 Oil pipeline protesters accused of turning off two Minnesota pipelines appeared in Clearwater County Court today. 64-year-old Annette Kalpstein from Seattle, Washington, and 50-year-old Emily Johnston from Seattle were both charged with allegedly tampering with the pipeline in Leonard, Minnesota. They both faced felony charges of criminal damage to property and aiding and abetting criminal damage to property. Kalstein and Johnston were also charged with gross misdemeanors for trespassing and aiding and abetting trespassing. Stephen Lipte was charged with trespassing and aiding and abetting trespassing in connection with allegedly documenting the crime. I'll speak for myself alone. I dread the thought of going to prison, being away from my loved ones and away from the natural world and daily rhythms that sustain me. But far more than that, I dread the devastation to every life on this planet if we keep going as we are. What I have learned is that our political system is utterly unresponsive to the grave threat to our existence that climate change represents. So it is up to us to stop the fossil fuel industry from continuing to conduct business as usual. The activists are part of a group called the Climate Direct Action, which attempted to turn off five pipelines in four states. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.