Dear John,

Its me, SuRu. Its a new year and I’m back again writing to you, my favorite comedian, to ask for your assistance in stopping an act of ecocide. You easily could find comedy gold in this dark, dark story.

Spectra Energy’s Algonquin Incremental Market Expansion (“AIM”) jumbo high pressure fracked gas pipeline is moving forward in my neck of the woods. Its your neck of the woods too, John. If this pipeline blows, you will be looking for another place to live and work because New York City will be toast. Spectra Energy is building this thing just 105 feet from the aging Indian Point nuke plant. The blast radius of this pipe has the potential to vaporize a portion of Indian Point which will result in a Fukushima on the Hudson situation.  We made a short movie about this risky business last year. Did you watch it? If not, click here.

This week, Spectra will be hosting “Open Houses” for another segment of the same pipeline, that they are calling Access Northeast. By calling it another name, they can get away with all sorts of sneaky business. This trick is called segmentation, it allows them to eliminate the need to look at cumulative impacts of the project.  It puts the specific pipeline in a vacuum, so they can pretend they aren’t polluting the skies with more toxins.

Swag from Spectra Energy’s open house in Yorktown NY

Open houses are a bizarre event that are required by government regulations. Its a chance for the public to get a more clear understanding of how their health and safety will be put in danger as the pipelines invade their communities against their will. They have detailed maps of the proposed pipeline route and Spectra Energy folks will be there to schmooze, smile, answer questions, offer up snacks and Spectra swag. I sent you some swag last year to the HBO offices in NYC. Did it end up on your desk? Or has Last Week Tonight put me on the creepy stalker list?

San Bruno gas pipeline explosion

 

Desperate times call for desperate measures, John. These fracked gas infrastructure projects are a recipe for disaster and need to be stopped.  Gas is worse than coal. It’s not clean, it’s not safe. Pipelines leak, they catch fire and explode. We’ve gotta keep 80% of fossil fuels in the ground if we are to survive the future with climate chaos and all that jazz. This is no joke. This is life or death. Our kid’s future is grim if we keep burning gas.