AS FERC ANNOUNCES FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENTS ON PIPELINES, RESISTANCE SWELLS

On Friday, June 23rd, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) released its final environmental review for the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP). The highly-flawed Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) paints a false and misleading picture of this massive, dangerous fracked-gas pipeline.
The FEIS does not spell good news for pipeline opposition, but it is far from final approval. There are many stages left in the process at the federal, state, and legal levels — and there is a growing movement committed to stopping this pipeline, along with Dominion’s proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP), a pipeline of similar size and route. This growing resistance, alongside the shift in political narrative around these pipelines, show that the FEIS will only further the conviction and resolve of the growing anti-pipeline movement.
The Pipeline Pledge of Resistance is just one example of this conviction. The hundreds of people who have signed have pledged to engage in any tactic necessary to stop the ACP and MVP — including nonviolent civil disobedience and even risking arrest. To date, nearly 400 people have pledged to risk arrest to stop these pipelines. Plus, nearly 1,000 have pledged to engage in some form of support for those willing to participate in dignified civil disobedience to stop these radical infrastructure projects.
Those familiar with FERC’s history are not surprised by its shoddy environmental review. Since 1986, FERC has approved every proposal for a fracked-gas infrastructure projects that it has come across, with the exception of the Pacific Connector Pipeline and accompanying liquefied natural gas export terminal in 2016.1 Many of these projects have resulted in spills and even explosions. Furthermore, the agency has very strong ties to the very industry it is tasked with regulating. Since 2000, 12 of 15 former commissioners are “currently employed either directly or indirectly in the fossil fuel industry as executives, directors, partners, lobbyists, and/or consultants.”2
The opposition to the proposed fracked-gas pipelines is not just limited to those who have signed the Pledge. In recent months, the opposition has reached a fever pitch. Numerous groups and organizations have voiced their disapproval of the pipelines. In January, a letter signed on behalf of members of numerous indigenous tribes in the region denouncing the Atlantic Coast Pipeline was released to the public.

30710794543_a58360f44f_hPhoto from Flickr user Joe Brusky with a Creative Commons license. 

In April, announcements that both of these pipelines would trigger miles of ridgetop removal shocked public conscience throughout the region, with various Appalachian Trail hiking groups and enthusiasts assembling in Richmond last month to call upon Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe to use his authority to reject the projects.   
Finally, in May, a band of Virginia-based military veterans, representing every branch on the military, released an open letter to the Governor, linking the the MVP and the ACP to the movement against the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota.
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The broadening of the anti-pipeline movement in Virginia is indicative of a larger shift in the Commonwealth’s political culture. The contentious gubernatorial primaries this year in the state were dubbed a “referendum on pipelines”, with anti-pipeline candidates from both major parties winning districts along the proposed routes of these pipelines. Furthermore, over 50 Democratic candidates for Virginia’s House of Delegates have pledged to refuse money from Dominion Energy, the primary shareholder in the ACP and the largest contributor to political campaigns in Virginia.
Regardless of FERC’s announcement, the efforts to stop these pipelines in order to protect our land, water, communities, and climate will ultimately come from the massive grassroots movement. The movement has brought together folks from across Virginia from all walks of life with a common goal — and they are willing to put the their bodies on the line to achieve it.

1http://public-accountability.org/2017/02/oil-gas-industry-dominates-federal-agency-responsible-for-pipeline-approvals
2Ibid.

