Protesting From Home

Get off the gas!

Four years ago I was arrested in an act of civil disobedience while blocking for 37 hours the railroad tracks of a tar sands oil train in Anacortes, Washington. I also signed the “Promise to Protect” declaration to answer the call to resist the KXL pipeline. But I just realized there is something everyone reading this can do to stop fracked gas pipelines and fracking without leaving their homes.

Our Eugene elected leaders are poised to renew a “franchise agreement” (the previous one was for 20 years) with Northwest Natural Gas. The issue is that research has shown gas/methane is as bad or worse than coal for the climate. This franchise agreement will allow an increase in pipelines, hookups and emissions in our community. How will we meet Eugene’s Climate Recovery Ordinance goals if we burn more methane? More demand for gas/methane means more fracking in neighboring states. This increases the harms to those families with water and air pollution, while releasing toxic chemicals.

You don’t have to leave your chair to call Mayor Lucy Vinis, City Manager Pro Tem Sarah Medary and your councilor to say you don’t want an increase of fracked gas in our community — especially since scientists tell us we have less than 10 years to get off of fossil fuels. Let’s get off the gas!

It’s not every day you can fight the pipelines while sequestered at home by a pandemic.

Stay safe and fight on!

Debra McGee

Eugene