Welcome back to Movement Mondays in which I typically highlight a frontline community enduring the worst of the climate crisis and then offer an action you can take on their behalf. Today, I’ll be asking you to contact President Biden on behalf of ALL of us. But first, I want to update you on the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP). I most recently wrote about the MVP here (and that post includes links to the five previous posts about MVP), when Biden included it in the debt ceiling “negotiations.” Unfortunately, as noted in my June 5 update: [. . .], despite the overwhelming pushback on making Appalachia a sacrifice zone, Biden and the Democrats refused to vote for Senator Kaine’s amendment to remove all text related to Mountain Valley Pipeline from the Fiscal Responsibility Act. According to that legislation, ALL permits must be passed without judicial review within 21 days. 

Senator Joe Manchin insisted MVP be included in the Fiscal Responsibility Act because “The Mountain Valley Pipeline is a crucial piece of energy infrastructure that will help balance global supply and demand while strengthening our energy and national security.” Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm repeated that same national security fear-mongering in her letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), also writing, “. . . I request that if there is any further Commission-related action on this project, it proceeds expeditiously.” 

Guess what? An independent analysis of the Mountain Valley Pipeline reported last week that MVP will only be able to operate at 35% capacity.

The contentious Mountain Valley pipeline will likely operate at an average of only 35 percent capacity once built, resulting in a “limited impact” on Appalachian gas production, according to an energy analytics firm.

East Daley Analytics, a company that monitors operational risk across the oil and gas industry, predicted the pipeline would carry far below its capacity of 2 billion cubic feet per day, citing the limits of the Transco gas pipeline system. 

Including MVP in the Fiscal Responsibility Act had zero to do with debt ceiling issues and zero to do with national and energy security. The Mountain Valley Pipeline is and always was about further enriching fossil fuel companies at the expense of people and planet. 

San Diego 350. Image by Ryan Ezpinoza

Okay, now for taking action on behalf of ALL of us who are enduring extreme weather events around the country whether that be wildfire smoke from Canada, life-threatening heat waves,  flooding, hail, tornados, etc. It is clear this is a Climate Emergency and we need to push Biden to declare a climate emergency under the National Emergencies Act and use his executive powers**.

• EMAIL using this form
  PHONE: Comments: 202-456-1111 (note: I rarely get through on this line and am mostly disconnected 😡)
  SIGN this petition (I know, I know– “Online petitions won’t solve climate change.”

**That would give us the ability to reinstate the crude oil export ban, end new fossil fuel projects and drilling, redirect disaster relief funds toward distributed renewable energy construction in frontline communities, and marshal companies to fast-track renewable transportation and clean power generation. All while creating millions of high-quality union jobs.

Biden also has the power to deny approvals for any new fossil fuel projects, and mandate a phase out of fossil fuel production on federal lands and waters — two actions which scientists have stated are essential to staying under the global warming limit necessary to avoid the very worst of the climate catastrophes.

Thank you for reading this far! I wish you healthy air, water, and temperatures, wherever you are. Solidarity! ✊🏽