Even in the age of Trump, Baltimore is moving forward on climate

On June 1st, President Trump pulled the United States out of the Paris Climate Agreement. This reckless decision signaled to the rest of the world that the U.S. is not a reliable leader and keeps us marching on a path toward climate chaos.
Fortunately, young people, advocates, and local elected officials have stepped up around the country to spearhead climate action in the wake of the federal government’s abdication of leadership. Over 1,000 cities, counties, states, universities, and businesses have signed onto a letter declaring their commitment to the agreement. Mayor Catherine Pugh signed Baltimore onto the letter, and the City Council strengthened Baltimore’s commitment to climate action this week.
On June 19th, the Baltimore City Council adopted a resolution upholding the commitments of the Paris Climate Agreement. Councilman Zeke Cohen of Baltimore’s 1st District engaged over fifteen partners, including the Maryland Environmental Health Network, Baltimore Beyond Plastic, and CCAN, to collaborate on the resolution. In addition to recognizing the significance of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement and opposing the U.S.’s withdrawal from it, the resolution commits Baltimore City to specific actions that will work to prevent the worst impacts of climate change and address environmental injustices in the city.
The best part about this resolution is how intersectional and localized it is. Not only does it call for emissions reductions, the resolution also outlines how food deserts, energy affordability, zero waste strategies, sewage and stormwater infrastructure, community land trusts, equitable public transit, and more are all connected to climate change.
Critically, the resolution centers equity. It pledges to uphold practices that foster “a liveable, economical, equitable, and just energy future for all Baltimoreans regardless of age, race, income, or zip code” and acknowledges that, “climate change impacts are felt first and worst by vulnerable populations which exacerbates inequity.” It goes on to state, “we reject treating people and the planet as resources to be exploited.”
Before the City Council voted on the resolution on Monday night, the youth-led group Baltimore Beyond Plastic led a rally in support of the resolution. These young activists, who have been working tirelessly for a styrofoam ban in Maryland, refused to accept that Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement and worked closely with Councilman Cohen to ensure that the Council passed the strongest repudiation possible.
While this resolution is non-binding, it creates a blueprint for climate action in Baltimore. And since it passed unanimously, we can now hold every councilmember accountable to the actions outlined in the resolution (including limits on crude-by-rail infrastructure!) and work to pass legislation that will codify many of its stated commitments.

Young climate advocates stand with Councilman Cohen before Monday night's vote on the resolution
Climate advocates and resolution collaborators stand with Councilman Cohen before Monday night’s vote.

#BmoreClimateJust
 

Baltimoreans Call for Action on Oil Trains on Derailment Anniversary

On June 13, 2016, a freight train traveling from Philadelphia to Cumberland derailed inside the Howard Street Tunnel next to MICA’s campus. Twelve of the derailed cars were designed to carry liquefied petroleum gas but were thankfully empty at the time. The remaining car that derailed was carrying acetone. The incident took over 24 hours to clear.
At the time of last year’s derailment, I lived just a few blocks away and awoke that morning to numerous alerts about the incident from concerned friends. Knowing that explosive crude oil has traveled this exact route in Baltimore, I was terrified about the potential devastation due to a derailment. Thankfully, there were no injuries or leaks, and most of the cars that derailed were empty. But the incident begs the question, “what if?” What if that train had been carrying explosive crude oil?
Yesterday, residents of Baltimore’s crude oil train blast zone, MICA representatives, Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, and labor and environmental advocates rallied to commemorate the 1-year anniversary of this train derailment and to discuss the public health and safety threats posed to Baltimoreans by dangerous crude oil trains.
During the rally, MICA faculty member Valeska Populoh reflected on last year’s derailment: “The incident has raised my concerns about the transport of hazardous materials on these rail lines so close to our campus and the surrounding community, the potential threats to health and safety that these pose, as well as the potential for disruption of traffic and daily life in this central part of Baltimore in the event of another derailment.”

Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, representative of Baltimore’s District 14, said: “Crude oil transport through Baltimore is a dangerous venture. At the least, our residents require State and local coordination to secure better notice of such transport, more secure carriers than now employed, and a concerted plan of prevention and response to potential accidents.”
Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, representative of Baltimore’s 14th District, said: “Crude oil transport through Baltimore is a dangerous venture. At the least, our residents require State and local coordination to secure better notice of such transport, more secure carriers than now employed, and a concerted plan of prevention and response to potential accidents.”

