Meet Up to Spread the Word

What we just did in DC together is truly remarkable.

Hosting a local meetup to discuss your experience in this historic action is a great way to keep the movement growing. Your story about participating is the most powerful tool you have to spread the word about Keystone XL and the tar sands and to encourage more people to join our movement.

The best time to host is right away, while the memories are freshest, and while there is still plenty of time to encourage others to join the next action at the beginning of October. Hosting a meetup is easy – just pick a time, date, and location, then put out word to your friends, family and personal network to join you. We’ll also list your event on TarSandsAction.org to help connect you with other people in your community.

Duncan put together a quick PowerPoint that you can use in your meetup – it has a bunch of photos and other background information that might be helpful for explaining the key facts about the action. There is also a separate note sheet to help you with giving a presentation.

Powerpoint Presentation | Presentation Notes

Feel free to edit and revise this presentation, and if you have any suggested edits or tips about what worked best please let us know via email, or leave a comment below.

Ready to host? Just sign up below and we’ll get in touch with you soon to check in:

Anonymous

Three comments from a gung-ho 8/29 arrestee:

1. Text at the top of page 3 of the Presentation Notes reads,
“‐ Biggest carbon bomb in North America – NASA’s top climate scientst
James Hansen says that if we burn all the oil in the tar sands, it’s ‘essenally game
over’ for the climate.”

I question the use of the words “burn” and “all” here. My understanding of Dr. Hansen’s position, taken from the initial Tarsands Action Invitation, is his saying that if we have any chance of getting back to a stable climate, “the principal requirement is that coal emissions must be phased out by 2030 and unconventional fossil fuels, such as tar sands, must be left in the ground,” adding, “If the tar sands are thrown into the mix it is essentially game over.” My understanding of “left in the ground” is that tar sands oil must not be DEVELOPED, which comes way, way before BURNING ALL of it. Do we need clarification from Dr. Hansen on this? To my way of thinking, this is the most important point we are trying to make.

2. Would we not want to add contact info for President Obama at the end of the presentations and invite people to consider calling or writing to ask Obama to deny the permit? Comment line: 202-456-1111 http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

3. I am reluctant to make my email address public as requested on the sign-up form but would be OK with giving out my phone number for this purpose. Would you please consider allowing respondents a choice between the two when they sign up?

Sincere and hearty thanks to all the organizers for your work on this.
- Lollipop
  
  I second that. My only email that I use is a work email and I don’t really want that out there. Phone would fine with me.
  - MangoTraveler
    
    It’s easy enough to open a new web email account, and if you don’t have a computer at home you can check it at your local library. If someone decided to harass you, it would be easier to close an email account than to change your phone number.
Alexis San Diego

Comments from another arrestee 9/1.

I second all of MaryInGergia’s comments.

Regarding the contact information, I would prefer none of my information is posted publicly. Could a forum be created instead that would 1) help us organize by region or county and 2) keep our contact information private but include Private Messaging options. Those could be set-up to send email notification that we have a new private message waiting to be read.

I would just like to add that the organizers of this action continue to impress and inspire me. Thank you for your tireless dedication.
Adele Franks

Let’s ask people to write to Obama, and flood the White House mailroom with hundreds of thousands of letters!
I plan to have prepared letters to President Obama for people to sign and mail at the session I am planning and at the Sept 25 climate rally.
CB

I do not have PowerPoint on my computer, so I can’t see the slides. If you could also upload the slides in another form such as PDF or pasted into Word, that would be helpful.
- John Clark
  
  LibreOffice (http://www.libreoffice.org/) is a Freed Software alternative to the main office software suites, and will open PowerPoint files, if you’d like to give that a try.
Erika

where are the list of events…as mentioned above…so i can connect w others in my community? im in central New Jersey
peacetrainann

I’m a resident of Kelowna, BC and am organizing a peaceful sit-in in front of City Hall on Sept 26. Details @ http://kelownaagainsttarsands.weebly.com/#/.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1644274182 Eva Wojcik

FYI, public hearings on the pipeline will commence Sept. 26 in Texas and Kansas. Places, locations, dates and times curtesy of the Indigenous Environmental Network’s posting:
http://www.ienearth.org/keystone-xl-pipeline.html
Marjorie

In all honesty I have posted my email and phone number and had no problems…