Submitted by Rabbi Arthur Waskow on
Beyond Extreme Energy (BXE) is a national network of activists who are opposing gas/oil pipelines that are infrastructure for fracked fossil fuels, the Canadian tar sands oil, etc. etc.
BXE will be connecting with the Poor Peoples Campaign in its own climactic action on May 23-25, as the Poor Peoples Campaign ends its 40 days of local action in state capitals with a massive outpouring in Washington, DC. I think many members and friends of The Shalom Center may find it valuable to connect with BXE’s work across the country.
Before I share BXE’s plans, let me share one note about the spiritual meaning of the 40-day action. “Why 40 days?” I asked Rev. Dr. William Barber, co-chair of the Poor Peoples Campaign.
“Because of the 40 days of Moses on Sinai and Jesus in the Wilderness, 40 years of the whole people in the Wilderness,” he said.
“Yes,” I said, “but why is 40 so important to the Bible?” “Well?” he said.
“I was taught it is because 40 weeks is the real duration of human pregnancy. All those 40s are a pregnant time toward birthing. From that perspective, it makes perfect sense to start on Mothers Day, and to think of the “end” of the Poor Peoples Campaign not as the end but as the start of a new and growing child—the Beloved Community just beginning.””
He smiled. “Always good to do some Bible learning!”
The ancient Rabbis said that quoting one’s teacher brings redemption to the world. May it be so! My teacher on this point was Rabbi Jeff Roth, co-founder of Elat Chayyim, founder/ director of The Awakened Heart Project for Contemplative Judaism, and a member of the Board of The Shalom Center.
Back to BXE: It publishes a calendar of pipeline protests s being planned, in the works or on-going. They update the calendar at least every two weeks. It is available here.at https://beyondextremeenergy.org/no-new-infrackstructure-2018-action-calendar/ . It is a calendar primarily for actions aimed at stopping the building of any new fossil fuel infrastructure. Submissions for this listing should be sent to actions@beyondextremeenergy.org and should include location, date(s), description (short) and contact info.
Since The Shalom Center ‘s membership and readership are distributed across the country, I thought many of you might want to know about and join in the activism that BXE reports. If you do, and want resources from us to enrich your participation, please let us know. Write us at <Pipelines@theshalomcenter.org>
BXE has also challenged the Federal Energy Resource Commission (FERC) , which has been a rubber stamp for fossil-fuel company applications for permits to build these pipelines that despoil local communities and scorch all Earth. Their challenges and those of local communities have begun to make cracks in the automatic approvals by FERC..
On June 23-25 BXE and The Shalom Center will be joining with the Poor Peoples Campaign to bring nonviolent direct action to bear on FERC in Washington DC. The Shalom Center has become a co-sponsor of the 40-day Poor Peoples Campaign, beginning on May 13 right after Mothers Day and “ending” (not really) on June 23, at the summer solstice, with a massive action in Washington, DC.
We welcome you, our members and readers, to connect with the local actions and the DC action. For the calendar, click here.
https://beyondextremeenergy.org/no-new-infrackstructure-2018-action-calendar/
When you do, please send us reports, photos, and videos of the actions, for us to share with and inspire others.
I am including the present/ future list below, to give you a sense of the breadth in time and space of pipeline activism.
Let’s build the movement!
Actions to stop fossil fuel expansion:
April 26-29, Western North Carolina: Southeast Trans and/or Women Action camp. . Workshops and discussions on: urban and rural direct action, art & activism, anti-fascist and anti-racist organizing, DIY medicine and first-aid, herbalism, caucuses and much more. More info here.
April 28, Lore City, OH.: Fracking: Your Health and Industry Liability all-day event. https://www.facebook.com/frackingliability/
May 7, nationwide, #ShutDownChase day of action. “JPMorgan Chase is one of the most destructive businesses on the planet.” For more info, including about an April 26th Mobilization call, go to: https://actionnetwork.org/event_campaigns/shutdownchase
May 12, Hammond, IN: “Walk the Line” Pipeline Walk: March against Enbridge Line 6. https://walkthelinenwi.com
May 19, worldwide: Hands Across the Sand, “Say NO to dirty fuels and YES to clean energy.” www.handsacrossthesand.com
June 9, Washington, DC, and elsewhere: March for the Ocean. “NO to offshore oil testing, leasing, drilling and spilling, NO to plastic and other forms of Ocean pollution and YES to protecting our coasts at risk. YES to a Healthy Ocean and Clean Water for All. https://marchfortheocean.org/
June 23-25, Washington, D.C.: Beyond Extreme Energy convergence and actions, including as part of Poor Peoples Campaign mass demonstration on June 23 and at FERC (and elsewhere) on June 25: “There are cracks appearing at FERC; it is time to escalate.” http://beyondextremeenergy.org
July 21, Washington, D.C: This is Zero Hour march. A youth-led call for climate action. “Center the voices of diverse youth in the conversation around climate and environmental justice.” http://thisiszerohour.org
To be determined/finalized:
May 9, Richmond, VA.: Dominion Power shareholders meeting
Mid-June, North Carolina Walk to Raleigh to Stop the Atlantic Coast Pipeline: www.apppl.org
Early September, San Francisco, CA.: Demonstration at Global Climate Action Summit. http://peoplesclimate.org
Sept. 29, Washington, D.C.: Demonstration calling for a halt to the expansion of gas and oil infrastructure and for renewables now. For more information: keepermaya@delawareriverkeeper.org
On-going:
Vancouver, British Columbia: Stop the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Pipeline, Protect the Water, Land and Climate. https://protecttheinlet.ca
Mahwah, NJ: Split Rock Sweetwater Prayer Camp. Support the Ramapough Lenape Nation in defending their right to pray and speak out against new pipelines on their ancestral lands in New Jersey. https://www.facebook.com/splitrockprayercamp
Baltimore, MD: #WeAreCovePoint will be at MDE offices in Baltimore on Wednesdays during lunch time, reminding state officials that their job is to protect our air (and climate), not Dominion Energy’s profits. Sign up for a Wednesday shift.
Middletown, NY, every Saturday 11 am-noon: Shut Down CPV gas-fired power plant on Route 6. www.blog.protectorangecounty.org
Giles County, WV: Tree-sit to prevent cutting down of trees for Mountain Valley Pipeline: https://www.facebook.com/appalachiansagainstpipelines/
Southern Louisiana, L’eau Est La Vie Camp. No Bayou Bridge pipeline. https://www.facebook.com/LeauEstLaVie/
Camp White Pine, Huntington County, Pennsylvania: Stop the Mariner East 2 pipeline. https://www.facebook.com/CampWhitePinePA/
Lancaster Against Pipelines, Lancaster, Pa.: Stop the Atlantic Sunrise pipeline. www.wearelancastercounty.org
Virginia: Three Sisters Resistance Camp: More info here.
Cloquet, Minnesota: Resistance to Enbridge Line 3: More info here
Southeastern Justice First Tour, April 12 to June 23: https://www.dogwoodalliance.org
Other actions of note:
May 13/Mother’s Day to June 23/Summer Solstice: Poor People’s Campaign actions: A National Call for Moral Revival. Nonviolent moral fusion direct actions in numerous state capitols each Monday during that 40 =-day period. Final action in DC on June 23. https://poorpeoplescampaign.org/
Let me remind you: We welcome you, our members and readers, to connect with the local actions and the DC action. When you do, please send us reports, photos, and videos of the actions, for us to share with and inspire others.
Thanks! Shalom, salaam, paz, peace! -- Arthur