165,000 Baltimoreans live, work, and go to school in the oil train “blast zone” — the area that could be directly impacted if a crude oil train derailed and exploded. Baltimore has had too many close calls with freight trains. In addition to last year’s derailment next to MICA, there was the infamous 2001 derailment in the Howard Street Tunnel, which caused a fire and water main break that effectively shut down the city for a week. In 2013, a freight train exploded in Rosedale and broke windows, shook nearby buildings, and slowed traffic throughout the region. And in 2014, the retaining wall on 26th St collapsed, sending parked cars, streetlights, and large chunks of sidewalk onto the CSX tracks below.
All of these incidents occurred on the route that crude oil trains have been known to take through Baltimore and are examples of just how close Baltimore has come to a catastrophic incident.
During Tuesday’s rally, David McClure, President of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1300, said, “Each day our 2,500 MTA workers transport the people of Baltimore to work, school, the doctor, or wherever they need to go. And our riders’ safety is our number one priority. I repeat, it’s our number one priority. And now it’s time for the City Council to put the safety and health of the people first.  It’s time to put a stop these trains from carrying dangerous crude oil and other hazardous cargo travelling through these densely-populated neighborhoods before we have a disaster on our hands.”
Ulysses Archie, an urban farmer and community advocate, spoke on Tuesday as a concerned father. He highlighted the forty Baltimore City Public Schools that are located within the blast zone and noted that tens of thousands of children, including his boys, are endangered by crude oil train traffic in the city.
The rally came a few days after members of the Baltimore City Council and Maryland General Assembly toured South Baltimore neighborhoods that are threatened by crude oil train traffic. On Friday, June 9th, community leaders concerned about the potential for a catastrophic explosion led the elected officials on a tour of Mt Winans, Westport, and Curtis Bay and saw some of the most vulnerable points in Baltimore’s infrastructure for a derailment and explosion.
Ann Robinson, President of the Mt Winans Neighborhood Association, showed tour participants an at-grade crossing in Mt Winans. At-grade crossings have been identified by rail companies as some of the most dangerous points of rail infrastructure.
Ann Robinson, President of the Mt Winans Neighborhood Association, showed tour participants an at-grade crossing in Mt Winans. At-grade crossings have been identified by rail companies as some of the most dangerous points of rail infrastructure.

While it is up to the federal government to ultimately ban the transport of crude-by-rail, local and state officials can take steps to protect Marylanders from this public health and safety threat. In Baltimore, the City Council can prevent the construction of new and the expansion of existing crude oil train terminals in order to limit oil train traffic within the city. Port cities across the country have been taking the lead on fighting fossil fuel infrastructure through zoning authority, and Baltimore can too. At the state level, the General Assembly can pass legislation focused on emergency preparedness, transparency, and proof of insurance for crude-by-rail incidents.
Elected officials and staff members from the Baltimore City Council and Maryland General Assembly gathered outside the southern entrance to the Howard Street Tunnel, 1.5 miles from site of last year’s derailment next to MICA. Delegate Robbyn Lewis, Councilman John Bullock, and staff members for Senator Barbara Robinson, Delegate Nick Mosby, Councilman Zeke Cohen, Delegate Kumar Barve, City Council President Jack Young, and Councilwoman Shannon Sneed participated in the tour.
Elected officials and staff members from the Baltimore City Council and Maryland General Assembly gathered outside the southern entrance to the Howard Street Tunnel, 1.5 miles from site of last year’s derailment next to MICA. Delegate Robbyn Lewis, Councilman John Bullock, and staff members for Senator Barbara Robinson, Delegate Nick Mosby, Councilman Zeke Cohen, Delegate Kumar Barve, City Council President Jack Young, and Councilwoman Shannon Sneed participated in the tour.

CCAN is working hard with our partners in the Baltimore City Council and in the Maryland General Assembly to protect Marylanders from crude-by-rail traffic. Sign the petition to the Baltimore City Council urging action and get involved with our local campaign!

VIDEO: Why these D.C. residents are working to put a price on carbon

Our hot new campaign video has officially kicked off summer in the District! We spoke to four D.C. residents to explain why they want the city to put a price on carbon pollution.


 
It’s been over a week since Donald Trump’s reckless withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement. Thankfully, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser responded by affirming the city’s commitment to climate action. She pledged to reduce D.C.’s carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050. Awesome!
Unfortunately, D.C. isn’t on track yet to meet its climate goals. With a comprehensive climate policy like the carbon fee and rebate, D.C. would be well on its way — and it would set an example for the entire nation.
If there there is one thing we’ve learned this week, it’s that we need real action. It’s more important than ever that states move forward on carbon reductions in a progressive and effective way. A comprehensive policy, like the proposed carbon fee and rebate, is the only way to reduce carbon emissions quickly and efficiently. And it’s what D.C. residents want: a full 74 percent of residents want to reduce carbon pollution in the District.

