That’s my pals Cameron, Nikki and Pauline sitting with me in front of the White House risking arrest for Keystone XL Pipeline. August 31, 2011
Ever since being arrested in front of the White House back in the summer of 2011, I’ve been following fossil fuels and climate change legislation closely.
It takes tenacity and patience to stick with all the ups and downs when following specific issues, such as tar sands and the Keystone XL pipeline.
Along the way, I learned more than I ever wanted to learn about extreme forms of energy. Extreme energy includes tar sands, mountain top removal, uranium mining, deep water drilling and fracking. These are far more expensive to obtain and are especially environmentally destructive.
In the past year, I’ve been meticulously following fracked gas infrastructure as it has been invading my state at an alarming rate, despite the fact that fracked gas wells have been banned in NY. This spring, my pal Andrea and I created a short film about the huge gas pipeline that is planned for right next to the aging Indian Point nuke plant. It’s called A Risky Business and you can watch it on You Tube by clicking here: https://youtu.be/fivvPnVt0h8
This polar bear is not doing a happy dance for the Clean Power Plan
Today, the Obama Administration released it’s Clean Power Plan and most environmental groups are doing a happy dance.
Here are 6 reasons why I’m not dancing.
The Clean Power Plan is going to mean
- More fracking as natural gas is considered to be “cleaner” than coal.
- More gas infrastructure projects: pipelines, compressor stations, underground storage, and offshore LNG ports.
- Keystone XL pipeline remains on the table, still no decision to stop this project.
- Shell still gets permits from the Obama administration for drilling for oil in the Arctic
- Atlantic coast oil exploration still gets a thumbs up.
- Nukes. Nothing clean about a nuke plant!
While I’m happy to see an increase in renewable energy in the plan,I get concerned when I see words like “Clean Energy”. Lets make one thing clear: gas is not clean, not safe and not a bridge fuel to the future.
Natural gas is worse than coal for the climate, when fugitive methane (leaking gas) is accounted for. By ignoring methane, the rule encourages the current major shift from coal to gas, as hundreds of new gas-fired units are proposed, replacing coal units across the U.S. Sort of like switching from soda to diet soda, both are insanely unhealthy.
We are truly in a pickle when it comes to climate change.
“We have two political parties, neither one of which is willing to face reality,” said climatologist James Hansen, who now heads up the Climate Science, Awareness and Solutions Program at Columbia University. “Conservatives pretend it’s all a hoax, and liberals propose solutions that are non-solutions.”
When a building is on fire, you run to the exit. You don’t walk, you don’t take baby steps. You move quickly without hesitation and exit the burning building. Our biosphere is a building on fire. It’s time to face facts, and get realistic on what we need to do about burning fossil fuels. We must adopt clear, immediate and binding limits on greenhouse gas emissions and on the extraction and combustion of oil, coal and gas.
Visit my friends at Beyond Extreme Energy to learn more about frontline communities that are fighting to stop extreme energy projects before its too late.
