Notes from the Old Noank Jail

Climate Change and the need for Action

by Ed Johnson

The world as we know it is ending and the things that we take for granted won’t be there for us in the future. In desperation, we try to cling to lifestyles that we cannot continue to live. We try to ignore the truth about what is really happening to our world….the earth as we know it…and we are haunted by fear and discomfort as we avoid the willingness to confront change.

The above summation was part of the message that 40 people received at an environmental program sponsored by the Interreligious Eco-Justice Network on September 12, 2014 and hosted by the Noank Baptist Church. The primary guest speaker was Mr. Jay O’Hara who had recently come from his trial in Bristol County, Massachusetts pertaining to his involvement in blockading a ship containing 40,000 tons of coal from being unloaded at the Brayton Point power plant.

On May 15th in 2013, Mr. O’Hara and his associate, Mr. Ken Ward, had maneuvered the lobster boat “Henry David T” into position near a large unloading pier and securely anchored the craft where it would prevent a large coal freighter from unloading. This was done as a non-violent protest to stop a higher level of crime (pollution) from being committed. The lobster boat was boarded by both local Police and Coast Guard and the two men were later arrested on several charges including disturbance of the peace and negligent operation of a boat. However, the initial result prevented the freighter from unloading that day and this incident created a large amount of publicity.

Additional major publicity followed the event in July 2013 when 400 protesters marched to the gate of the power plant, resulting in 44 peaceful protest arrests. The plant is scheduled to become inactive as a coal fired power station facility in 2017, having served the largest in New England, despite recent changes in ownership.

At the trial earlier this month, charges against both Mr. O’Hara and Mr. Ward were actually dropped or reduced by the District Attorney, Mr. Samuel Sutter, who stated that the prosecution was sympathetic to the men for their courage in challenging a problem that could affect the health and future of the children in Bristol County.

But the main thrust of Mr. O’Hara’s program at the Noank church is that, in addition to confronting the problems described above in the first paragraph of this article, we need to develop a much stronger attitude towards actively stopping the destruction of our planet. We all need to develop the “willingness to no longer be safe” and instead be more willing and less afraid of taking direct action. By placing themselves visibly in the direct path of a coal freighter, Mr. Ward and Mr. O’Hara disclosed the truth and forced people to make decisions about something that is having a very negative effect on our planet…it is called pollution…and it is called global warming….and it is reality.

We can no longer leave this problem to others to solve….because they won’t. We all have to step up to the plate…now. Mr. O’Hara made this point very clearly. And, let’s face it….most of us already know this.

In conclusion, the largest climate change march and rally in history will be held and start in New York City on September 21st, 2014 at 11:30 AM on Central Park West between 65th and 86th Streets. Further information on the specifics of this event can be found at: http://www.peoplesclimate.org and more info about the Eco Justice activity at http://www.irejn.org

Additional source information for this article can be found on Google at:

Lobster Boat Blockades Coal Freighter
Brayton Point Power Station
Brayton Point Gate Protest