Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said: "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
With climate change, we are at a moment when as humanity we cannot remain silent. We must hold those accountable who are causing and furthering our climate crisis.
"We need people like you and me to take action to stop disastrous fossil fuel expansion-more fracking, more gas pipelines, export terminals and other extreme energy projects."
This is why we urge support of and participation in the nonviolent demonstrations and other events May 21-29 in Washington, DC, organized by Beyond Extreme Energy, focused on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
Why FERC? Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has called them "a rogue agency, a captive agency." FERC is the federal agency which, among other duties, has to approve proposed interstate natural gas pipelines, compressor stations, export terminals and other gas infrastructure. And approve is what they do; they are a rubber stamp for the fracking industry.
At this time of crisis, we need a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that does what is right, not a weak body whose funding comes from fees paid by the gas industry and other fossil fuel companies they "regulate." As a result, they function as if they were being paid by the fossil fuel industry.
We need people like you and me to take action to stop disastrous fossil fuel expansion-more fracking, more gas pipelines, export terminals and other extreme energy projects. That is why we support Beyond Extreme Energy's (BXE) mass action at FERC, where BXE will promote a pathway for FERC to transform into a leading institution that can support the shift from fossil fuels--oil, coal and gas--to wind, solar and other renewables.
Last November Beyond Extreme Energy organized nonviolent blockades of the entrances to FERC and disrupted its functioning for five straight days. And on the fifth day, for several hours, BXE was able to keep hundreds of FERC employees out of the building and on the street outside. Pennsylvanians harmed by fracking told their stories over a bullhorn to the hushed and listening crowd. The actions then, and the actions since, are having an impact on FERC and are increasing public awareness.
FERC must be stopped from being a part of the problem, which is what nonviolent action is about, and we must transform FERC and other government agencies into drivers of the solutions we need to stop climate change. Stopping FERC is an important front in the struggle to end corporate control of our government.
We urge you to go to Beyond Extreme Energy, to learn more. And please join us or support the actions in Washington, DC for some of all of the time from May 21-29.
Power to the people!
Signers:
Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr.
Tim DeChristopher
Josh Fox
Wenonah Hauter
Naomi Klein
Ed Begley, Jr.
George Lakey
Debra Winger
Jennifer Krill
Mark Ruffalo
Cherri Foytlin
Annie Leonard
Matt Leonard
Jill Stein
