In 2018, our local D.C. government committed to generating 100% of its energy from renewable sources by 2032. But in its latest filing, D.C.'s main energy utility wants methane gas to remain a big part of the energy mix. In fact, Washington Gas wants to convince the public that methane from factory farm animal manure is a "renewable" form of energy.
Biogas is methane captured from decomposing manure from factory farms, which can then be burned for energy. Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases contributing to climate change. And energy companies are teaming up with the factory farm companies to greenwash biogas as a "renewable gas."
Biogas would prop up industrial-scale factory farming by creating a market for the huge volume of manure these facilities produce. Investing in the additional infrastructure – including gas pipelines – needed to produce and transport biogas, as well as mix it with fracked gas, would also be expensive.
Factory farms across the country threaten public health with the pollution they emit into our air and waterways. And these factory farms are disproportionately located in low income communities and communities of color, subjecting those residents to the highest levels of pollution. Allowing biogas as a "renewable" option would lock in more factory farms and further entrench environmental injustice.
Jorge Aguilar
Southern Region Director
Food & Water Action and Food & Water Watch
Food & Water Action and its affiliated organization, Food & Water Watch, are advocacy groups with a common mission to protect our food, water and climate. This email was sent to [email protected] - and we're glad you got it, because it's one of the most important ways you can reclaim political power, hold elected officials accountable and resist corporate control.
