As a long time fractivist, I’ve been doing a little happy dance since Governor Cuomo banned fracking in NY state last week.
Natural gas is a bridge to nowhere
I was proud and frankly amazed that our state made the bold move to make public health and prevention a priority. There are significant public health risks associated with fracking, the NY Department of Health issued a 184 page report that includes cancer incidences, birth outcomes, along with air quality and water quality and much much more. You can read or browse the entire report by clicking here. Of course, the long term, climate related impacts of fracking are even more frightening. Methane, which leaks from all stages of natural gas extraction and infrastructure, is 86 times worse than CO2 as a greenhouse gas. Natural gas is not a bridge to a low carbon future, it is a gangplank to more climate chaos.
Even though fracking has been banned in our state, our work is not yet complete. Gas infrastructure continues to grow in size and scope. Pipelines, compressor stations and LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) ports all pose near term and long term health hazards here in NY. One project I’ve been following in particular involves a new 42″ high pressure gas pipeline planned being fast tracked for right next door to the aging Indian Point nuclear reactor. Spectra Energy, a Houston, Texas based pipeline company, has a long history of problems that include violations, fines and explosions. Building a flammable, potentially explosive gas pipeline next to an aging nuke plant seems insane, doesn’t it?
In response to this horrendous fracked gas pipeline headed our way here in Westchester, a grassroots group was formed in an effort to fight the pipeline. SAPE- Stop the Algonquin Pipeline Expansion. SAPE has been doing everything they can to draw attention to this disaster waiting to happen.
I’ve decided to help by “turning up the heat” in January 2015. I will be facilitating free workshops in numerous churches in Westchester county. The goal is to educate and inspire more people to take non-violent direct action (NVDA) and to organize more effectively to stop the fracked gas infrastructure headed our way.
Peaceful Resistance Workshops
NVDA is not just about getting arrested. There are many tactics that can be employed to build the movement and to put more pressure on the corporations and the decision makers.
I have been a student of non-violent direct action since my arrest in front of the White House back in August of 2011. There were 1250 of us over the course of 2 weeks who used non violent civil disobedience to call attention to Canada’s tar sands and the Keystone XL pipeline. It was a life changing moment for me. In the summer of 2013, I was trained in teaching NVDA.
I have found it to be a useful method for empowering people and building communities that can help make the world a better place. You get to meet really cool people too!
Click on this link to sign up for one of my Peaceful Resistance workshops: http://turninguptheheat.eventzilla.net
These skill-building workshops are being organized in response to the expansion of the Spectra Algonquin gas pipeline and its associated gas infrastructure in Rockland, Westchester and Putnam Counties and through Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The final decision about the massive fracked gas project will be made this winter, and it will impact residents throughout the entire region.
I will teach about the roles and skills needed to carry out peaceful resistance and prepare people to organize actions. The skills you learn here can be applied to many other social justice movements.
JOIN US! And please share with anyone you know who might be interested.
DATES AND LOCATIONS:
Monday Jan. 5th 7-8:30 p.m. at First Unitarian Society, 25 Old Jackson Ave., Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
Sunday Jan. 11th 2-3:30pm Universalist Unitarian Church, 2021 Albany Post Rd., Croton-on-Hudson, NY
Thursday Jan. 22nd 7-8:30 p.m. Memorial United Methodist Church, 250 Bryant Ave., White Plains, NY
Monday Jan. 26th 6:30-8 p.m., sponsored by WESPAC, Mapleton Center at Good Counsel, 52 N. Broadway, White Plains, NY
