By Renee Lewis / Source Fusion.net
An Oregon man could face decades behind bars for his part in a coordinated direct action that disrupted the flow of millions of gallons of tar sands oil from Canada to refineries in the United States.
Ken Ward, founder of the Climate Disobedience Center—which serves as a catalyst for civil disobedience across the country—was charged with trespassing, burglary and sabotage for shutting off a valve on Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain Pipeline.
Ward faced up to 30 years behind bars for the action last October north of Seattle, Washington.
But the 60-year-old activist said he felt he had no other choice to get the message out that the world is headed for potential climate catastrophe.
“Since doing this action, I think to myself did I make a mistake?” Ward said. “But then I ask, if I didn’t do this what could I have done that would have been more effective—so that’s why I did it … nothing else is working.”