If the intent of last weeks megaload protests was to broaden the base of climate change activists and gain local adherents, the protesters missed the mark. They had an opportunity, as in previous protest actions elsewhere, to sway more people to their cause. That didnt happen. Their antics drew attention thats for sure but also ire.

There are real reasons to be concerned about the tar sands oil development in Canada, the nations continuing reliance on fossil fuels, and the obliviousness of global energy conglomerates. We detailed some of those concerns in a column last week in the Eagle.

One organizer said last week the protests were for the planet, but also in solidarity with the local people This cant be good for the community, he said of the megaload.

Much of the community didnt seem to see it that way, however. The discussion in the streets and the social media sites was focused on the protest actions, not the reasons, and the protesters themselves are responsible for that misdirection.

The highway blockades offended some folks, as did the mess from vehicular junk to common litter left at the end of the night. (Heard on the street: For people concerned about the environment, they sure leave a lot of trash behind.)

Of more concern was the impact on already stressed local institutions like law enforcement, emergency services and the court system, which were pressed into overdrive and overtime.

So these issues became the framework for this communitys discussion not environmental hazards or corporate greed.

In retrospect, its hard to imagine last weeks goat rope in Grant County getting so much as a mention in the board room or even at the water cooler at General Electric headquarters. As for the hauler, Omega Morgan, the company has done enough of this to simply write off protest delays as a cost of doing business. In an odd twist, the protesters themselves cast Omega Morgan in the role of good guy, making it possible for the company to step up with a magnanimous offer to pay the extra costs incurred as local agencies had to deal with the protests.

Perhaps the protesters should revisit their tactics and decide if they want to remain a fringe group with a puckish reputation or become a movement that organizes, educates and foments real change. The rolling prankster performance didnt illuminate or inform the discussion; in fact, it seems to have muddied it. And we can probably expect to see more of the same political theater as two more megaloads head our way this winter. SC