August 25th Katrina Anniversary Critical Mass

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2006 11:24:23 -0400
From: Katrina Critical Mass <katrina at risingtidenorthamerica.org>
To: info at bikesnotbombs.net
Subject: Join the August 25th Katrina Anniversary Critical Mass

Hi there! I'm a critical mass rider (mostly Portland, OR) working with a group
called Rising Tide to organize a
continent-wide Katrina anniversary critical mass ride for the last Friday in August
(the 25th). This was the day
Hurricane Katrina reached hurricane strength.

The idea is to remind people of the still ongoing crisis in the Gulf and the
potential for further catastrophic events
from fossil fuel inspired climate change.

We're looking for contacts with critical mass groups who want to collaborate on
this, which would basically mean
committing to organizing a ride marking the day and hopefully:
1. Organizing a sign making making party for the ride ("More Cars = More Climate
Change = More Katrinas", "Critical
Mass for Climate Justice", "Katrina was Environmental Racism", etc.).
2. Advertising the event to make it a big critical mass (we're developing designs
for flyers, handbills, etc.)
3. Collecting funds at the Critical Mass ride to send to activist and relief groups
in New Orleans.
4. Print out education stuff to hand out to people on the street witnessing the Mass
(we've got some of this in the
works too.)
5. Spreading the word to Critical Mass riders in other cities.

PLEASE Let me know if you might be interested!

Below is more information....feel totally encouraged to forward this on to anyone
and everyone you know that might be
interested. You can write me back or email katrina [at] risingtidenorthamerica.org for
more info. There will be a lot more
info at http://www.risingtidenorthamerica.org really soon as well!

THANKS!
Brian

-------------------------
Last Friday in August: Critical Mass for Climate Justice on Hurricane Katrina
Anniversary!

August 25th marks the 1-year anniversary Katrina reaching hurricane strength. In the
days that followed the storm would
strengthen rapidly over an unnaturally warm Gulf of Mexico, ultimately striking the
coast and leaving thousands dead
and homeless, victims of an uncaring government, centuries of racism, and an ever
more chaotic global climate.

This year, let's take to the streets with a reminder that the tragedy in the Gulf
continues and a demand that it never
be repeated.

Get ready for a Critical Mass for Climate Justice on August 25th in your town!

Why Critical Mass? Car Culture, Oil, and Environmental Injustice
Critical Mass is a celebration of bike culture, a meaningful alternative to car
culture and greenhouse gas generating
fossil fuels.

Looking closely, you can see a slick, oily residue connecting the dots of injustice
from Colombia to Baghdad to the
Gulf Coast.

Along Louisiana's coast, once stunning wetlands are overrun by oil canals and
drills. Residents of Louisiana's "Cancer
Alley", a corridor of oil refineries and petrochemical plants, suffer the highest
cancer rates in the United States.
During Hurricane Katrina, black gold flowed from these plants into urban areas,
bathing backyards in a petrochemical
gumbo.

For the oil industry, demand nothing less than global Climate Justice: the
dismantling of decades of racist
exploitation, violence and murder, toxic pollution, and denial of oil's role in
climate chaos!

Climate Injustice: Katrina is just the beginning
As the climate chaos continues to escalate, the killer storms will become ever more
frequent, sea levels will keep
rising, and climate evacuees will go from thousands of millions. And the enduring
racism in our society promises those
suffering from these ecological disasters will continue to be the poor and people of
color.

Climate change will affect all of us, but it will --and has-- affected some more
than others. Combating this social and
ecological devastation is the movement for Climate Justice.

Join Us on August 25th!
Rising Tide North America ( http://www.risingtidenorthamerica.org ), a network of radical
climate campaigners (including
relief workers from Louisiana to New England) is working with Critical Mass groups
around the country on August 25th to
draw attention to the movement for climate justice and the important relationship
between climate change, catastrophic
storms, and environmental racism.

On Monday, August 25th, join Critical Mass riders around the continent and Rising
Tide in exposing the oil industry for
its role in decades of abuse in the Gulf of Mexico and around the world and
illustrate that a world without oil and
racist exploitation is possible.

Contact Rising Tide ( Katrina [at] RisingTideNorthAmerica.org ) and let us know where
your ride is going to happen so we can
help spread the word about rides around the continent. Spread the word to friends
and help us organize this action!

On Rising Tide's website you can find out if there is a ride planned in your area.
We've also got flyers, ideas for
bike signs, and useful stuff.

Remember: climate change was only a catalyst for the Katrina disaster. Please
support and organize other Katrina
anniversary events and challenge racism in all of its forms in the Gulf and your own
community! Check out Rising Tide's
website for more information about Katrina survivor solidarity events, and let us
know about other Katrina anniversary
and solidarity events in your town. We also encourage everyone participating to take
up a collection for ongoing relief
and advocacy efforts in the Gulf - check out http://www.risingtidenorthamerica.org for more
details.

Rising Tide North America - working to support and encourage people and grassroots
groups in taking action against the
causes of climate change.
http://www.risingtidenorthamerica.org
Katrina [at] RisingTideNorthAmerica.org

Critical Mass - a worldwide movement of bicyclers reclaiming the streets.
http://www.critical-mass.org (unofficial website)