"Today and every day there are places like this where people are standing up," said Bill McKibben, second from left, on Monday. (Photo: @WeAreSenecaLake)
Mar 07, 2016
Environmentalist Bill McKibben was among more than 50 activists arrested Monday morning for blockading the gates of the Crestwood Midstream gas storage facility on the shores of Seneca Lake in upstate New York.
"Some mornings fighting for the future means heading off to jail," McKibben, a co-founder of 350.org, wrote on Twitter. "That's okay."
\u201cOur friend @billmckibben receives his cuffs at Crestwood's gates on #SenecaLake #SaveSenecaLake @nytimes\u201d— We Are Seneca Lake (@We Are Seneca Lake) 1457356979
\u201c"Today and every day there are places like this where people are standing up." - @billmckibben\u201d— We Are Seneca Lake (@We Are Seneca Lake) 1457357758
The blockade was part of an ongoing civil disobedience campaign organized by We Are Seneca Lake, the grassroots campaign fighting against a proposal to store methane, propane, and butane in underground lakeside salt caverns. The group says the plan is "one of many projects, including pipelines, which aim to develop 'new markets' for the current glut of natural gas from the fracking boom, committing people to using natural gas far into the future."
\u201cBREAKING: Climate leader @BillMcKibben arrested defending Seneca Lake from underground methane gas storage!\u201d— We Are Seneca Lake (@We Are Seneca Lake) 1457355368
Indeed, said ecologist and author Sandra Steingraber, who was also part of the morning's protest: "This driveway is the battleground of two different visions of the future"--one reliant on fossil fuels, and the other committed to keeping oil, gas, and coal in the ground.
Whether due to low natural gas prices or the ongoing direct action campaign--more than 450 people have been arrested in the past year--construction of Crestwood's controversial natural gas storage expansion has not yet begun.
As McKibben said Monday, "If we can hold off the fossil fuel industry for just a few years, it won't be built."
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
350.orgbill mckibbencivil disobediencefight for the futurefossil fuelsfrackingmethanenew yorkpeople powersandra steingraber
Environmentalist Bill McKibben was among more than 50 activists arrested Monday morning for blockading the gates of the Crestwood Midstream gas storage facility on the shores of Seneca Lake in upstate New York.
"Some mornings fighting for the future means heading off to jail," McKibben, a co-founder of 350.org, wrote on Twitter. "That's okay."
\u201cOur friend @billmckibben receives his cuffs at Crestwood's gates on #SenecaLake #SaveSenecaLake @nytimes\u201d— We Are Seneca Lake (@We Are Seneca Lake) 1457356979
\u201c"Today and every day there are places like this where people are standing up." - @billmckibben\u201d— We Are Seneca Lake (@We Are Seneca Lake) 1457357758
The blockade was part of an ongoing civil disobedience campaign organized by We Are Seneca Lake, the grassroots campaign fighting against a proposal to store methane, propane, and butane in underground lakeside salt caverns. The group says the plan is "one of many projects, including pipelines, which aim to develop 'new markets' for the current glut of natural gas from the fracking boom, committing people to using natural gas far into the future."
\u201cBREAKING: Climate leader @BillMcKibben arrested defending Seneca Lake from underground methane gas storage!\u201d— We Are Seneca Lake (@We Are Seneca Lake) 1457355368
Indeed, said ecologist and author Sandra Steingraber, who was also part of the morning's protest: "This driveway is the battleground of two different visions of the future"--one reliant on fossil fuels, and the other committed to keeping oil, gas, and coal in the ground.
Whether due to low natural gas prices or the ongoing direct action campaign--more than 450 people have been arrested in the past year--construction of Crestwood's controversial natural gas storage expansion has not yet begun.
As McKibben said Monday, "If we can hold off the fossil fuel industry for just a few years, it won't be built."
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
Environmentalist Bill McKibben was among more than 50 activists arrested Monday morning for blockading the gates of the Crestwood Midstream gas storage facility on the shores of Seneca Lake in upstate New York.
"Some mornings fighting for the future means heading off to jail," McKibben, a co-founder of 350.org, wrote on Twitter. "That's okay."
\u201cOur friend @billmckibben receives his cuffs at Crestwood's gates on #SenecaLake #SaveSenecaLake @nytimes\u201d— We Are Seneca Lake (@We Are Seneca Lake) 1457356979
\u201c"Today and every day there are places like this where people are standing up." - @billmckibben\u201d— We Are Seneca Lake (@We Are Seneca Lake) 1457357758
The blockade was part of an ongoing civil disobedience campaign organized by We Are Seneca Lake, the grassroots campaign fighting against a proposal to store methane, propane, and butane in underground lakeside salt caverns. The group says the plan is "one of many projects, including pipelines, which aim to develop 'new markets' for the current glut of natural gas from the fracking boom, committing people to using natural gas far into the future."
\u201cBREAKING: Climate leader @BillMcKibben arrested defending Seneca Lake from underground methane gas storage!\u201d— We Are Seneca Lake (@We Are Seneca Lake) 1457355368
Indeed, said ecologist and author Sandra Steingraber, who was also part of the morning's protest: "This driveway is the battleground of two different visions of the future"--one reliant on fossil fuels, and the other committed to keeping oil, gas, and coal in the ground.
Whether due to low natural gas prices or the ongoing direct action campaign--more than 450 people have been arrested in the past year--construction of Crestwood's controversial natural gas storage expansion has not yet begun.
As McKibben said Monday, "If we can hold off the fossil fuel industry for just a few years, it won't be built."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.