“Don’t Lock Us In”: Extinction Rebellion Demands the End of the Fossil Fuel Era Right Here in DC

Washington, DC – Over the weekend, Extinction Rebellion DC joined a diverse coalition of climate justice organizations in Freedom Plaza to demand the end of the fossil fuel era. During the major Earth Day event, rebels sent a clear message to DC residents and public officials: ending the era of fossil fuels means cutting ties with Washington Gas and its toxic methane gas project, known as Project Pipes.

The rally featured inspiring speeches from coalition members, including Extinction Rebellion DC Spokesperson Reb Spring. “Project Pipes is an attempt to keep DC trapped in the deadly spiral of fossil fuel dependence. That’s why RIGHT NOW is a make-or-break moment for climate justice in DC and across the country,” said Spring.

After the rally, rebels joined the march to the White House with two banners reading, “STOP PROJECT PIPES” and “END METHANE, ELECTRIFY DC.” Washington Gas’ massive $4.5 billion methane pipeline replacement project will force DC to rely on dangerous, planet-heating fossil fuels for decades and make it impossible for DC to reach its climate goals. Though the remainder of the event was canceled due to heavy rain, rebels and coalition partners pushed through the inclement weather to demand a just transition away from the death trap of fossil fuel infrastructure.

“Project Pipes lives or dies this year, making 2023 a make or break year for climate action in DC. It’s time for the DC Council and Public Service Commission to prioritize our health, safety, and future and kick fossil fuels out of DC for good,” said Jade Olson, Press Spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion DC. “Continuing to rely on fossil fuels, including so-called ‘natural gas,’ is a death sentence for the planet. The DC Council and the Public Service Commission have a moral duty to protect the people they serve by using their regulatory authority to stop Project Pipes.”

“We are so energized by this coalition and the hundreds of community members who showed up in the streets to demand the end of the fossil fuel era–a demand that is alive for us right here in DC. It’s well past time to end the era of fossil fuels and stop Washington Gas’ sacrifice of our health and safety, particularly the health of Black, Brown, Indigenous, and poor communities.”

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Note to Editors:

For more information about Washington Gas' toxic pipeline project and XRDC's campaign to stop it visit https://www.xrdc.org/gas

Methane is the gas piped into your home to cook your food and heat your house. DC has some of the oldest underground methane gas pipes in the country, and these pipes are leaking large amounts of methane throughout the city. There are more than 3,000 leaks in the District – and over 70% of the leaks in 2021 were at hazardous levels, posing a severe and immediate threat to the city’s residents.

Methane gas kills. It severely harms the health of DC’s residents, especially the most vulnerable — children, the elderly, and people experiencing homelessness. When you light your stove, it sends nitrogen dioxide into your home. That can cause cardiovascular problems, respiratory disease, and premature death.
A gas stove also releases chemicals that can cause cancer and birth defects.
A lit gas stove also produces a poisonous cocktail of other chemicals and gasses like formaldehyde, carbon dioxide, particulate matter, and nitrogen dioxide. Children in homes with gas stoves are 42% more likely to have asthma than children whose families use electric stoves, a similar rate to children living with cigarette smokers. Stoves continue to leak methane into your home even when they’re turned off.
Washington Gas will tell you methane gas is “renewable,” “clean,” “natural,” “responsible,” and “green.” In fact, greenhouse gas emissions from the use of methane gas now exceed coal emissions in the United States — and methane heats the planet up to 80 times faster than carbon dioxide.
Methane concentrations in the atmosphere are so high that they’re now responsible for 30-50% of the global rise in temperatures. Leaking gas pipes, like those in DC, are a major source of US methane emissions. The amount of methane the fossil fuel industry releases is far worse than regulators think. And gas stoves in the United States release the same amount of greenhouse gas as 500,000 cars.
DC has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2045. Washington Gas’ plans make this goal impossible to achieve. The Department of Energy and Environment calls Washington Gas’ business plan “technically deficient with significant errors.”
This is part of a longer coordinated PR campaign from Washington Gas. They have sponsored Petworth’s street festival, a community food drive for Thanksgiving, and is an official media partner with WUSA9, which provides an easy outlet for their greenwashed PR. All of this is smoke and mirrors so Washington Gas can go through with their deadly Project Pipes.

About Extinction Rebellion

Time has almost entirely run out to address the climate & ecological crisis, including the sixth mass extinction, global pollution, and abrupt, runaway climate change. Societal collapse and mass death are seen as inevitable by scientists and other credible voices if rapid action is not taken.

Extinction Rebellion believes it is a citizen’s duty to rebel, using peaceful civil disobedience, when faced with criminal inactivity by their Government.

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