Tim DeChristopher may face years in prison for monkey-wrenching. But that doesn't mean he stops being an environmental activist.
The University of Utah student --- who was indicted last week after winning bids on oil and gas drilling parcels near Arches and Canyonlands national parks that he had no intention of paying for -- talked at a Saturday rally of hunger strikes and an "all-out stalking" of Utah Rep. Jim Matheson to influence the fate of energy and climate-change legislation in Congress.
After his speech, DeChristopher said he doesn't plan to do anything illegal in his efforts to "keep working for a livable future."
But he was grim in his assessment of how effective the environmental movement will be in reaching that goal. At a peace, clean-air and health-care rally meant to commemorate the 41st anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, DeChristopher played on the civil rights' leader's quote about the "arc of the moral universe" bending toward justice.
"The arc of the physical universe bends toward extinction," the 27-year-old warned. "That's a scary place to be."
He offered a "glimmer of hope" by telling the sparse crowd to pressure Matheson to support strong legislation to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. Believing Congress must pass an effective bill by December, which could prompt other countries to take bold action, before global warming becomes irreversible, DeChristopher called out Matheson because the Utah Democrat serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and leads an energy task force for the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats. The congressman has expressed reservations about a climate-change bill that DeChristopher considers weak.
Matheson needs to know "there is another way to get elected in Utah other than selling out to the oil and gas companies," the activist said, referring to the $86,000 the congressman accepted from the industry in 2007 and 2008, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Alyson Heyrend, Matheson spokeswoman, said the congressman doesn't make decisions based on political contributions. "He [Matheson] has said climate change is serious, climate change needs to be addressed, climate change is human caused. ... [But] this is an extraordinarily complicated issue. It has all kinds of facets that need to be addressed. It cuts across all sectors of the economy."
Audience member Maria Van Lent, of Salt Lake City, said DeChristopher was too negative when he alleged the environmental movement was "failing."
"We are fighting for the right thing," she said. "Even if you die doing that, it doesn't mean you have failed. Jesus Christ died, but it doesn't mean he failed."
