pre clean water rally coverage

Update the live streaming link is  https://www.citizens4cleanwater.com/live-stream.php

look at our awesome postcards and read the back

Why we need everyone around the world to support us.
This event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/477820548987155/
You can join us in person or you can live stream. The world needs to support us and clean water. This has got to stop.
No more discharges. This is the intentional pollution of the worlds most diverse estuary. It not only hurts our river, eatery, lagoon. Its hurts us.  Its hurts you . Last summer we had green toxic algae which produces a neurotoxin everywhere.
Please help us to prevent this from happening again. 4 million dollars worth of oysters destroyed. death of water life. death of sea grasses.

Here is the timeline of events as written by Marty Baum our Indian Riverkeeper

August 3, 2014
Citizens for Clean Water Rally at Phipps Park, Stuart Florida

Last year, at Structure S-80 on the C-44 Canal known as the
”locks” the citizens of Martin and St. Lucie Counties gathered in protest of the continuing unnatural discharges of polluted water from Okeechobee Lake to protect the sugar crop. The press estimated 5000 citizens, a person counting said 6800 with more coming when he left. No matter, there were enough to get the attention of elected officials and the press. A friendly newspaper, the luck and determination of a couple of guys making an appeal on Facebook and a show of disgust and anger from our community all aligned at once, and the Locks Rally changed the dynamics across the State. Thousands of twenty and thirty something’s pushing baby carriages, or walking with young children that had been educated at the Environmental Studies Center and Florida Oceanographic about how SPECIAL our lagoon is were, for the first time EVERYWHERE. Social media had brought a brand new demographic, someone to pass the torch to.

   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2jq8BQm3H8 (my vid of newspaper headlines that I sent to congress)

One week later, we had some 3500 folks on the beach once again protesting the polluted water into our estuary spelling out SAVE OUR RIVER! As a Community, we came and stood together

From this Locks and Beach Rally came the Sugarland Rally in Clewiston, the idea of environmental advocate Justin Riney. This was the first citizen Rally with participants from east AND west Florida meeting in the heart of sugar country to explore solutions and learn about Clewiston’s needs. From this event of support and solidarity east and west was our trip to a shut down Washington D.C. at the invitation of Congressman Patrick Murphy. Some 200 plus Floridians from all over, east and west once again supported each other, traveled to DC in bus, car and plane to demand help in stopping the unnatural discharges into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie Rivers.

The sugarland rally

http://vimeo.com/75122728http://http://vimeo.com/75122728

By the time we had returned from DC, an idea tossed around at the table during the planning of Sugarland was firmly grasped by Christy Costello and put into action. This incredible woman not only organized Sugarland, but put into motion an event that made history. At the 2013 Everglades Coalition meeting in Coral Gables, Senator Bob Graham charged each of us to go out and meet our counterparts in central and northern Florida. He told us we needed each other and that we must understand each others issues to become unified in Tallahassee and Washington. Springs meet estuaries meet lakes and rivers meet Everglades and LEARN.

At the first Sugarland Rally planning session with Justin Riney, Cynthia Trone, Cristy Costello, and Robin Pittman, I tossed Senator Graham’s “homework assignment” onto the table. We all discussed how what had just happened at the Locks changed things and how we might nurture it into something larger and more meaningful to our State.

Cristy was confident that there was enough momentum and went to work. She put together a “core” planning group of respected, able advocates and started reaching out across the state.

Meanwhile, our Westies in Southwest Florida put a Rally together and a bunch of River Warriors road tripped to support and show solidarity. The Ft. Meyers Beach Rally was eye opening for me. The business community was hostile towards our efforts for awareness and education. It seemed discharges were okay as long as they stopped before the season started. Our friends there are making progress with the community, and with fracking now an issue, the already mobilizing clean water advocates joined in. More reason to be a unified voice.

Cristy Costello and the Core Planning group put together a meeting in Orlando at UCF. More than 110 different water advocate groups gathered and committed to working together. Never before had such a group gathered in solidarity and mission in Florida. Frank Jackalone, President of Florida Sierra reminded the crowd that we were all there, in Orlando because of the Rally at the Locks August 3, that our thousands changed the game. That for the first time ever corrupt politicians and their masters began to be concerned they might not be able to conduct their dirty business as usual, behind the scenes and in secret. From there, you know what happened as well as I do. We promulgated the Citizens Clean Water Declaration and went to work.
We have two new River Kidz Chapters added to the Martin County River Kidz. One in Ft. Meyers put together by John Hiem, and St. Lucie and Indian River Counties, with Katy Lewey in charge. We had Crystal Lucas and Benjamin D’Avanzo put together “Youth Driven Cinema, where more than two dozen students created and produced 5 minute videos about our lagoons. We have engaged youth better in the last year than EVER before, another example of the power of people!

