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Fracked Gas is Not Faithful

Leviticus 19:17: “‘Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your fellow countryman. Confront people directly so you will not be held guilty for their sin.”

The Bible verse above reminds us to speak up when we are aware of wrongdoing, or we are also guilty. Recently, several of us participated in the week-long Big Bold Jewish Climate Fest, which included a number of zoom programs presented by Earth Ministry/Interfaith Power & Light. What an enlightening week! Programs ranged from Interfaith Advocacy Success Stories to Treaty Rights vs Fossil Fuels.

One program I particularly enjoyed was on the vital relationship between Native American treaty rights and climate justice. We learned about treaty rights and environmental protection from Seattle City Assistant Attorney Jeremy Wood, and effective and ongoing efforts to halt fossil fuel plants in the Pacific Northwest from Earth Ministry, such as their successful support of the Lummi nation in opposing the largest coal port in the PNW at Cherry Point. (Not only would these fossil fuels be burned in countries with significantly more lenient pollution standards, but they are dirty and dangerous along the way.)

We heard about the “thin green line” of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, whose native peoples, with support from Earth Ministry and others, have been instrumental in stopping shipments from the Tar Sands (oil), Bakken oil fields, and River Basin coal which would cross native lands (and come through Seattle) on their way to Asia. Tribes have a special right to sue and set standards that affect their water quality, even off the reservation.  They have had numerous successes so far but efforts to mine and transport these fossil fuels continue, despite the proven environmental and safety risks.

Currently, Earth Ministry is working to halt the Tacoma site for Puget Sound Energy’s fracked gas (LNG) plant under construction on the tide flats of the Puyallup Tribe’s reservation on the Salish Sea (Puget Sound). This 8 million gallon plant would store and distribute highly volatile fracked gas on an existing Superfund site. In addition to the Puyallup Reservation, the blast zone would include the NW Immigrant Detention Center (which currently holds as many as 1,575 immigrants) and residential neighborhoods with schools and daycares. An accident at the LNG plant (as happened on the Columbia River in a low population location) would have a devastating impact both on human lives and on the tidal basin. Organizers spoke about the moral responsibility to defend the treaty rights of local indigenous peoples, the state of the struggle around Tacoma LNG, and what we can do to support the Puyallup Tribe’s treaty rights against encroachment and pollution by the fossil fuel industry.

The Puyallup Tribe and its environmental partners have both filed appeals challenging the project’s climate impact. As currently scheduled by the court, the appeal will be heard April 12, 2021.

So, how can we help? One easy thing we can do is participate in the photo petition opposing the plant. Just print the poster you see us holding in the photos at this link and post a picture of yourself with the poster, opposing the building of a Natural Gas plant in Tacoma (Tacoma LNG). Send a copy of the picture to Maddie@earthministry.org, and mention that you are a member of Queen Anne Lutheran Church. If you are on social media sites (Facebook, TikTok, etc) post it there with the hashtag #FrackedGasIsNotFaithful.

For more information on this project see https://earthministry.org/tacoma-lng/

You can watch recordings of the programs here:

Earth Ministry/WAIPL hosted two events during the Festival:

Earth Ministry/WAIPL staff and board were also present at these events led by local Jewish partners:

For other Zoom sessions offered over the course of the week, you can see recordings at this link.

—Lisa Kjaer