Saturday June 25 is International “Hands Across the Sand” day – a show of hands (and bodies) in opposition to offshore oil and gas extraction, and in support of renewable energy systems.
It can be stated unequivocally that fossil fuel is killing our planet (and running our country). This opposition movement started in Florida on February 13, 2010 when 10,000 Floridians showed up to express solidarity in support of halting the expansion of oil drilling off their coast. Then on June 26, 2010, it became a global affair with millions of international citizens responding to the BP Gulf-oil disaster.
You can find a local event through the Hands Across the Sand web page. If you are in Northern California there are a number of locations. I will be attending as a speaker at the Sonoma Coast Surfrider sponsored event at Doran Brach, 1 mile south of Bodega Bay.
I am humbled by the stature and reach of the other speakers at the Doran Beach event, which include Richard Charter (who we can thank for the California drilling moratorium), Bill Kortum (father of the Coastal Conservation Act), stalwart fisheries and fishermen defender Zeke Grader, Efran Carrillo, chair and 5th district supervisor on the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, and Tom Roth, formerly Chief of Staff for Rep. Lynn Woolsey (CA 6th district), and now with State Senator Noreen Evans.
The weather in Sonoma promises to be spectacular for this kid-friendly event. The Bag Monster and the Marin Debris Monster will put in their appearances and after the whole affair – speaking and hand-stretching, there will be a volunteer beach clean-up for those who want to spend some more time on the beach.
Carpooling (or paddling) would be a rational way of getting to any of the Hands Across the Sand events. Folks with four or more riders in their vehicle will be exempt from parking fees at Doran Beach.
If you want to carpool, you can self-organize here through the OCR Carpool Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OCR_Carpool/ . State the event location, your starting location, your contact information, and any other particulars (I provided a working model entry).
I expect the global turnout to be impressive.