Kayak Flotilla Opposes Fossil Exports on the Columbia River

     I had the pleasure of attending a protest against fossil fuels today on the Columbia River, beneath the I-5 bridge between Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR.  The water filled with kayaks and sailboats as a makeshift flotilla symbolically blocked the river to exports of carbon.  "Coal, Oil, or Gas, None Shall Pass" read a banner that was hung from the freeway bridge.

     350.org is encouraging colleges and universities to divest from fossil fuels.  How better to reinvest the money than to put it into clean, renewable energy systems!  Ownership of onsite solar panels, offsite solar subscriptions, or solar-backed securities can be a haven for ethical investment.  The way that money is invested can either make inevitable a climate distater, or can fund the building of a better world.

     Numerous news outlets reported on the event.  Oregon Live's article said:  

     Each Wednesday for four years, Jeanne Poirer stood on a corner with a friend in her small hometown of Cashmere, Wash., protesting fossil fuel exports along the Columbia River.

     She didn't feel so alone on Saturday, however, as she joined hundreds -- by land and river -- peacefully practicing a blockade of the Interstate-5 bridge and the Columbia River below should  exporting  begin of coal and other fossil fuels via the river to the rest of the world.

     More photos can also be found on the event's Facebook page.