May 24, 2023

STOP MVP and End the Era of Fossil Fuels

Howdy!
There are many events to attend and actions you can take!

June 8-11, End the Era of Fossil Fuels
When Biden took office, he promised to be the climate president — yet under his watch, the U.S. continues to be the biggest oil/gas producer in the world.
We are turning up the heat on Biden. From across the country, we are making it clear that he must stand with frontline communities and climate science, and #EndtheEra of fossil fuels once and for all! Join a national week of action demanding Biden FINALLY declare a #ClimateEmergency! More info about actions taking place here. Also, check out this awesome promotional video here.
Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) and MVP Southgate
May 27, Paddle on the Dan River: No MVP Southgate!
11 am – 5 pm, Dan River Access Boat Launch, 763 S Fieldcrest Rd, Eden, NC
Hosted by 7 Directions of Service, POWHR, Appalachian Voices, and the Dan Riverkeeper join a free canoe paddle on the Dan River to build relationships, spark joy, and learn about how we can protect our waterways from the Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate Extension. RSVP here. One of the End the Era of Fossil Fuels actions!
June 1, Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate Info Session
6:30 pm, online
Hosted by 7 Directions of Service, POWHR, Appalachian Voices, and the Dan Riverkeeper. Hear about the project status and ways you can advocate to help stop the unneeded, harmful fracked-gas pipeline. Register here.
June 8, Biden, #StopMVP Now!

2-4 pm, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, DC
This is Biden’s pipeline. He can stop MVP just like he stopped Keystone XL, and correct his climate legacy after his disastrous decisions to approve the Willow project and LNG export terminals. RSVP here.
Register for free roundtrip transportation from NC to DC chartered by our friends at 7 Directions of Service to attend the June 8th Biden, #StopMVP rally! Info here. This is another End the Era of Fossil Fuels action close to the Triangle!
Letter signed by over 140 organizations (including 350 Triangle) to Sec. Grantham sharing our disappointment with her recent actions to promote the destructive and unneeded MVP here.
More Events
TODAY May 24, Teach-In @ the People’s House!
12-4 pm, North Carolina State Legislative Building, 16 W Jones St, Raleigh
On April 24th, Moral Mondays was stopped at the gate of People’s House. This time we’re coming midday and going inside the People’s House for a teach-in led by North Carolinians directly impacted by the policies being passed in Our House, along with faith leaders and policy experts shining light on how the state budget will have massive impacts on all of us. More info and register here.
June 3, Durham County Environmental Justice Workshop

10 am -1:30 pm, People’s Solidarity Hub in Durham, 1805 Chapel Hill Rd., Durham
Join NC Environmental Justice Network for a collaborative workshop, starting with learning from the Durham County Department of Public Health and Omega, Brenda, and Ayo Wilson with the West End Revitalization Association. Afterward, break into groups and share visions and outlines with an intersectional approach for the first-ever Environmental Justice chapter in the Durham County Community Health Assessment (CHA). More info and register here.
June 12-23, Historic Climate Trial: Held v. State of Montana

12 -8 pm, ET, online and in person in Helena, MT
Join the first-ever constitutional climate trial in the U.S. – led by Montana youth. Held v. State of Montana is a constitutional climate lawsuit brought by 16 Montana youth against their State to protect their equal rights to a healthy environment, life, dignity, and freedom. They are suing because their government keeps promoting and supporting fossil fuel extraction and burning, which is worsening the climate crisis and harming these youths’ lives. Much more information and details on where to watch online here.
June 15, Not On This Land: The Fight Against the Atlantic Coast Pipeline
6-8 pm, Paramount Theater, 128 East Front Street, Burlington
Appalachian Voices and Haw River Assembly will host the film and panel discussion. Directed by Christopher Landry, the film showcases impacted community members who helped defeat the fracked-gas Atlantic Coast Pipeline. Link to the trailer of the movie and registration here.
 