So what can you do? WATCH the new video, SHARE it with all your friends and family, and JOIN our campaign for a greener, cleaner, more equitable D.C.

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McAuliffe officials reverse promise on pipelines. Time to act.

Seven weeks ago, we applauded the McAuliffe Administration’s announcement that it would conduct thorough, site-specific reviews of the impacts that the Mountain Valley and Atlantic Coast pipelines would have on water quality. After years of public pressure, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) was finally planning to give these massive pipelines the thorough environmental review they deserve.
On Wednesday, DEQ abandoned that promise. 
The agency says it made a mistake. It was never planning to look at the pipelines’ impacts to Virginia streams, DEQ now says. Instead, the agency wants to abdicate that responsibility to President Trump’s Army Corps of Engineers, which is expected to issue a blanket one-size-fits-all permit that does not look at each individual stream crossing, and therefore does not fully protect these water bodies.
This is Gov. McAuliffe’s responsibility! DEQ works for him. Tell McAuliffe the state MUST do more to protect VA’s waterways.
Back in April, the DEQ was unequivocal. We will look “at each wetland, stream crossing … separately, to determine specific requirements that would be necessary” to protect Virginia waterways, a DEQ spokesperson told the Roanoke Times.
This was hopeful news. If the DEQ carries out thorough, site-specific reviews, we believe it will have had no choice but to reject these disastrous pipelines. There’s no doubt that building the pipelines across steep, well-watered, forested mountain landscapes will harm water resources, including heavy sedimentation of streams, alteration of runoff patterns and stream channels, disturbance of groundwater flow, and damage to springs and water supplies.

The Army Corps process does not involve site-specific analyses. We have no confidence that the Corps’ permit will be sufficient for such a complex project across the state’s steepest mountains. The DEQ is evading its responsibility to conduct thorough reviews of all threats to water quality posed by these pipeline projects.
The state must do more to protect Virginia’s waterways from pipelines. Call McAuliffe today.
 

Governor McAuliffe Needs A Compass. We'll Give It To Him.

I’ve been a proud hiker of the Appalachian Trail since I was a boy. And I always take my trusty compass. It’s gotten me out of lots of jams on the trail.
Now, on June 2nd, on the eve of National Trails Day, I want to invite you – my fellow Virginia trail hikers — to Governor Terry McAuliffe’s house so we can give HIM a compass. The Governor supports two massive pipelines for fracked gas that, if built, would dramatically harm the Appalachian Trail. Terry McAuliffe, in other words, is clearly LOST, and he needs our help. Come to Richmond on June 2nd with all your backpacking gear – and bring a compass to give the Governor.
I’m a member of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, and there are three things hikers like me depend on.
The first is access to clean, reliable water along the trail. Without water, we cannot hike.
The second is our appreciation for beautiful mountain vistas. That’s why we hike. Along the Virginia AT, those vistas include places like Angel’s Rest, the Dragon Tooth, and Kelly Knob.
But the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and the Mountain Valley Pipeline for fracked gas could harm all this, each crossing the AT with great impact. With the Governor’s support, companies like Dominion Energy want to plow these pipelines through geologically fragile areas that could threaten not only water along the trail, but water for farmers and communities across 13 counties.
As for vistas, this is horrifying: the companies want to clear cut and then blast off the tops of at least 38 miles of ridgetops – some within view of the AT — across Virginia and West Virginia to make room for the pipelines’ wide paths. They will decapitate these mountains. And the views and ecological health of places like Angel’s Rest and Dragon Tooth will be severely impacted.
Which is why Governor McAuliffe needs the third thing critical to hikers: a compass! He needs to chart a new course that opposes these pipelines and protects our Appalachian Trail.
Won’t you join me on Friday June 2nd, in Richmond? We’ll give the Governor our compasses and ask him to do the right thing. 

RSVP TODAY!

