Cuomo’s Next Step Against Fracking: Reject the Constitution Pipeline

It's been over a year since New York banned fracking and we find ourselves at a crossroads. We can take the next logical step and reject the dangerous fracked gas infrastructure that increasingly threatens our wellbeing. Or we can continue to rely on fracked gas and accept the myriad risks that come with that choice. Like fracking itself, a maze of proposed gas pipelines, compressor stations and subterranean storage caves pose grave threats to New York's most precious resource—our abundant supply of clean water.
The same powerful grassroots movement that successfully achieved a statewide ban on fracking is now imploring the governor to reject infrastructure and embrace a truly renewable future. As he smartly did on fracking, Gov. Cuomo would be wise to listen. To truly lead—both on climate change and on protecting the health and safety of New Yorkers—Cuomo must turn away from new fossil fuel infrastructure in the state.
400+ in Albany Tuesday asking @NYGovCuomo to stop "Constitution" Pipeline + "Deny the 401": https://t.co/NSCBS5Eihx https://t.co/8zxiRQL2nK— Mark Ohe (@Mark Ohe)1460231163.0
The Cuomo Administration has set a very reachable goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050. It's now clearer than ever that natural gas will not save us from the worst effects of climate change—particularly in light of a new Harvard study pointing to vast methane leakage throughout the typical fracked gas supply chain. In fact, natural gas is at least as bad for the climate as coal—it is 8,700 percent more potent a greenhouse gas than CO2 over a 20-year period. And at this rate, 20 years is too late to save us climate catastrophe. Bottom line: New York can't hit the 80 percent goal if it swaps out one fossil fuel for another. That's just what these new pipelines and gas-fired power plants would do.
The good news is that Gov. Cuomo can take the first step today toward embracing a truly renewable future. He can reject pending projects like Constitution Pipeline. This Constitution Pipeline would run from the fracking fields of Pennsylvania into New York's Southern Tier and on to the Capitol Region. It would intersect 277 known bodies of water. Cuomo is likely to decide on the project any day.
Governor Cuomo Urged To Block Constitution Natural Gas Pipeline Project:… https://t.co/cEtQlud9A1 | @ecoanchornyc https://t.co/ZQQjbUGBYI— CLMT NYC (@CLMT NYC)1459957943.0
We know from experience elsewhere that the question isn't whether a devastating pipeline leak will happen, it's when and where. In fact, a new audit by New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli found that pipeline oversight is lax. And New York's Department of Conservation has described “catastrophic erosion events" caused by pipeline installation in a letter it sent to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) about the Constitution Pipeline.
What was FERC's response? They completely ignored New York's concerns, just as they did when Gov. Cuomo asked the agency to rethink the Algonquin Incremental Market (AIM) expansion pipeline—another risky pipeline whose route will run just feet from the Indian Point nuclear facility, 25 miles north of New York City. Gov. Cuomo has rightly expressed concerns about the AIM pipeline and in fact about Indian Point itself. But now is the time for him to leverage all of his political power to stop FERC's unconscionable rubber-stamping of potential catastrophe.
These dangerous pipeline projects are just the tip of the iceberg. The ravenous oil and gas industry has infrastructure plans for all corners of New York State—including another crazy plan to greatly expand an underground gas storage facility in an eroding salt cavern on the banks of Seneca Lake, a state tourism treasure. The list goes on and on.
Trees Cut as Maple Farmers Lose Eminent Domain Battle Over Constitution Pipeline: https://t.co/W3xbp5CS8s @EcoWatch https://t.co/YOOXvWAfIy— DeSmogBlog (@DeSmogBlog)1457016184.0
To truly protect our water, we must turn away from all of these foolish, hazardous choices. Gov. Cuomo banned fracking. Now he needs to move us toward a truly clean, safe energy future. He should start right now by rejecting the Constitution Pipeline.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Federal Offshore Drilling Plan: From Injury to Insult
New Energy Bill Passed by Senate Largely Ignores Climate
Do the Koch Brothers Want to Mine the Grand Canyon for Uranium?
12 Arrested in Earth Day-Themed Protest Against Gas Storage in Seneca Lake's Salt Caverns
Butterflies across the U.S. West are disappearing, and now researchers say the climate crisis is largely to blame.
- New Clues Help Monarch Butterfly Conservation Efforts - EcoWatch ›
- Monarch Butterflies Will Be Protected Under Historic Deal - EcoWatch ›
EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
California faces another "critically dry year" according to state officials, and a destructive wildfire season looms on its horizon. But in a state that welcomes innovation, water efficacy approaches and drought management could replenish California, increasingly threatened by the climate's new extremes.
- Remarkable Drop in Colorado River Water Use Sign of Climate ... ›
- California Faces a Future of Extreme Weather - EcoWatch ›
Trending
Wisdom the mōlī, or Laysan albatross, is the oldest wild bird known to science at the age of at least 70. She is also, as of February 1, a new mother.
<div id="dadb2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="aa2ad8cb566c9b4b6d2df2693669f6f9"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1357796504740761602" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">🚨Cute baby alert! Wisdom's chick has hatched!!! 🐣😍 Wisdom, a mōlī (Laysan albatross) and world’s oldest known, ban… https://t.co/Nco050ztBA</div> — USFWS Pacific Region (@USFWS Pacific Region)<a href="https://twitter.com/USFWSPacific/statuses/1357796504740761602">1612558888.0</a></blockquote></div>
The Science Behind Frozen Wind Turbines – and How to Keep Them Spinning Through the Winter
By Hui Hu
Winter is supposed to be the best season for wind power – the winds are stronger, and since air density increases as the temperature drops, more force is pushing on the blades. But winter also comes with a problem: freezing weather.