June 15-20, Permaculture Foundations Certification Program
The Eco-Institute at Pickards Mountain, 8519 Pickards Meadow Road, Chapel Hill
A one-week intensive program at The Eco-Institute in Chapel Hill taught by Dan Wahpepah and Meg Toben. This 5-day course offers theoretical and practical methods to support your understanding and practice of ecological design. Discover new ways in which you can apply permaculture principles where you live.
More information and register here.
Rights of Nature
Rights of Nature laws are a new kind of conservation law rooted in Indigenous values, which recognize ecosystems as having legally enforceable rights to exist, regenerate, flourish and be free from pollution. Being granted legal rights affords the highest protections possible under the law, and its benefits for ecosystems include expanded “standing” for enforcement, new and elevated standards of protection, and restoration required as a remedy. Rights of Nature laws recognize the health of our communities as dependent upon the health of our lands and waterways.
7 Directions of Service is building a bipartisan network of community members, grassroots organizations, Indigenous mentors, elected officials and legal experts to advance legal Rights of Nature in NC.
Last month, Rep Pricey Harrison introduced HB 795, The Rights of the Haw River Ecosystem Act, in the North Carolina General Assembly’s House of Representatives to grant legal rights to the Haw River. “HB 795 would be the first state-level Rights of Nature law in the U.S. and would elevate the status of the Haw River from “property” to a rights-bearing entity, like a person, and recognize the Haw River Ecosystem and its communities as having the legally enforceable rights to exist, regenerate, flourish and be free from pollution. Rights of Nature laws and policies have been adopted in 12 countries, including in over three dozen cities, towns, counties and tribal nations in the U.S.”
Tell the NC General Assembly: The People Want Rights of Nature here!
TAKE ACTION!
 
Time to get loud again again! Tell your senators and senators on key committees that our environmental protections and the Mountain Valley Pipeline are not bargaining chips! #NoMVP
Sample Call Script for Senators
“Hi __ I’m __ from __. Please Vote NO on any bill that would advance a fossil fuel wish list. Vote NO on attaching harmful bills to must-pass legislation, including Sen. Manchin’s Building American Energy Security Act. Weakening environmental protections and community input puts us at risk, and the Mountain Valley Pipeline should not be exempt from the law.”
  • Senator Thom Tillis (202) 224-6342
  • Senator Ted Budd (202) 224-3154
  • Call the 8 signers of the 2022 Sen. Merkley letter:
    • Sen. Merkley (OR) – (202) 224-3753  Sen. Duckworth (IL) – (202) 224-2854
    • Sen. Booker (NJ) – (202) 224-3224     Sen. Sanders (VT) – (202) 224-5141
    • Sen. Warren (MA) – (202) 224-4543   Sen. Markey (MA) – (202) 224-2742
    • Sen. Cardin (MD) – (202) 224-4524    Sen. Van Hollen (MD) – (202) 224-4654
  • Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer: (202) 224-6542
Defend environmental protections and critical economic programs! Lawmakers need to hear that our environmental protections and programs to help communities transition to clean energy are NOT up for negotiation. Tell your legislators to oppose polluter giveaways and protect clean energy jobs here!
Tell the Biden Administration to REJECT the Mountain Valley Pipeline! To end the era of fossil fuels we have to prevent any new fossil fuel infrastructure from being created. Sign here.
Stop the Mountain Valley Pipeline and the latest polluter giveaway! WV Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito have introduced bills that attempt to fast-track the Mountain Valley Pipeline and limit community input in energy projects that impact health and environment. We need to stop these bills! Write a letter to Senators here.
Join West Virginians and allies and tell President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to REJECT the unjust approval of the Mountain Valley Pipeline here!
Send a message to President Biden and EPA Administrator Regan demanding they reject carbon capture here.
Articles  
Recently the California State Senate endorsed the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty proposal! The resolution calls on legislators and President Biden to phase out fossil fuels and support a global just transition away from coal, oil and gas. More info here.
Great op-ed by West Virginia’s Mariah Clay Biden’s Backing of Pipelines Is a Slap in the Face to Youth Who Voted for Him here.
Blog by Dan Radmacher from Appalachian Voices,  What is the debt ceiling, and how could it be used to try to ram through MVP? here.
350 Triangle is a part of a coalition of clean energy advocates seeking an injunction, court reversal of solar rule changes after regulators ignore law requiring cost-benefit review. Press release from NC WARN and EWG here.
350.org statement: G7 Summit in Hiroshima rejects war, but fails to address its root cause: fossil fuels here.
Recommended newsletters connected to climate justice on Substack with sample newsletters and link to subscribe:
Brad Johnson’s Hill Heat

Emily Atkin’s Heated
Bill McKibben’s Crucial Years
Thanks for reading and taking action! Peace and love for our beautiful Earth, Karen