Educating citizens and elected officials alike across the state our movement for swimmable, drinkable fishable water gathered strength and the Rally in Tally happened.

While this effort at education progressed, some of our fellow advocates put together new alliances and have begun to make a difference too. Martin County Commissioner Ed Fielding put together the 5 County Coalition. Commissioners from 5 Counties along Indian River lagoon meet and discuss ways to monitor, test, treat storm water and RESTORE the health of our lagoon. Dr. Leesa Souto, Director of the Marine Resource Council put together the first Indian River Lagoon Action Assembly in twenty years. Using the template put together by President Dwight Eisenhower more than a hundred scientists, advocate and stakeholders gathered to discover SOLUTIONS, and set priorities.
We also had “Hands Across the Lagoon” promoted by the Marine Resource Council where hundreds of advocates from all along the 156 mile Indian River lagoon joined hands on the bridges in a show of Solidarity.

The Rally in Tally was another historic gathering. Never before had so many different groups gathered as a unified voice in Tally. More than a hundred different organizations and 350 people joined the Solidarity Fish on the steps of the old Capitol Building and we discussed common needs, constitutional law, polluter pay amendments, impeachments and more. It was inspiring to see all thhe “Springs” people showing up with their signs and determined faces. Every one there KNEW we were making history and making a difference. Ten year old advocate Aiden Lewey spoke and knocked the crowd OUT. Everywhere you turned there was an advocate, a sign, a message, a mission, and Solidarity Fish. Our elected officials were watching out windows and worried because we are WATCHING and using social media to hold them ACCOUNTABLE.

Our children painted those beautiful turn it around fish below, our symbol of Solidarity. Janeen Mason told me last week that those fish will be traveling around the state and 1000 more fish will be painted at each stop, adding to the whole as it moves on. They invite questions and allow opportunity for education.

We held a mock “funeral” for all the life we have lost in our lagoons to let the powers that be that WE ARE STILL HERE! Always before, when the polluted discharges stop, so does the citizens advocacy.. amnesia sets in…..NOT THIS TIME! Some 300 plus citizens showed up to show Solidarity.

More than a hundred years of clean water advocacy in this image from the “Funeral”, and probably the most powerful voice was that of ten year old Aiden Lewey. Maggy Hurchalla left front, Marty Baum, Indian Riverkeeper,  Aiden Lewey. Behind Maggy is Jo Neeson, to her right is Charles Grande.

So much progress in just one year’s time. Our state and federal elected officials are pandering and promising like never before trying to stay in office. Doors have opened, concepts discussed in the open, by elected officials for the first time, we need to take another step.

August 3, 2014 we are having another Rally at the locks on C-44. An “anniversary” event and we need your help. We need you to join us. Nothing would grow our influence more than another STRONG show of statewide solidarity. Thousands show up and the news will carry our message to EVERYONE. Clean water and honest representation can become “the” issue of the election and a show of strength could perhaps dictate many outcomes. IF we turn out thousands, our citizen credibility will feed itself. Nothing scares an elected official more than an active, educated voter. If only hundreds show up, and elected officials and corporate polluters go home laughing at our lost momentum and focus. To this point, “they” have always had the last laugh… together, in unity and solidarity, we can prevent this, and keep some of our elected officials awake at night worrying about the “promised” retirement plans they bought with their votes.

After the River Rally, we will switch gears and begin “Rock the VOTE!” Here, we will be registering voters and educating them on water issues. Hemp is on the ballot and we have a LOT of young folks that want to vote for their first time, we will be working this opportunity HARD. Please visit our Facebook Page and “join” “like” and “share” Numbers count here, please help us out before you join us.

Citizens for Clean Water; https://www.facebook.com/citizens4cleanwater?hc_location=timeline

A month to plan, we are working the community for hotel deals and will keep you apprised if you chose to stay a night. Please give this some thought. We have already begun making a meaningful difference; a STRONG show of Solidarity will allow us to FORCE solutions. No more half measures, they avail us nothing; we MUST continue working together if we are to win. I will be communicating this also to my five fellow Florida Waterkeepers, and the Waterkeeper Alliance and asking for their support also.

I know it will be difficult, it will involve a commitment of time, energy and some money. But please, put that one day of travel, traffic, heat, and cost in context. Last year we accomplished MORE because of one day, than in any other year before. Because thousands showed up, we had a pretty good year, how fruitful the next one will be is likely DIRECTLY connected to this Rally. Please come.

Thank you for your efforts and commitment to clean water, I am honored to be counted among you.
Best,
Marty Baum
Indian Riverkeeper
772.631.5827

Thank you marty for all that!

we need for our call for action to spread around the world. Without the people behind us the polluters and the politicians will laugh but with thousands of people of support they will start taking this  problem seriously!  Water is an issue across the globe and  we all need to take a stand. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing this. This fight has never been more important.