Polar Bears to stage “Die-In” at MG&E for Earth Day

Thursday, April 19, 2007

For Immediate Release
April 19, 2007

Polar Bears to stage “Die-In” at Madison Gas & Electric for Earth Day

For more information, contact:
John Peck (608) 262-9036
jepeck@wisc.edu

Kate Moran (608) 287-1488
katemmoran@yahoo.com

Polar Bears, threatened with extinction by global warming, will stage a “Die-In” at Madison Gas and Electric’s Blount Street generating facility on Saturday, April 21.

The Polar Bear Die-In will be the finale of this year’s Earth Day Action that begins with a rally at Noon on the State Street steps of the Capitol. The brief rally will be followed by a march to MG&E where Madtown Liberty Players will stage the Die In to dramatize the plight of polar bears, indigenous peoples and the entire planet.

The rally will promote specific, concrete proposals in support of the following general demands: “No More Dirty Coal”, “Cap Wisconsin CO2 Emissions” and “Renewable Energy Now”. At Capitol rally, organizers will call on rally participants to actively support the Miller-Black Bill capping statewide CO2 levels at 1990 levels. At MG&E, we will announce the formation of a Citizen’s Commission on Dirty Coal to develop further work on stopping the use of dirty coal in our community.

The evidence of human caused global warming is overwhelming and there is no longer any real debate about the underlying science. Burning coal and other fossil fuels releases CO2 that is warming the atmosphere. A warmer atmosphere has resulted in less sea ice in the Artic. Polar bears use the ice as a way to hunt for seals that are a cornerstone of their diet. Without adequate ice cover, polar bears starve or drown trying to swim out to find ice on which to hunt.

Madtown Liberty Players is Madison’s own provocative, cutting-edge street theater performance troupe and a perennial favorite at similar events. Popular theater can play a powerful role in educating and entertaining our community and this performance will be no exception. Madtown Liberty Players’ March 17, 2007 performance entitled “Flushed Away!” can be viewed on line at http://madlibplayers.org/?q=node/427.

This Earth Day Action was organized by concerned citizens from fine community organizations including the Industrial Workers of the World, Four Lakes Green Party, Peak Oil/Climate Crisis Action Network, Peregrine Forum, Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice, Madison Infoshop and others.