PrintApril 23, 2011
Socialists Rally for Climate Justice in Portland
It's always fun to check in on those wacky folks over at socialistworker.org, the website of the International Socialist Organization. A recent story describes the Portland (Ore.) Rising rally for jobs and climate justice:
Those in attendance were demonstrating to demand radical solutions to the linked problems of climate change and the economic crisis, and also celebrating the birth of a new organization, the Climate Justice Coalition of Portland, which hopes to link the struggle for workers' justice to climate justice.
Sorry, but I'm not celebrating the creation of yet another non-profit demanding radical solutions. We read further:
Departing from the park, marchers and bikers chanted, "System change, not climate change" and "What do we want? Green Jobs! When do we want them? Now!" Another crowd favorite was "Ain't no power like the power of the sun (wind/tide/people), 'cause the power of the sun don't stop!"
Aaah...Did those "marchers and bikers" ever notice phenomena called "night" and "clouds," when the power of the sun "stops"? In Oregon, of all places? Which is why solar energy is so problematic, given that we have to build a duplicate power generation system with back-up capacity relying on coal or natural gas and...oh, never mind. Ain't no power like the power of dumb people.
