A rally and press conference was held at Drexel University’s Creese Student Center on Chestnut St. Friday to protest an oil and industry promotional conference hosted there by the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce’s Council for Growth. 

People who live in, work in, and love Philadelphia gathered to warn potential investors  attending the “Greater Philadelphia: The Next Energy Hub” conference that investing in fossil fuels is a dangerous and self-limiting investment and that people will not tolerate Philadelphia being forced into becoming a sacrifice zone. 

Philadelphians are already burdened with air and water pollution and refuse to bear the brunt of the dirty and dangerous development the industry is pushing.

Rather than more polluting infrastructure and facilities using the fossil fuels of the last century, signs, banners, and chants called for a green future based on renewable energy, energy efficiency, and green jobs. 

At a press conference, representatives of neighborhood groups, local green energy businesses, and community leaders protested the dirty energy conference, announced they will fight plans to develop a Philadelphia shale gas and oil “hub”, and demanded a conversion to a clean energy economy.

Meanwhile, community members distributed an open letter to the conference attendees warning them to avoid investments in Philadelphia fossil fuel infrastructure.

Speakers at the press conference hit on the rally’s themes: Philadelphia is not for sale to fossil fuel companies; public health and safety is paramount and must be the priority for policymakers; public involvement is essential in shaping a healthy future for the neighborhoods and communities of the city and people must not be left in the dark about how a dirty energy hub would affect them and their families; a clean and green energy economy provides stable jobs, sustainable growth, and a healthy environment. 

Speakers were: Kevin Poole, Northeast Grays Ferry Residents Association; Dr. Poune Saberi, Philadelphia Physicians for Social Responsibility; John Scorsone, SolareAmerica, Matthew Wang, Drexel University student, Fossil Free Drexel.

Kevin Poole, Communications Liaison for the Northeast Grays Ferry Residents Association, Inc. spoke on behalf of the neighborhood, expressing the group’s concerns about pollution and safety. 

The mile-long trains that carry highly volatile domestic crude oil to Philadelphia Energy Solutions facility in Philadelphia cut through his neighborhood, exposing the people who live there to pollution and the risk of catastrophe should there be an accident.

Pouné Saberi, MD, MPH, Board member Philadelphia Physicians for Social Responsibility stated, "The medical community in Philadelphia offers top quality care to keep Philadelphians healthy. The toxic backroom deals planned by this business coalition will multiply health hazards for workers and residents. That shows their utter disregard for the hard work that we health care professionals take pride in. If any of the local politicians back this plan without proper assessment of cumulative health and environmental impacts, they will also be showing their lack of dedication in serving our city's most vulnerable and us residents and workers."

“If the goal of this conference is to promote 21st Century job creation that continues Philadelphia's return to prominence on the world stage, they are looking at the wrong energy source.  Renewable Energy is the answer for the kind of job and energy creation that doesn't require we put the city on stilts by 2050 or sooner,” said John Scorsone, President and co-founder, SolareAmerica.

Matthew Wang, Drexel University student activist, Fossil Free Drexel stated, “Drexel is committed to becoming the most civically engaged university in the United States according to President John A. Fry.  So, why then would they host an exclusive executive summit that plans to sell the future of Philadelphia as a fossil fuel industry sacrifice zone?  My goal is to see the university stick to the respectable ethics and morals that I know it has.  The businesses and institutions that claim to be the pride of the city must engage the community in open and active dialogue on issues that clearly affect all."

“We must stop the pillaging of our environment and communities by the corporations and their servants in the government.  We must ensure that public utilities like PGW are publicly owned and operated for the public good and not the demands of maximizing profit for the 1 percent.  Our survival requires that we build a new energy infrastructure without fossil fuels and that is based upon renewable resources.  Our scientists tell us that current practices will soon end the ability of the earth to sustain human life.  We need to struggle against fossil fuel energy policies that serve the billionaires at the expense of the people like our lives depend on it, because they do,” said Jed Dodd, General Chairman, Pennsylvania Federation BMWED-Teamsters.

Arthur Berman, Director, Labyrinth Consulting Services, an independent analyst, supplied a written statement critically analyzing the future of shale gas production and the folly of investment in natural gas export and other development based on the uncertainty of supply. He stated, “The U.S. LNG [Liquified Natural Gas] industry has the worst investment track record in the energy sector and its present push to export gas is merely the latest installment of folly."  In a document entitled “The Brief Candle of the U.S. Shale Gas Revolution” he explains why an energy hub based on shale gas is a bad long term investment: “The so-called shale gas revolution will be over before Philadelphia completes its doomed gas hub project.”

The organizations supporting the rally include: 350 Philadelphia, Berks Gas Truth, Clean Air Council, Clean Water Action, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Food & Water Watch, Keystone Catholics, Maypop Collective, North of Washington Avenue Coalition, PennEnvironment, Pennsylvania Federation BMWED – Teamsters, Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign, Philadelphia Area Student Fossil Fuel Divestment Campaigns, Philadelphia Be the Change, Philadelphia Interfaith Power and Light, Protecting our Waters, Rising Tide Philly, Sierra Club and Beyond Natural Gas.

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12/8/2014