Why We Won
by Sara Gronim, 350BK lead organizer with Robert Wood, the Williams Campaign
The defeat of the $1.4 Billion fracked gas pipeline promoted by the Williams corporation (with the support of National Grid) last week was tremendously significant both locally and nationally in the fight to “keep it in the ground.” As we look back on the three years of this campaign, the reasons why we were successful comes down to these three points:
The power of coalitions. Five organizations—350BK, Sane Energy, Surfrider/NYC Chapter, Food & Water Watch and New York Communities for Change—collaborated consistently throughout that time, with 350.org and NRDC joining us for the final year. No one organization would have had the skills and strength to do this alone.
We knew our stuff. Dozens of activists slogged through reams of official filings and then researched the claims of Williams and of National Grid. We laid out five solid reasons why this project should be blocked, all supported by abundant scientific evidence. A crucial piece of this—that there actually was no need for the gas—took money, and 350.org stepped in to hire a wonderful professional researcher.
We were both “top down” and “bottom up”. We knew that, even if the official “decider” was the DEC, Governor Cuomo held the real power to decide. So we mobilized elected officials who went on the record opposing the pipeline and worked behind the scenes in Albany. Crucially, huge numbers of people, including frontline community members, signed petitions, submitted comments (the DEC received 45,000), rallied, marched, published op eds, made phone calls again and again, and did all the work that persuaded the governor that the opposition to the pipeline was strong and unwavering.
In short, overwhelming people power—strategic, determined, persistent—is why we won.
Some of the coverage: New York Times, HuffPost, Politico, Reuters, Bloomberg, E&E.
What’s Happening?
Green Campaigns for Recovery from the COVID Crisis
Federal
Big Oil is exploiting the pandemic and begging for a handout when its price recently plummeted to an 18 year low. Senator Jeff Merkley and Representative Barragan’s #ReWIND Act would stop this blatant corruption. When Big Oil gets a bailout, Big Plastic does too—these are the same companies. Call or tweet @SpeakerPelosi @SenSchumer @SenGillibrand to include it in the next relief package #NoBigOilBailout #BeyondPlastic #PlasticFree.
While you’re at it, ask @SenSchumer @SenGillibrand to co-sponsor the Break free From Plastics Pollution Act (13263) to hold companies accountable for their waste! We cannot recycle our way out of the problem.
State
Demand that Governor Cuomo and the legislature pass a Just Green Stimulus for New York. As our state rebuilds from the Covid-19 crisis, we need hundreds of thousands of good paying, green jobs to create safe and healthy homes, build renewable infrastructure, and create community resiliency that simultaneously restarts our economy and tackles climate injustice. Sign on here: https://bit.ly/2AkMFhv.
#SaveOurCompost
Curbside pickup of organic waste has been suspended due to budget cuts. Composting is a way to sequester carbon, as opposed to incineration or anaerobic decomposition which releases methane. Landfills and incinerators are disproportionately located in low-income communities and composting infrastructure is critical to the journey to zero waste. If we dismantle it now, it will take years to bring capture rates back up. To protect NYC’s composting program you can:
