Archive for September, 2010

On 10/10/10, RAN is joining our friends at 350.org, thousands of people around the world, and you for a global work party. 

We’re going to inspire our leaders, and even some of the country’s dirtiest corporations, to get to work on the climate crisis. In true RAN style, we’ll be targeting one of the country’s biggest and baddest corporations: Chevron.

Join us on 10/10/10 to demand that Chevron get to work cleaning up its dirty oil pollution. From Chevron’s pollution of communities living near its Richmond, California refinery, to the oil waste it is still fighting tooth and nail not to clean up in Ecuador’s rainforest, Chevron is a danger to people’s health and the climate. With your help on 10/10/10, RAN will take over Chevron gas stations across the country to show this reckless polluter how to get to work and clean up its act.

We’ll send you a toolkit to make it really easy. We need help delivering letters to station owners, passing out fliers to customers, holding banners, and doing “Clean Up Chevron” street theater! So grab your broom and the rest of your cleaning supplies because we’re going to need your help to stage mock-clean ups at stations nationwide.

Mike from Los Angeles is planning an electric vehicle demonstration at his local Chevron. The sky’s the limit on creative non-violent actions you can take to interrupt Chevron’s business as usual on 10/10/10. 

Joining us on 10/10/10 is simple.

1 Sign-up and describe your action 


2 Tell your friends and neighbors to mark their calendars 


3 Head to your local Chevron on 10/10/10


4 Bring your “cleaning supplies” and a healthy dose of fun 

See you at the stations on 10/10/10!

Crossposted from Itsgettinghotinhere.org

Shockwaves rippled through the world’s largest environmental lawsuit today. A new damages assessment has been submitted in the lawsuit pitting 30,000 Indigenous peoples and local farmers against the global oil giant Chevron.

The damages assessment finds that because of factors still persisting in the Ecuadorean rainforest from Chevron’s pollution, nearly 10,000 Ecuadoreans are at significant risk of dying from cancer by the year 2080, even if Chevron cleans up the toxic contamination in the next ten years.

“The information in this submission is highly significant because it reflects clearly that there is a terrible oil-related disaster in Ecuador in the area where Chevron operated,” said Pablo Fajardo, lead lawyer for the Amazon communities. “What these analyses make chillingly clear is that thousands of Ecuadorean citizens may well contract and die of cancer in the coming decades because of Chevron’s contamination,” he added.

This new round of assessments comes after complaints by Chevron about the original independent assessment, submitted in 2008 – which contained over 105 expert reports and more than 64,000 samples, many of which came from Chevron’s own team. Since the original assessment Chevron has invested in public relations campaigns, spy schemes, and fake media reports in an attempt to discredit the assessment, smear highly respected scientists, and derail the lawsuit.

Then recently, in a move seemly to appease Chevron, the presiding judge opened a 45-day window for both parties to submit their own damage assessments to the court. Had Chevron the basis to prove there is no contamination in Ecuador’s rainforest, the company would have pounced on the opportunity.  But it didn’t.  Instead, Chevron immediately rejected the court’s offer to compile and submit a damages assessment. Many in the legal and human rights communities found this move irreconcilable. However, those close to the lawsuit see this latest development as yet another indicator that Chevron is solely interested in delaying the trial, rather than letting the court rule on the facts of the case.

“We predict that Chevron’s bad faith will be on full display yet again. Chevron complained that it did not have an opportunity to produce its own damages assessment. But when given the opportunity, company lawyers accuse the judge of bias against Chevron and launch attacks on the justice system.” Said Fajardo

Six renowned technical and medical experts compiled the new damages assessment. Based on their findings, the damages reached $40 to 90 billion, nearly double the $27.3 billion originally determined. (The numbers are broken down in the court filing that can be found HERE.) The new numbers come after a new and more thorough examination of Chevron’s “unjust enrichment” – money saved by using sub-standard drilling practices. While operating in the region the oil company intentionally used drilling practices deficient in safety and pollution safeguards. Simply, Chevron is accused of intentionally poisoning communities to save a buck.

Marta Isabel Arrobo, 49, recalls numerous health problems she and her family have suffered living in close proximity to several toxic oil pits abandoned by Texaco (now Chevron) in the Ecuadorean Amazon rainforest. Photo by Caroline Bennett / Rainforest Action Network

It’s obvious that Chevron never had any intention of submitting a new report, its intention was to be obstructionist – resigned to the fact that anything found in any assessment will only point to the company’s liability. Chevron’s game-plan is clear: delay the trial at any cost, all the while communities continue to suffer from the pollution. As a recent DowJones article points out, Chevron won’t be able to do this forever. The end of this precedent setting trial is nearing. The entire oil industry is watching this lawsuit with guarded eye, as it will potentially set the stage for similar suits – demanding restitution for harm and negligence. It is because of this that Chevron will pull no punches as the company tries to claw its way from liability. Expect more fireworks and distraction from Chevron, as the truth continues to pin the company in a corner of accountability.

Crossposted from DailyKos

In the last two days Chevron has been hit with two developments that will surely produce lasting doubts to the legality and authenticity of Chevron’s actions in what is being called the world’s largest environmental lawsuit. Chevron has been involved in the $27.3 billion for the last 17 years. The breathtaking figure represents the expensive pollution counting for over 18 billion gallons of toxic oil waste and 15 million gallons of crude oil left in the Amazon rainforest. Chevron has vehemently denied responsibility, claiming high cancer rates and polluted drinking water is due to “poor sanitation.” However Chevron cannot, and as of yesterday now refuses to, backup any such claim.

In the last two days Chevron has been hit with two developments that will surely produce lasting doubts to the legality and authenticity of Chevron’s actions in what is being called the world’s largest environmental lawsuit. Chevron has been involved in the $27.3 billion for the last 17 years. The breathtaking figure represents the expensive pollution counting for over 18 billion gallons of toxic oil waste and 15 million gallons of crude oil left in the Amazon rainforest. Chevron has vehemently denied responsibility, claiming high cancer rates and polluted drinking water is due to “poor sanitation.” However Chevron cannot, and as of yesterday now refuses to, backup any such claim.

Yesterday Chevron was provided with the opportunity to submit to the court its own damages assessment. (Presumably to argue any discrepancies they found in the original damages assessment compiled by the court appointed expert.) Chevron in turn rejected the opportunity. A peculiar move considering Chevron has spent the last two years attacking the submission of independent damages assessment. The original assessment contained over 105 expert reports and more than 64,000 samples, many of which came from Chevron’s own team. This latest maneuver by Chevron has many in the legal and human rights world scratching their heads. However for those close to the lawsuit this latest development is seen as another indicator that Chevron is solely interested delaying the trial rather than letting the courts rule on the extent of their liability.

“We predict that Chevron’s bad faith will be on full display yet again,” said Pablo Fajardo, the lead lawyer for the Amazonian communities. “Chevron complained that it did not have an opportunity to produce its own damages assessment. But when given the opportunity, company lawyers accuse the judge of bias against Chevron and launch attacks on the justice system.” Fajardo said the Amazonian communities would submit their own damages assessment prepared by a team of scientific and medical experts to the court today.”

The new damages report submission, comes a day after another major dilemma for Chevron’s defense in Ecuador. On Wednesday a Federal Judge ordered Diego Borja, a spy video operative and former Chevron employee, to appear for a deposition in San Francisco next week.

Continue reading HERE