Climate Fast New Jersey call on New Jersey Governor Murphy for a moratorium on pipelines, power plants and all new fossil fuel expansion projects
PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING MY WORK
TRENTON, NJ – Environmental advocates with Climate Fast NJ engaged on a 14 days fast to call on New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy to enact a moratorium on pipelines, power plants and all new fossil fuel expansion projects currently proposed in our communities and through our water sources. On November 7, 2018, beginning right after the November 6th election, a water-only fast was held outside the offices of Governor Phil Murphy at New Jersey State House in Trenton; in solidarity with front line communities opposing the dozen new dirty energy proposals in New Jersey. Two of the Fasters, Ted Glick, an advocate for Roseland Against the Compressor Station, and Owl, a member of the Ramapough Lenape Nation, are on the 13th day of a water-only fast.
“The air and water pollution from our Fossil Fuel Industrial Complex is killing us,” says Owl, “I’ve seen men dying of black lung from coal mining begging for a breath of clean air and babies suffering in the hospital from bronchiolitis because the air, itself, is killing them. New Jersey has a critical role to play in solving this global problem. Governor Murphy can and must lead on climate by declaring a moratorium on all new fossil fuel infrastructure.”
Starting with a small circle of advocates seeking to protect clean air and water (see list of 22 endorsing organizations below), now individuals from close to 40 New Jersey towns, New York City, and Philadelphia (see list below), a sister fast in Asheville, NC, and as far away as England and Ireland have joined the Fast. “For the governor to call for a shift to 100% renewable energy and then allow his Department of Environmental Protection to approve key permits for new gas pipelines, new and expanded compressor stations, and new gas-fired power plants is totally inconsistent,” says Ted Glick. ”The first rule when you want to get out of a deep hole is to stop digging. The seriousness of the climate crisis demands that we do just that right now.”
Climate Fasters have been outside the Governor’s office in Trenton, NJ every work day since November 7th and plan on being there every work day until the end of the Fast at noon on November 21st. Noontime gatherings at the State House Annex near the Governor’s Office on State Street with singers and theatrical art are planned for Monday 11/19 and Tuesday 11/20. “We are happy to enter into dialogue with the Governor’s office but I have not starved myself for a meeting. I have fasted for the children that cannot breathe and are getting sick and missing school because of the toxic air from fossil fuel pollution, and for the millions of displaced families and children from climate changed fueled droughts and extreme storms,” says Jean-Marie Donohue, Assistant Director of WATERSPIRIT, “Enough is enough, every sane person agrees, including the Director of Princeton University Andlinger Center that hosted Governor Murphy for a keynote address on energy and the environment last week saying that we should not be building new fossil fuel infrastructure in the State of NJ.”
Those taking part in this action, whether for one day or 14 days, whether in Trenton or elsewhere, will be doing so in support of this call for an immediate moratorium. Governor Murphy needs to announce that the state of New Jersey will give leadership to the nation by declaring a moratorium on all new fossil fuel infrastructure.
The world, our country and New Jersey are in a climate crisis. As this month’s report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change emphasizes, the extreme weather and destructive climate events now unfolding and those already baked into the years ahead are a direct result of the continued extraction and burning of fossil fuels.
The Climate Fast will end at noon on November 21st with the breaking of bread at the State House Annex. Speakers at the event include Robin Tanner of the Unitarian Summit Baptist Church and Rev. Ronald Tuff of GreenFaith.
Climate Fasters have met representatives of the Governor’s Office and are thankful for expressions of concern over the health of the Fasters. Climate Fasters and supporters will continue a dialogue with government and industry to stop our addiction to fossil fuels and fossil fuel infrastructure harming our children, elderly and ourselves.
#Activism #ActOnClimate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #ClimateFastNJ #climatejustice #CommunitiesFightBack #CompressorStation #DefendPeoplePower #EnergyDemocracy #energyefficiency #EnergyIndependence #FossilFree #Fracking #infrackstructure #KeepItIntheGround #MakePollutersPay #NewJersey #NJDEP #NoPipelines #NRDC #OffFossilFuels #politics #SacrificeZone #StateHouse #StopNESE #StopWilliams #Trenton #weareallconnected #wetlands #WilliamsTransCO #YOUAREHERE
© Erik McGregor – erikrivas@hotmail.com – 917-225-8963