• SUNFLOWER ALLIANCE CRUDE BY RAIL COMMUNITY FORUMS 

 A few years ago, the Sunflower Alliance sponsored educational forums in Berkeley, Martinez, Pittsburg and Richmond informed the public about the dangers of crude by rail and the local refinery expansion projects, namely: Chevron (Richmond), Phillips 66 (Rodeo) Valero (Benicia) and Wespac (Pittsburg).

Two of the five forums were actually filmed (Richmond and in Berkeley).  The links to the films and speakers lists are below.

RICHMOND

http://www.sunflower-alliance.org/video_clips_forum_on_crude_by_rail

Panelists:

• Antonia Juhasz (leading oil industry analyst, author of Black Tide: The Devastating Impact of the Gulf Oil Spill and The Tyranny of Oil: The World’s Most Powerful Industry – and What We Must Do To Stop It)
• Marilaine Savaard (spokesperson for the Citizens Committee of Lac-Megantic Quebec, site of the devasting oil train explosion that wiped out the center of town and claimed 47 lives)
• Gayle McClaughlin (City of Richmond Mayor who took on Chevron)
• George Monterrey (a community organizer from the Pittsburg Ethics Council that challenged the Wespac infrastructure project)
• Pennie Opal Plant (Idle No More, SF Bay Solidarity and the Connect the Dots Refinery Corridor Healing Walks)

BERKELEY 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgpCKeWaLhk&list=PLpBEkz110SpOb-DDgp70S6Cd6swBTBoA0&index=2

Panelists

• Greg Karras (senior scientist from Communities for a Better Environment/CBE)
• Marilyn Bardet (Community Activist from Benicia, fighting the Valero project)
• Diane Bailey (senior scientist, Natural Resources Defense Council)
• Lyana Monterrey (activist, Pittsburg Defence Council that challenged the  WesPac infrastructure project)
• Nancy Rieser (activist from Crockett, one of many folks dealing with the Phillips 66 project in Rodeo)

Bonus:  If you keep watching, you will see clips from a “Call to Action” sponsored by the group, Benicians for a Safe and Healthy Community.

• A MOMENT OF INSPIRATION FROM THE 2014 GOLDMAN ENVIRONMENTAL AWARDS (San Francisco)

THE ROBERT KENNEDY JR KEYNOTE SPEECH

For 25 years the Goldman family has been honoring grassroots environmental activists from all over the world. There ARE folks out there — no different from us — who fight the Davy and Goliath battles… and prevail!

In 2014, Kennedy opened the awards ceremony. His voice was hoarse but his words and spirit were passionate.  Kennedy pulled no punches and basically blew the top off the SF Opera House.

Here is Kennedy’s speech:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ac86elWP-l0