Comparing rime ice and glaze ice shows how each changes the texture of the blade. Gao, Liu and Hu, 2021, CC BY-ND
Ice buildup changes air flow around the turbine blade, which can slow it down. The top photos show ice forming after 10 minutes at different temperatures in the Wind Research Tunnel. The lower measurements show airflow separation as ice accumulates. Icing Research Tunnel of Iowa State University, CC BY-ND
How ice builds up on the tips of turbine blades. Gao, Liu and Hu, 2021, CC BY-ND
While traditional investment in the ocean technology sector has been tentative, growth in Israeli maritime innovations has been exponential in the last few years, and environmental concern has come to the forefront.
theDOCK aims to innovate the Israeli maritime sector. Pexels
<p>The UN hopes that new investments in ocean science and technology will help turn the tide for the oceans. As such, this year kicked off the <a href="https://www.oceandecade.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030)</a> to galvanize massive support for the blue economy.</p><p>According to the World Bank, the blue economy is the "sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of ocean ecosystem," <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412019338255#b0245" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Science Direct</a> reported. It represents this new sector for investments and innovations that work in tandem with the oceans rather than in exploitation of them.</p><p>As recently as Aug. 2020, <a href="https://www.reutersevents.com/sustainability/esg-investors-slow-make-waves-25tn-ocean-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a> noted that ESG Investors, those looking to invest in opportunities that have a positive impact in environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, have been interested in "blue finance" but slow to invest.</p><p>"It is a hugely under-invested economic opportunity that is crucial to the way we have to address living on one planet," Simon Dent, director of blue investments at Mirova Natural Capital, told Reuters.</p><p>Even with slow investment, the blue economy is still expected to expand at twice the rate of the mainstream economy by 2030, Reuters reported. It already contributes $2.5tn a year in economic output, the report noted.</p><p>Current, upward <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/-innovation-blue-economy-2646147405.html" target="_self">shifts in blue economy investments are being driven by innovation</a>, a trend the UN hopes will continue globally for the benefit of all oceans and people.</p><p>In Israel, this push has successfully translated into investment in and innovation of global ports, shipping, logistics and offshore sectors. The "Startup Nation," as Israel is often called, has seen its maritime tech ecosystem grow "significantly" in recent years and expects that growth to "accelerate dramatically," <a href="https://itrade.gov.il/belgium-english/how-israel-is-becoming-a-port-of-call-for-maritime-innovation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">iTrade</a> reported.</p><p>Driving this wave of momentum has been rising Israeli venture capital hub <a href="https://www.thedockinnovation.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">theDOCK</a>. Founded by Israeli Navy veterans in 2017, theDOCK works with early-stage companies in the maritime space to bring their solutions to market. The hub's pioneering efforts ignited Israel's maritime technology sector, and now, with their new fund, theDOCK is motivating these high-tech solutions to also address ESG criteria.</p><p>"While ESG has always been on theDOCK's agenda, this theme has become even more of a priority," Nir Gartzman, theDOCK's managing partner, told EcoWatch. "80 percent of the startups in our portfolio (for theDOCK's Navigator II fund) will have a primary or secondary contribution to environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria."</p><p>In a company presentation, theDOCK called contribution to the ESG agenda a "hot discussion topic" for traditional players in the space and their boards, many of whom are looking to adopt new technologies with a positive impact on the planet. The focus is on reducing carbon emissions and protecting the environment, the presentation outlines. As such, theDOCK also explicitly screens candidate investments by ESG criteria as well.</p><p>Within the maritime space, environmental innovations could include measures like increased fuel and energy efficiency, better monitoring of potential pollution sources, improved waste and air emissions management and processing of marine debris/trash into reusable materials, theDOCK's presentation noted.</p>theDOCK team includes (left to right) Michal Hendel-Sufa, Head of Alliances, Noa Schuman, CMO, Nir Gartzman, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, and Hannan Carmeli, Co-Founder & Managing Partner. Dudu Koren
<p>theDOCK's own portfolio includes companies like Orca AI, which uses an intelligent collision avoidance system to reduce the probability of oil or fuel spills, AiDock, which eliminates the use of paper by automating the customs clearance process, and DockTech, which uses depth "crowdsourcing" data to map riverbeds in real-time and optimize cargo loading, thereby reducing trips and fuel usage while also avoiding groundings.</p><p>"Oceans are a big opportunity primarily because they are just that – big!" theDOCK's Chief Marketing Officer Noa Schuman summarized. "As such, the magnitude of their criticality to the global ecosystem, the magnitude of pollution risk and the steps needed to overcome those challenges – are all huge."</p><p>There is hope that this wave of interest and investment in environmentally-positive maritime technologies will accelerate the blue economy and ESG investing even further, in Israel and beyond.</p>- 14 Countries Commit to Ocean Sustainability Initiative - EcoWatch ›
- These 11 Innovations Are Protecting Ocean Life - EcoWatch ›
- How Innovation Is Driving the Blue Economy - EcoWatch ›