 
If you can’t make it to Richmond, give McAuliffe a call right now to tell him to REJECT these pipelines. Or, share this video with all your friends:

 

Terps are Stepping Up, And So Should You

I was in tears. Sitting on my couch, watching the results on the TV, I felt paralyzed. The night Trump won the election, the only thing I could think was “it’s over, this is game over for the planet.” Obviously, this was a pessimistic viewpoint, but I think a lot of people shared this same feeling of doubt and despair. Some teachers cancelled classes the next day.
That was November. By January, I was crying for a different reason (I swear I’m not prone to crying). On the day after President Trump was inaugurated, I sat waiting to catch a flight home from Honduras after finishing a two week service project as pictures began rolling in of the Women’s March on Washington. People came together in massive amounts, over 2 million strong men and women, to protest for women’s equality. Although it was not an anti-Trump rally, it served to showcase the voices and values that were pushed aside during Trump’s campaign: equality, climate change, social justice. I was crying tears of joy, because hope was not lost.
After the election and post-inauguration, the demonstrations continued on UMD’s campus. Students came out to protest Trump’s presidency as a whole, and masses of people paraded around campus in support of refugees. A number of students attended the Women’s March. It was clear that, in the age of Trump, student activism was at its peak. Yet this trend only seems to have increased since then.winter
My professor, Dr. Jim Riker, seems to agree. Dr. Riker leads a three-course program, known as Beyond the Classroom, that encourages student civic engagement and leadership. I sat down to have a conversation with him about student activism in post-Trump society.
“There is certainly a greater number of people participating in many different ways,” he said. He has seen first-hand how students are more immersed online, protesting on campus, and marching in D.C to take a stand. During this election, and even more so after, larger amounts of students began speaking up and attending events held by the program. People packed into a tiny classroom twice every single week, to view documentaries and have open discussions about the issues we face in the world today. This has only continued.
“What has motivated people to act?” Dr. Riker asked rhetorically.
I could guess the answer.
When these issues affect you, you feel it. You want to help and speak up for yourself and your rights, but also for the rights of others and those you care about.
That’s what happened at the Women’s March, and that’s what happened with the Peoples Climate March on April 29 in Washington, D.C. Our current administration wants to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement. This affects the entire world, not just in the United States. Climate change is something that affects all of us, and 120 UMD students, along with over 200,000 people, would make clear at the march.
In the lead-up to the Peoples Climate March, students attended poster-making sessions, organized panels, and gathered to plan transportation. Dr. Riker’s Beyond the Classroom program included a week of events to help students prepare. On April 29, the day of the march, he took a group of his own students to march together.
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I was one of them.

We marched on Capitol Hill in the sweltering heat. My blister nearly had me scream out in pain while walking along the path to the White House, but there was no stopping me. There was no stopping any of us, even as we made it to the National Monument in 90+ degree weather. The chants, the boos in front of Trump Tower and the White House, and the smiles and passion of the masses brought me to tears yet again.
Now that the Peoples Climate March is over, we are bringing our engagement back to campus. Several on campus organizations, such as the SGA Sustainability Committee, Beyond the Classroom, Sustainable Terps, and others, provide ways to continue engaging on this issue.
The march reminded us that students at UMD — along with hundreds of thousands of others — want more than ever to participate and civically engage. Whatever the avenue, we will continue fighting against injustices to our people and our planet.
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Megan Williams is a rising senior at University of Maryland, College Park, where she studies Environmental Science & Policy.
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Baltimore City Council Takes a Stand for Offshore Wind and Onshore Jobs

On May 8th, the Baltimore City Council resoundingly passed a resolution in support of offshore wind development in Maryland. Baltimore City Councilwoman Sharon Middleton introduced the resolution, which was co-sponsored by 14 of the 15 City Councilmembers, urging the Public Service Commission to approve one or both of the offshore wind farm proposals currently under consideration.
Before Monday’s vote, over 20 Baltimore residents, local elected officials, and environmental advocates rallied in front of City Hall to show support for offshore wind development and the Baltimore City Council resolution. Supporters displayed art created by local artists and activists for the Peoples Climate March, which many attended the previous weekend in Washington, DC.
 

Councilwoman Sharon Green Middleton, lead sponsor of the resolution and Vice-President of the Baltimore City Council, spoke at Monday’s rally: “It's important for Maryland, and more specifically, Baltimore, to get on board with organizations such as Clean Water Action and Chesapeake Climate Action Network to join other cities, states, and countries in the delivery of renewable wind energy projects. The health benefits, manufacturing careers, and resources are essential to the growth of our city. We have the components and now is the time!”
Councilwoman Sharon Green Middleton, lead sponsor of the resolution and Vice-President of the Baltimore City Council, spoke at Monday’s rally: “It’s important for Maryland, and more specifically, Baltimore, to get on board with organizations such as Clean Water Action and Chesapeake Climate Action Network to join other cities, states, and countries in the delivery of renewable wind energy projects. The health benefits, manufacturing careers, and resources are essential to the growth of our city. We have the components and now is the time!”

