The Hands Across the Sand movement was founded by Dave Rauschkolb, who came up with the concept before the BP oil spill. He felt that alternative energy was the way of the future and that continued over-dependence on oil would only lead to problems. He was right. After the oil spill the movement really took off, culminating in a massive grassroots response that can be witnessed on the Hands Across the Sand Facebook site. Each minute another rally participant uploads photos and summaries of the events that took place. I'm happy that Buffalo was able to contribute to the wave.




"Greenpeace and Riverkeeper attended, as did Floridian expats who were visiting Buffalo for the weekend"
Did they travel by horse from Florida to Buffalo and back? Or did they make use of petroleum for their weekend trip? They're protesting what again? That America uses more oil than it needs to?
"Each minute another rally participant uploads photos and summaries of the events that took place."
Interesting that the protesters like to add to electricity use (for cameras, upload devices, massive data servers to store pics and video, laptops and iPads to see them) which is generated primarily from burning coal mined from the Earth and natural gas drilled from it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2008_US_electricity_generation_by_source_v2.png
Increased coal and natural gas use for new devices and data servers - good, oil drilling - bad. Living in Florida running year-round a/c and driving or flying to Buffalo for a weekend - good, oil drilling - bad. Got it.
Hey leave them alone! You have to respect that huge crowd of 50 that showed up. As the article says they were so passionate that they did both a circle and a line!! Very impressive, almost as impressive as that beach.
Wow. So people can either be "drill baby drill" gluttons or be forced to embrace the Amish way of life. There is no way people can use petro based products in moderation and be opposed to reckless drilling? I didnt realize this issue was so simple and people must be divided into two distinct groups.
I dont like seeing the Gulf of Mexico on the brink of ruin due to a single company's greed but in order to feel that way I must rip out all of the wiring from my house, smash anything that runs on electricity, and burn my car. Oh well. Where can I find candles this time of night?
pit, If they protested for only small changes, you'd have a point. But the group's website linked in QE's article isn't demanding a small reduction in offshore drilling, or improved methods or rules. They're extreme in calling for 'No offshore drilling'. Currently offshore is about a third of domestic production.
And it isn't as though offshore is the only oil drilling they're against. Sponsor orgs they list have also opposed oil imports and some land drilling. So if they had their way, we'd have even more cutback than a third. Sounds pretty inconsistent with driving or flying to Bufalo from Florida for the weekend - for example.
It's similar hypocrisy as Gore, Edwards, and Kerry living in opulent mansions and flying in private jets all while scolding others about using too much energy. Actions speak way louder than words.
You've got a good point w but iluv has a better one.
BTW the reason why the stance is no offshore drilling is so the outcome has a small chance at being rational, reasonable, regulation of big oil w/ teeth while still maintaining open markets. This is because politics is still irrational mainly because each side thinks its position is the only possible right one. Duality is a challenged view. I'll take the Monad.