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Keep It in the Ground: Author Terry Tempest Williams Buys 1,750 Acres of Oil & Gas Leases in Utah
http://www.democracynow.org/2016/2/18/keep_it_in_the_ground_authorIn Utah, more than 100 protesters disrupted a federal auction of oil and gas leases, spontaneously bursting into song until they were forced to leave. Author and activist Terry Tempest Williams, registered as Bidder 19, successfully bought rights to 1,750 acres of land to spare it from fossil fuel extraction. When asked by a Bureau of Land Management official if she was making a "legitimate bid for energy development," Tempest Williams said: "You can’t define what energy is for us. Our energy development is fueling a movement." Terry Tempest Williams joins us from Salt Lake City....
As you mentioned, I was there with over a hundred other protesters in Salt Lake City, part of the movement to keep it in the ground. What was it like to be Bidder 19? I can tell you I don’t have the courage of Bidder 70. But I think each of us, in our own way, can both enter the open space of democracy. And I think what was interesting was to see the protesters and the impact that they had on the auction. They did disrupt the auction, through singing....
And then the auctioneer begins. A parcel is shown. It may be—in our case, it was 800 acres, and the bidding begins at two dollars an acre. And I think the thing that was so heartbreaking for me and shocking is you hear these lands go up, and they’re commodities, they’re a piece of meat. They’re our public lands. And one of the auctioneers—the auctioneer said, you know, "$2? Anybody want $2? $2.25? $2.50? Anybody want $2.50? $3?" And then he says, "Come on, men. This is a lot of scenery going to waste. $3? Anyone going to $3? $3.25?" And at that point, it becomes very emotional for me, because as one who has loved public lands, for those of us who see them as the public commons, to be thrown into the public auction—that is not public at all, but a secret society for oil and gas companies—is disheartening, to say the least....
When the agents saw that I was there, it was a process of intense intimidation, saying, "If you’ve misrepresented yourself, you will go to prison. Are you aware of this? And if you are not a legitimate energy development company, then you’re misrepresenting yourself." And I said, "But I’m an American citizen. Don’t I have the right to be in this 'public' auction?" And he said, "I’m just saying, are you aware of what you have signed, and if you’re misrepresenting yourself, you will go to prison." At that point, Agent Love, who was at Tim DeChristopher’s trial, said, "Terry, we don’t want you to get into trouble." And I said, "I am within my rights. This is a legal act. I can be here at this public auction. Correct?" And he said, "Correct." And I bore witness and held that space, with the other protesters until they were asked to leave because of singing.
As you mentioned, I was there with over a hundred other protesters in Salt Lake City, part of the movement to keep it in the ground. What was it like to be Bidder 19? I can tell you I don’t have the courage of Bidder 70. But I think each of us, in our own way, can both enter the open space of democracy. And I think what was interesting was to see the protesters and the impact that they had on the auction. They did disrupt the auction, through singing....
And then the auctioneer begins. A parcel is shown. It may be—in our case, it was 800 acres, and the bidding begins at two dollars an acre. And I think the thing that was so heartbreaking for me and shocking is you hear these lands go up, and they’re commodities, they’re a piece of meat. They’re our public lands. And one of the auctioneers—the auctioneer said, you know, "$2? Anybody want $2? $2.25? $2.50? Anybody want $2.50? $3?" And then he says, "Come on, men. This is a lot of scenery going to waste. $3? Anyone going to $3? $3.25?" And at that point, it becomes very emotional for me, because as one who has loved public lands, for those of us who see them as the public commons, to be thrown into the public auction—that is not public at all, but a secret society for oil and gas companies—is disheartening, to say the least....
When the agents saw that I was there, it was a process of intense intimidation, saying, "If you’ve misrepresented yourself, you will go to prison. Are you aware of this? And if you are not a legitimate energy development company, then you’re misrepresenting yourself." And I said, "But I’m an American citizen. Don’t I have the right to be in this 'public' auction?" And he said, "I’m just saying, are you aware of what you have signed, and if you’re misrepresenting yourself, you will go to prison." At that point, Agent Love, who was at Tim DeChristopher’s trial, said, "Terry, we don’t want you to get into trouble." And I said, "I am within my rights. This is a legal act. I can be here at this public auction. Correct?" And he said, "Correct." And I bore witness and held that space, with the other protesters until they were asked to leave because of singing.
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I love this woman. Have met her a few times and she always remembers me! Profound wisdom radiates from her.
Truly a class act of monumental proportions.