 
The Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) is currently reviewing two proposals for offshore wind projects off Ocean City, Maryland. These two proposals present Maryland, and Baltimore in particular, with the opportunity to become a hub for the growing offshore wind industry. US Wind plans to build a 748-megawatt offshore wind farm, and Skipjack Offshore Wind proposes a 120-megawatt project. Both applicants have named Sparrows Point in Baltimore County as the site of a future assembly and manufacturing plant for their operations.
The Public Service Commission found that development, construction, and operation of the first phase of the US Wind project (248 megawatts) would create 7,050 jobs over 20 years and generate an estimated $1,354 million in economic activity for the state. The Public Service Commission also found that development, construction, and operation of the Skipjack project would create 2,635 jobs over 20 years and generate an estimated $536.4 million in economic activity for the state. Much of the economic activity created by both projects would take place in Baltimore City and Baltimore County.
 
Laqeisha Greene, a young activist and lifelong resident of Baltimore City who is a member of the United Workers Leadership Council, the Westside Human Rights committee, and the Baltimore Housing Roundtable, proclaimed, "Baltimore needs offshore wind energy! Why? Because for too long this city has stood on feeble legs with the stance that trickle down development works, and it doesn't. It's time for the city government to invest in green energy and companies that will offer skilled tradework that's marketable and life sustaining."
Laqeisha Greene, a young activist and lifelong resident of Baltimore City who is a member of the United Workers Leadership Council, the Westside Human Rights committee, and the Baltimore Housing Roundtable, proclaimed, “Baltimore needs offshore wind energy! Why? Because for too long this city has stood on feeble legs with the stance that trickle down development works, and it doesn’t. It’s time for the city government to invest in green energy and companies that will offer skilled tradework that’s marketable and life sustaining.”

 
Not only would offshore wind projects create jobs and economic activity in Maryland and in Baltimore, a commitment to offshore wind energy would also displace polluting sources of energy, many of which are located in and around Baltimore, improving air quality across the state and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
As an urban center and a port city, Baltimore has high potential for being heavily impacted by climate change. State and local efforts to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and invest in clean, renewable energy like offshore wind are important contributions to overall emissions reductions. 
 
“The Maryland Environmental Health Network supports offshore wind in Maryland because it is a real opportunity to displace pollution that increases poor health outcomes for Marylanders,” said MdEHN’s Executive Director Tamara Toles O'Laughlin. “We rank fifth in the nation in adult asthma and have some of the worst ground level ozone pollution in our region. Installed turbines generate no pollution. It is time to act on climate, and embrace renewable energy for cleaner air and better health for all.”
“The Maryland Environmental Health Network supports offshore wind in Maryland because it is a real opportunity to displace pollution that increases poor health outcomes for Marylanders,” said MdEHN’s Executive Director Tamara Toles O’Laughlin. “We rank fifth in the nation in adult asthma and have some of the worst ground level ozone pollution in our region. Installed turbines generate no pollution. It is time to act on climate, and embrace renewable energy for cleaner air and better health for all.”

 
The Public Service Commission must decide by May 17th whether or not to approve the proposals. If approved, these offshore wind projects could bring thousands of family-sustaining jobs to the Baltimore area, reduce Maryland’s reliance on fossil fuels, and limit air pollution.
 
Larry Bannerman, a resident of the Turner Station neighborhood near Sparrow’s Point and member of the Turner Station Conservation Teams, with 38 years of experience in High Voltage test, maintenance and repair, stated, “Fortunately for us, there is a tried and tested source of clean energy that is bringing with it, jobs and skills for the future. That source of energy is offshore wind. I support the U.S. Wind project.”
Larry Bannerman, a resident of the Turner Station neighborhood near Sparrow’s Point and member of the Turner Station Conservation Teams, with 38 years of experience in High Voltage test, maintenance and repair, stated, “Fortunately for us, there is a tried and tested source of clean energy that is bringing with it, jobs and skills for the future. That source of energy is offshore wind. I support the U.S. Wind project.”

