Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), a member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, this week attacked the reputation of Beyond Extreme Energy (BXE), a climate action group that opposes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s rubber stamping of virtually every application that comes before it for interstate fracked-gas pipelines, compressor stations, storage facilities and liquefied fracked-gas export terminals.
During a committee hearing on Tuesday about oil and gas pipelines, the senator suggested that BXE members would “hurt” FERC commissioners and that the group’s vow to “hold them accountable” was a threat of violence.
These fear-mongering remarks were aimed at BXE’s Rubber Stamp Rebellion action during four evenings in May, when activists visited the homes of the FERC commissioners. BXE activists held banners along the sidewalk and passed out fliers to the neighbors that explained why we take non-violent direct action – and sometimes risk arrest – in order to stop the violation of private property rights, the increase in health problems, and the accelerating of greenhouse gas emissions from leaks and intentional releases of methane from FERC-approved projects. (Natural gas is mostly methane, which is 86 times more powerful in warming the planet than CO2 in the first 20 years after release).
We were quiet and cordial and got overwhelmingly positive or neutral responses from the neighbors. Before leaving the D.C. homes of FERC Chairman Norman Bay and Commissioner Cheryl LaFleur, we tacked to their front doors our version of the eminent domain letter that thousands of homeowners in the paths of fracked-gas infrastructure projects have received, telling them that, with FERC’s approval, a pipeline company would soon arrive to mow down their trees, dig up their yard, take away access to huge swaths of their land, threaten their health and safety, and disrupt or ruin their lives.
At the hearing, Senator Barrasso asked N. Jonathan Peress, air policy director of natural gas for the Environmental Defense Fund, if he condemned BXE’s home visits, which Barrasso considered “highly questionable,” “extremely troubling” and “very dangerous.” When Peress tried to answer, Barrasso cut him off, demanding, “Yes or no?” When Peress said that his personal view was that such tactics were “highly unfortunate,” Barrasso shot back, “Then why hasn’t the environmental community stood up to denounce these tactics? Is it waiting until a public official, a FERC confirmed individual or his family or her family – until they get hurt?”
These McCarthyite, fear-mongering tactics are uncalled for and a pose a threat to constitutionally protected free speech.
BXE has a strict policy of nonviolence. Nobody was getting hurt on our account, unlike families across the country who have suffered respiratory illnesses; noise, air and water pollution; depression, and loss of property values from the build-out of fracked gas infrastructure. In addition, we’re all hurt by the unsustainable increases in global warming gases that will put our nation’s climate targets out of reach and make our planet increasingly inhospitable for all life.
The oil and gas industry has dropped almost half a million dollars ($433,966) over the past five years into the campaign chest of Sen. Barrasso, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, to ensure he will represent their interests. Representatives of the mining industry have contributed another quarter million ($240,206). (Wyoming is by far the leading coal-producing state.) Regular people don’t have big bucks to sway his votes, but regular people are standing up and fighting back, and BXE stands with them.
Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), a member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, this week attacked the reputation of Beyond Extreme Energy (BXE), a climate action group that opposes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s rubber stamping of virtually every application that comes before it for interstate fracked-gas pipelines, compressor stations, storage facilities and liquefied fracked-gas export terminals.
During a committee hearing on Tuesday about oil and gas pipelines, the senator suggested that BXE members would “hurt” FERC commissioners and that the group’s vow to “hold them accountable” was a threat of violence.
These fear-mongering remarks were aimed at BXE’s Rubber Stamp Rebellion action during four evenings in May, when activists visited the homes of the FERC commissioners. BXE activists held banners along the sidewalk and passed out fliers to the neighbors that explained why we take non-violent direct action – and sometimes risk arrest – in order to stop the violation of private property rights, the increase in health problems, and the accelerating of greenhouse gas emissions from leaks and intentional releases of methane from FERC-approved projects. (Natural gas is mostly methane, which is 86 times more powerful in warming the planet than CO2 in the first 20 years after release).
We were quiet and cordial and got overwhelmingly positive or neutral responses from the neighbors. Before leaving the D.C. homes of FERC Chairman Norman Bay and Commissioner Cheryl LaFleur, we tacked to their front doors our version of the eminent domain letter that thousands of homeowners in the paths of fracked-gas infrastructure projects have received, telling them that, with FERC’s approval, a pipeline company would soon arrive to mow down their trees, dig up their yard, take away access to huge swaths of their land, threaten their health and safety, and disrupt or ruin their lives.
At the hearing, Senator Barrasso asked N. Jonathan Peress, air policy director of natural gas for the Environmental Defense Fund, if he condemned BXE’s home visits, which Barrasso considered “highly questionable,” “extremely troubling” and “very dangerous.” When Peress tried to answer, Barrasso cut him off, demanding, “Yes or no?” When Peress said that his personal view was that such tactics were “highly unfortunate,” Barrasso shot back, “Then why hasn’t the environmental community stood up to denounce these tactics? Is it waiting until a public official, a FERC confirmed individual or his family or her family – until they get hurt?”
These McCarthyite, fear-mongering tactics are uncalled for and a pose a threat to constitutionally protected free speech.
BXE has a strict policy of nonviolence. Nobody was getting hurt on our account, unlike families across the country who have suffered respiratory illnesses; noise, air and water pollution; depression, and loss of property values from the build-out of fracked gas infrastructure. In addition, we’re all hurt by the unsustainable increases in global warming gases that will put our nation’s climate targets out of reach and make our planet increasingly inhospitable for all life.
The oil and gas industry has dropped almost half a million dollars ($433,966) over the past five years into the campaign chest of Sen. Barrasso, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, to ensure he will represent their interests. Representatives of the mining industry have contributed another quarter million ($240,206). (Wyoming is by far the leading coal-producing state.) Regular people don’t have big bucks to sway his votes, but regular people are standing up and fighting back, and BXE stands with them.
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