Dear TC Sustainers: Though this issue is somewhat removed from our area, its importance lies in the power of grassroots political action in moving a powerful institution on such an important issue. Tony Del Plato
Subject: Victory! Bank of America moves away from Mountaintop Removal [image: Rainforest Action Network] Dear Gina, Yesterday, RAN celebrated a great victory! Bank of America posted a new coal policy<http://environment.bankofamerica.com/articles/Energy/COAL_POLICY.pdf>on its website announcing that it will phase out financing of mountaintop removal coal mining! Here's the commitment in their words: "Bank of America is particularly concerned about surface mining conducted through mountain top removal in locations such as central Appalachia. We therefore will phase out financing of companies whose predominant method of extracting coal is through mountain top removal. While we acknowledge that surface mining is economically efficient and creates jobs, it can be conducted in a way that minimizes environmental impacts in certain geographies." This couldn't have happened without your help, and we are thrilled that less than three weeks after our day of action against coal and coal finance<http://understory.ran.org/2008/11/14/anti-coal-movement-on-the-rise-national-day-of-action-in-over-50-cities/>, Bank of America has shown necessary leadership in the finance industry. The decision to cease involvement in the egregious practice of mountaintop removal coal mining is the right thing to do and a tremendous validation of our work. Again, work that you make possible. Since we launched our "No Coal" campaign against Bank of America and Citi last October, one of our central demands has been that they stop providing support for mountaintop removal coal mining. We applaud Bank of America for taking this important step to reduce its financing of dirty coal. But we also need to keep the pressure on them -- as well as on Citi and other banks that finance coal -- to ensure that they continue to curtail financing for dirty energy and start funding the future through energy efficiency and renewable energy. This is a true grassroots win, and we want to all of you who have sent emails, made phone calls, signed petitions, donated money or time, and taken action to savor this victory! We also want to acknowledge the tireless work of our allies and partners who are fighting mountaintop removal and pressuring banks, including Coal River Mountain Watch, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, Alliance for Appalachia, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, Appalachian Voices, Rising Tide, Blue Ridge Earth First, Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council. Together we are making a better future possible. For the planet, Becky, Scott, Bill, Annie, Ananda and Dana Global Finance Team ------------------------------ This message was sent to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Visit your subscription management page <http://ga3.org/ran/smp.tcl?nkey=i63nbd32yjnwtd7i&;> to modify your email communication preferences or update your personal profile. To stop ALL email from Rainforest Action Network, click to remove<http://ga3.org/ran/remove-domain-direct.tcl?ctx=center&nkey=i63nbd32yjnwtd7i&;>yourself from our lists (or reply via email with "remove or unsubscribe" in the subject line). [image: Donate now]<https://secure.ga3.org/03/ran_donate_now/n87MN854aBp6O?> [image: Tell-a-Friend]<http://ga3.org/ran/join-forward.html?domain=ran&r=87MN854aBp6O&;> [image: Unsubscribe]<http://ga3.org/ran/remove-domain-direct.tcl?ctx=subscription&nkey=i63nbd32yjnwtd7i&;> [image: Rainforest Action Network] <http://www.convio.com> -- Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution. Albert Einstein -- An economist is a surgeon with an excellent scalpel and a rough-edged lancet, who operates beautifully on the dead and tortures the living. - Nicholas Chamfort _______________________________________________ For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