 
By passing this resolution on Monday, Baltimore City took a stand in support of offshore wind, family-sustaining jobs, and a stable climate. Now it’s up to the PSC to approve offshore wind in Maryland. Stay tuned! 

Action in Trump's America: Why I March

The following is a guest post from Elisabeth Hoffman of Howard County Climate Action.
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Turns out the chief benefit from Donald Trump’s election lies in the backlash.  
Progress on immigration, environmental justice, women’s rights, #BlackLivesMatter, and health care are at risk. On climate change, in particular, we have shifted from barely addressing the unfolding catastrophe to baldly denying it even exists.  
Yet Marylanders, after six years of trying and against all odds, just passed a ban on fracking. It passed with bipartisan support, along with the Republican governor’s backing, after a massive showing of grassroots resistance to this destructive drilling process. 
In Trump’s America, more long-shot victories like Maryland’s fracking ban are sure to come. Why? Because around the country, mass protests and local actions have become the norm. State attorneys general are challenging the Trump administration, and state lawmakers are passing local protections – such as funding for Planned Parenthood. Communities are not watching idly as hopes for a better future are threatened with every executive order, regressive piece of legislation, and crack-of-dawn tweet.
This resistance began in the disoriented days after No. 45 was elected. Then, the day after Trump took the oath, millions protested around the world in the Women’s March. In D.C. alone, the crowd was three times the size of that on Inauguration Day. After Trump issued his first immigration ban, thousands showed up at airports, cities and towns in protest. Voters are confronting lawmakers at town halls. So deluded and unhinged is this administration, even scientists have had to leave the lab and take to the streets to call for facts instead of alt-facts.  
The push for Maryland’s fracking ban coincided with Trump’s first flailing missteps. Stunned yet determined, a broad coalition of Maryland homeowners, tourism businesses, students, faith leaders, farmers and civic-minded residents demanded protection from an industry that violates regulations, preys on low-income communities, and buys its way out of every lawsuit. This grassroots movement of residents – from Friendsville to Lusby, Bel Air to Frederick, Baltimore to Columbia – signed petitions, mailed postcards, made calls and paid visits to state legislators. They implored town, city and county councils to endorse a ban. They spoke out in congregations and at public hearings. They marched through the streets of small towns and in Annapolis. 
I was among 13 people, mostly faith leaders and Western Marylanders, arrested on March 16 at the State House in Annapolis to proclaim that our movement would not compromise the safety of our homes, our water and our climate. We would settle for nothing less than a ban. The day after our arrests, the tide shifted: Gov. Larry Hogan threw his support to the fracking ban, and in a matter of weeks the ban was in place.
With that same moral outrage, we head for the People’s Climate March on Saturday, April 29.
People are rising up against a president who has delivered the Environmental Protection Agency to a climate-denier known mostly as a serial plaintiff against the agency. They are standing firm against a president who has handed over foreign policy to the former head of Exxon Mobil, a company being sued for misleading the public and lawmakers for decades about climate change. Virginians will attest to coastal flooding. Baltimore residents will say no to their children’s asthma and choking pollution. From Standing Rock to Lancaster, Pa., from the Gulf Coast to the Potomac, communities will rise to protect their water and land and themselves from oil and gas pipelines, from fracked-gas power plants, from fracked-gas export factories.  
We are in a race against rising seas, soaring temperatures, deadly droughts, fiercer storms, spreading diseases, forced migrations, dying oceans, and widening wealth gaps. Last week, levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere topped 410 parts per million, way beyond the levels that allowed human civilizations to take hold. In 1958, when record-keeping started at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, the level was 280 ppm.  
The hours that I spent in an Anne Arundel County jail cell, with its peeling paint and one small window in the heavy door, seem an apt metaphor for our nation’s limited and tired vision in the face of humanity’s greatest challenge. We must rush toward the world outside the cramped cell of our fossil-fueled world. That the current administration is running equally fast to slam the door spurs us to fight even harder. 
Our uprising must and will be loud and persistent. In Trump’s version of America, the measure of our relief will be the extent of our enduring resistance.  
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