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Activists Pull Greenwashing Prank on DNC for “Fossil Fools Day”

Submitted by strongwindsahead on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 16:00.
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The Unconventional Greenwashing Taskforce, a band of locals affiliated with the anti-authoritarian network Unconventional Action, “greenwashed” the main entrance to the Democratic National Convention Committee’s headquarters on April Fools Day.  The stunt coincided with over 100 creative actions called for by environmental groups such as Rising Tide, Rainforest Action Network and the Network for Climate Action.  The pranks were directed at companies and institutions guilty of “greenwashing,” the act of creating an image of environmental responsibility for the public while continuing to engage in practices harmful to the earth. 

The greenwashing team showed up at the front entrance of the Denver Post building downtown, where the DNCC’s offices are located, and began applying a light green foam to the windows reading "DNC Greenwash".   The greenwashers were apprehended in the middle of the messaging by security and threatened with arrest.  Meanwhile, a greenwashing representative went to the DNCC offices to announce the offer of the free services. 

The Democratic National Convention is a largely ceremonial event in which the Democratic Party tries to use the media hype to bolster support for their presidential candidate.  It is also a chance for industry insiders and high rollers to meet with both the presidential nominee and other party leaders to discuss their interests.  For several election cycles now, the convention has also been a loophole for fundraising, allowing corporations and individuals to donate considerable amounts of money with no cap and no required disclosure from the party. 

Some of the largest known donors to the DNC so far have been companies currently under harsh criticism from the public for their environmental practices.  Some of the donors include Xcel Energy which operates numerous coal-fired power plants, the gold mining company Newmont Mining who is currently operating on Western Shoshone land, Wells Fargo and JP Morgan Chase which are both top financers of coal plants, and also General Motors who despite offering hybrids during the convention is rated as one of the worst polluters in the car industry.

While the City of Denver and the DNC Host Committee have been generating a lot of attention from corporate media for their greening of the convention, both the DNC and media outlets have failed to mention that the funding for the multi-million dollar event is being bankrolled by some of the world’s worst polluters.  The “greenwashers” action was to send a message that to address the very urgent and real issues of climate change, species loss and other harmful trends that real action needs to take place, which is a rapid transition away from fossil fuels and toward the localization of energy, food, and economic systems for a just, sustainable future.

For more information on the DNC's greenwashing efforts and the mounting opposition to the DNC, the Democratic Party and corporate two-system visit www.dncdisruption08.org

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