Extinction Rebellion Declares Victory Against Washington Gas in Debate On Project Pipes
Washington, DC – Last Friday morning, Extinction Rebellion DC (XRDC) challenged Washington Gas to a debate on Project Pipes in Benjamin Banneker Park, asking the company to defend its claims that Project Pipes is good for DC. Washington Gas failed to show, unable to defend their greenwashed lies against the truth: Project Pipes is a recipe for injustice and climate chaos.
The debate candidates present gave opening statements, answered questions from the moderator about climate justice in DC, and shared closing statements. The XRDC candidate answered questions about Project Pipes and its supposed safety while Washington Gas remained silent over the radio. The XRDC candidate provided strong points rooted in the truth: “There are more leaks now than when Project Pipes started…The PSC [Public Service Commission] has received hundreds of comments from the community, and the overwhelming consensus is that DC residents do NOT want this project.”
Project Pipes is Washington Gas’ $4.5 billion pipeline replacement project that locks DC into decades more of fossil fuel emissions and poor health outcomes. The toxic methane gas Washington Gas pumps through these pipes contributes to poor air quality inside and outside our homes, and the burning of methane gas in our homes can cause respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, childhood asthma, and premature death. Methane gas is also dangerous – there are thousands of leaks throughout the city, many of which could explode any moment, and Washington Gas has thus far failed to prioritize the worst leaks.
“It’s not surprising that Washington Gas didn’t show up for the debate. They know they can’t defend their claims of ‘sustainability’ and ‘safety’ against the truth, so instead of showing up to regurgitate boilerplate PR statements, they didn’t show up at all,” said Jade Olson, Press Spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion DC. “If Washington Gas can’t defend Project Pipes in a debate, then the Public Service Commission and the DC Council have no ground to defend Project Pipes in their offices and regulations.”
Extinction Rebellion DC will continue to challenge Washington Gas directly in the next few weeks in various forms. Please reach out to the XRDC media team for more information at xrdc.press@protonmail.com.
XRDC provides answers to the debate moderator while Washington Gas’ chair sits empty. (Photo: William Dickson)
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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 Washington Gas’ coordinated, greenwashed PR campaign. 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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