The Common Council will be holding a special session on 03/17/2022 to debate and vote on Resolution 4-R-22. This is the resolution that if passed would express opposition to Enbridge liquid fuel pipelines 3 and 5.
The resolution is sponsored by Alderpersons Vered Meltzer (District 2), Alex Schultz (District 9), and Nate Wolff (District 12). In light of the Ukrainian/Russian war currently going on I reached out to all three alderpersons and asked them the following question:
I was wondering about the timing of the anti-pipeline resolution. While it may be driven by honorable future aspirations, is it appropriate to put forth at this time when Ukraine needs our support? One of the things the current Russian/Ukrainian conflict has highlighted is the need for America to be more energy independent and not rely on hostile foreign countries for our energy needs, and any support for Ukraine is hollow if we continue to import Russian oil.
Is now the time for us to be weakening our energy trading options with America’s long-term, stable, and friendly neighbor to the north?”
I think this question is even more relevant in light of President Biden’s announcement earlier today that he is banning the import of Russian oil and liquid gas.
Alderperson Meltzer responded with the following email:
Thanks for reaching out to me! You raise a very important question and I’ll be sure to bring it up during our meeting on March 17th.
The timing of this resolution was coordinated around the DNR open comment period for the pipeline permit.
There are those who believe that the only way to be independent of foreign oil is to phase out the use of fossil fuels entirely, and the environmental and human cost of pipelines are so grave that even an extraordinary situation cannot justify building new ones or continuing to use existing ones. There are also those who believe that other methods of transporting oil, that cause damage on a relatively smaller scale, are safer than piplelines that cause damage at a massive scale when there are malfunctions. I am not going to claim to speak for the community members who worked with me to bring this resolution forward, whose views are much more nuanced and informed by their own experience, but I myself view all oil pipelines as a threat to Wisconsin watersheds and residents and I follow the school of thought that we need to find renewable alternatives for all fossil fuel use for the sake of the whole planet’s future. Does the current context of Russia’s war against Ukraine call for a short-term or long-term reassessment of these priorities? Does this new situation mean there are different positions that can be taken in regards to our oil use in general, and the threat of the particular pipelines addressed in the resolution? These questions were not anticipated when the resolution was originally written, and I think it’s very important to listen to our indigenous community members and see what they have to say. I also think this is an opportunity for our entire community to become more educated and aware of the deeply complicated relationship between oil and water, and between ourselves and these two resources.”
Alderpersons Schultz and Wolff have, thus far, not responded, but I will post an update if that changes.
Alderperson Wolff did use the invocation he gave during the 03/02/2022 Common Council meeting to express support for Ukraine, stating, “In America we always speak up for freedom. We always defend it, and we should be inspired by the people of Ukraine. What they have done and how they continue to fight every inch for their homeland is inspiring and is remarkable.”
He called on residents to demonstrate their support for Ukraine by wearing the embattled country’s colors, flying their flag, and planting sunflowers.
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