The mayor brought his solar podium (Images: CHS)
Mayor Ed Murray announced a new Seattle initiative to better connect environmental and inequality issues in Seattle in Earth Day remarks Wednesday at Seattle Central’s first ever Climate Action Festival. But the speech by a “vice president of PR at Shell” announcing a “test oil spill” planned for Myrtle Edwards Park may have stolen the show.
“For all those people that are concerned, we will be spilling 20,000 gallons of oil there and cleaning it up in front of you, so you can all witness how well Shell can spill it. Because spills will happen,” the “VP” told the crowd.
“As we deal with climate change and global warming, it is so important that we reenergize the movement on a day like today — Earth Day 2015,” Murray said. The mayor said that while Seattle is a leader in environmental issues, “benefits are distributed unequally” in the city.
Earlier in the day, Murray’s office announced the Equity and Environment Initiative and a new committee to create “environmental justice guiding principles” with a focus on “communities of color, youth, low-income, immigrant, refugee, small businesses, faith-based and limited English proficiency communities.” In addition to the committee, the city is also adding a new Equity and Environment program manager position to the Office of Sustainability and Environment.
More pictures and video from the event, below.
“For all those people that are concerned, we will be spilling 20,000 gallons of oil there and cleaning it up in front of you, so you can all witness how well Shell can spill it. Because spills will happen,” the “VP” told the crowd.
Well, ain’t that comforting that we should just grin and bear it when the worst happens just shrug our shoulders and just say that “shit happens” so get used to it. We didn’t have any control over it and the moneyed people said we’d make lots of money. Damn the consequences.
Um, the speaker is part of an ongoing satire of corporate PR
That was some excellent agitprop theatre
Another example of why”Reading is FUNdamental”.
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