This May, a group of Virginia students embarked on a bike ride across Virginia to build the movement against Dominion’s proposed 550-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline. The project would carry fracked gas from West Virginia to North Carolina, threatening treasured natural resources and our climate.
Samyukta Venkat was one of 19 students who joined the Atlantic Coast Pipeline Resistance Ride (ACPRR), following the path of Dominion’s project in Virginia and meeting with impacted landowners. After the ACPRR concluded, the memories and empowerment stayed with her. The ride helped launch Samyukta into a world of climate activism:
Your name: Samyukta Venkat
Your age: 18
Where you live: Herndon, VA
Where you go to school / what are you studying? University of Virginia, Computer Engineering (hopefully)
What are the impacts of climate change that hit closest to home for you?
Things are changing so fast. Learning about the history of the planet has taught me how the changes in climate have occurred so slowly in the past. They were hardly noticeable on the time scale of human lives. The planet exists with a beautiful system to monitor and adjust climate change so that even if it fluctuates, it remains habitable. In the past fifty years humans have somehow managed to emit enough CO2 to basically kill a system that has worked for billions of years. I’m so young and in my short life I’ve already seen Virginia’s climate changing; it is definitely something that is directly affecting us. We hear about the fires and drought on the west coast, the rising of sea levels and so many other consequences of climate change. To believe in a future for our planet, I’ve realized I need to get up and do something.
Why did you decide to get involved in taking action on climate?
My mother has always been a huge advocate for being green at home – people always laugh at me when I tear off tiny pieces of paper towels in lieu of a whole sheet. She always said we should do whatever we can to preserve the planet for our future – every little action is like spare change that adds up. Past that, I didn’t really take action until the Atlantic Coast Pipeline Resistance Ride (ACPRR). Learning about the pipeline has ignited a new passion in me. I’m so ready to learn more about climate justice and what I can do to take action. I’ve been converted, radicalized, and climate-actioned!
What has inspired you most working in your community?
In my community, I’ve done my best to share my experiences of the ACPRR and try to talk to people about what I’ve learned about climate action. People have been really receptive and a lot of them want to learn more which is really awesome.
Why did you decide to join the Atlantic Coast Pipeline Resistance Ride?
I joined the ride because one of my hall-mates, Maria, told she was participating. It seemed like a great way to start the summer and I really wanted to learn more about the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and natural gas infrastructure as a whole, and what resisting climate change looks like.
What impacted you the most on the ACPRR?
Picking one thing that impacted me the most is so incredibly difficult. Our trip was packed with opportunities for me to see how the pipeline would hurt the land and its people. I remember watching a documentary while we were at Sherando in which a woman was returning to Virginia after years of living in Texas. She was talking about how the pipeline is ruining her dream of moving back. With tears streaming down her face she said, “They’re ripping up my mountains.” That really hit home the connection these people have with the land and how much they love it. Also, the experience of actually biking through Virginia opened my eyes to what exactly was being destroyed. I have always seen Virginia through the filter of growing up in Northern Virginia, but I’ve learned that there is so much more to this lovely state. I think it’s also worth mentioning how empowering the light brigade was [where activists lit up a “Dominion: No Pipeline” message overtop of a Dominion-sponsored concert at night in Richmond]! It showed me that a small group of people can find such creative ways to have their voices be heard by many.
How do you plan to continue resisting the Atlantic Coast Pipeline & other fossil fuel infrastructure in VA?
At this point, my plan is to spend the summer meeting with and talking to the people I met during the ride to keep learning about fossil fuel infrastructure. I’m trying to spread the word about it at home, and I’m trying to help out by doing analysis of input sent to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) by citizens. In the fall, I want to join the Climate Action Society at UVa and see where that takes me!
What do you like to do when you’re not advocating in your community?
My spare time is occupied by making music, cooking, reading, doing yoga, taking an obscene amount of photos, and now a bit of bike riding! I’ve also recently gotten hooked onto House of Cards.
Who would you high five?
I would high five everyone I’ve met so far during this wonderful introduction to the world of climate justice. This is a community of absolutely the most welcoming human beings – I have never felt so at home with people so quickly before. Special two-handed high five to Maria DeHart for starting me on this journey and Kendall King for helping me to continue it.