This Land is Your Land” by singing, “This land is our land. It’s not a gasland. Think of our future. It’s all in our hands. From the Delaware River, to the Catskill forests, we need our land to be drill-free.”

The performance occurred at the second annual Catskill Mountainkeeper Barnfest in Roscoe, NY, on July 31 where acclaimed author and international organizer on climate change, Bill McKibben, spoke. “We have to take on the fossil fuel industry, the most profitable industry there ever was,” said McKibben.

Barnfest is a celebration of life in the Catskills and an opportunity to increase awareness of issues related to natural gas exploration while raising funds in support of Catskill Mountainkeeper’s ongoing work.

McKibben stressed the importance of addressing Marcellus Shale development in terms of its relationship to the global issue of climate change. “We need to be clear about what it is we’re fighting and what is at the root of it,” he said. “We will not win this battle until we come to terms with the fact that fossil fuel is quickly destroying the planet.”

To further his message, McKibben’s group 350.org is hosting a Global Work Party on 10/10/10. To date, 1,055 actions in 118 countries are scheduled. Visit www.350.org for more information.

In related news, in response to a clear lack of Republican support, House Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) announced this week that he will not introduce S. 3663, also known as the Clean Energy Jobs and Oil Company Accountability Act of 2010. Instead the bill will flounder until after the Senate’s August recess.