We have to center the dignity and economic security of the working class to increase economic opportunity for all Americans.
John,
The proposed Rio Grande LNG (“liquid” natural gas) terminal in Brownsville is a clear case of environmental racism with disastrous consequences for community health, Indigenous rights, endangered species, and our shared climate. Yet major insurers like Chubb, Liberty Mutual, and Sompo have continued to insure the pipeline and other methane production.
Methane gas has more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over the first 20 years after it reaches the atmosphere. Because it is highly volatile, methane gas pipelines pose especially dangerous explosion risks.
Meanwhile, the region’s indigenous Carrizo/Comecrudo Tribe of Texas has not provided their Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) for Rio Grande LNG. Building the Brownsville terminal violates their right to self-governance and perpetuates the displacement, pollution, and physical harm of impacted communities.
We can’t allow fossil fuel profits to take priority over a livable planet. Nor can we force some of our nation’s most vulnerable communities to bear the brunt of the environmental damage these projects create.
