Singing Disrupts Oil Auction Favorite 

Practitioner: 

Date: 

Feb 22 2016

Location: 

Salt Lake City UT

Utah environmentalists infiltrated a federal oil-and-gas lease auction and refused to stop singing until they were escorted out.

Environmental writer Terry Tempest Williams purchased development rights on a small stretch of land at the same auction, to bring attention to a nationwide push to halt fossil fuel extraction on Western lands. Meantime, the Bureau of Land Management posted a list of parcels proposed for auction for lease rights to oil and gas extraction.

But oil and gas industry officials say environmental writer Williams’ bid on at least 800 acres is insignificant. And, they say the group’s refusal to stop singing that led them to be escorted from the Tuesday auction in Salt Lake City will give the industry fuel to push the BLM to hold online auctions in the future.

External sources: 

https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2016/02/22/apc-activists-disrupt-utah-…
Posted by crux on Oct 24 2019

Staff rating: 

0

Effectiveness

Timeframe For change

This project seems to be part of a campaign with a clear short-term goal. Short-term goals tend to be things like: create or repeal a law; get a President impeached; make the city administration repair a sidewalk. A campaign with a short-term goal needs a clear theory of change, complete with targets that can be cajoled or pressured into effecting the goal.
To disrupt oil and gas extraction companies' ownership and access to pristine land.
This project seems to be part of a campaign with a clear long-term goal. Long-term goals tend to be things like: end racism; end homophobia; make the sun stand still in the sky. A campaign with a long-term goal also needs to have some kind of theory of change.
To protect the environment from fossil fuel extraction.

Notes

The point was made, but it seems Williams' action was more symbolic than effective since the land she leased wasn't wanted by anyone else. And, the singing apparently inspired the auction company to hold auctions online instead of in person.