Showing posts with label Tim DeChristopher. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tim DeChristopher. Show all posts
Bidder 70 is Innocent!
February 28th 2011 Salt Lake City, Utah: Probably one of the most heroic episodes of the new geological era unfolds in a Federal Courthouse here today with the opening of the notorious Bidder 70 trial against activist Tim De Christopher.
The story begins on 19th December 2008 the day that DeChristopher, an economics student completed his exams. Wandering down to a protest outside the U.S. Government's Bureau of land Management who were auctioning oil and gas drilling rights described as a ‘fire sale’ and ‘the Bush Administration’s last great gift to the oil and gas industry’.
Originally given bidder card number 70 in error the penniless student's protest turned in to a bidding war against the oil and gas industry.
DeChristopher enjoys the support of famous names such as Dr. James Hansen , Bill McKibben and film maker Robert Redford who all recognize this to be a turning point in the climate movement.
At first DeChristopher used bidder card number 70 just to drive up the price of real estate, but realised this was probably his one and only chance to make a difference he started to bid higher eventually winning . Although a spontaneous result of erroneously recieving the bidder card DeChristopher bid a total of 1.7 million dollars to win twelve lots of 22 000 acres of Red Rock Desert which he has saved from development.
Despite originally intending to make an example of him the Federal Prosecutor's camp seems to have caught a cold, it has been reported* that the U.S Attorney for the State of Utah has said "maybe a plea deal can be worked out" something DeChristopher is unlikely to accept despite facing ten years in Federal Penitentiary if convicted.
*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAeqkohEPp4&feature=related 2:31
Further reading :
http://www.newint.org/columns/currents/2010/05/01/environmental-activist-faces-jail/
http://climatecrocks.com/2011/02/22/tim-dechristopher-a-monkey-wrencher-comes-to-trial/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_QW-87MSUk&feature=related This is a video of bidder 70 winning an actual plot.
Rachel Maddow show : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJoLRSQRN74&NR=1
The story begins on 19th December 2008 the day that DeChristopher, an economics student completed his exams. Wandering down to a protest outside the U.S. Government's Bureau of land Management who were auctioning oil and gas drilling rights described as a ‘fire sale’ and ‘the Bush Administration’s last great gift to the oil and gas industry’.
Originally given bidder card number 70 in error the penniless student's protest turned in to a bidding war against the oil and gas industry.
DeChristopher enjoys the support of famous names such as Dr. James Hansen , Bill McKibben and film maker Robert Redford who all recognize this to be a turning point in the climate movement.
At first DeChristopher used bidder card number 70 just to drive up the price of real estate, but realised this was probably his one and only chance to make a difference he started to bid higher eventually winning . Although a spontaneous result of erroneously recieving the bidder card DeChristopher bid a total of 1.7 million dollars to win twelve lots of 22 000 acres of Red Rock Desert which he has saved from development.
Despite originally intending to make an example of him the Federal Prosecutor's camp seems to have caught a cold, it has been reported* that the U.S Attorney for the State of Utah has said "maybe a plea deal can be worked out" something DeChristopher is unlikely to accept despite facing ten years in Federal Penitentiary if convicted.
*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAeqkohEPp4&feature=related 2:31
Further reading :
http://www.newint.org/columns/currents/2010/05/01/environmental-activist-faces-jail/
http://climatecrocks.com/2011/02/22/tim-dechristopher-a-monkey-wrencher-comes-to-trial/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_QW-87MSUk&feature=related This is a video of bidder 70 winning an actual plot.
Rachel Maddow show : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJoLRSQRN74&NR=1
A climate hero about to go on trial
What a hero. Tim DeChristopher goes on trial on the 28th of February on a Federal rap in Utah. He is facing ten years for bidding on an auction without intending to complete the purchase. According to The Times he has bought 220 acres of the Utah desert for $1.8m of imaginary money. Watch the video here. What a superb way to stuff the system. DeChristopher's account is compelling after wrestling with the notion of going to prison if he bid, he then wrestled with the notion that he would probably never get an opportunity to stop Big Oil's land grab ever again. DeChristopher won 14 lots in a row using bidder card number 70. Should be an interesting trial. Tim DeChristopher's website is here.
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