“Laugh Riot” Protesters Interrupt Pro-Fracking Senator Whitehouse



New Haven, CT: Often called a “climate champion” by his defenders, Rhode Island’s Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse faced criticism in New Haven, Connecticut on Saturday for his strong support of fracked methane gas. During Whitehouse’s keynote address at Yale University’s “New Directions in Environmental Law” conference, members of the Connecticut-based climate justice collective Capitalism vs. the Climate interrupted the Senator with a “laugh riot”. Each time the Senator suggested he was a climate champion, the demonstrators roared with hearty laughter. Asked by an audience member what they found so funny, the demonstrators stood up and replied, “It’s a joke that Senator Whitehouse is an environmentalist. He needs to stop supporting Spectra’s fracked gas pipeline expansion. He’s not a climate champion. He’s a climate clown.” They then walked to the stage and held a banner reading “Fracked Gas Kills” in front of the Senator. When asked to leave by police, the protesters left the auditorium chanting, “Hey hey, ho ho, ha ha, ha ha!”

Prior to the Senator’s speech, about thirty demonstrators from 350-Connecticut and Capitalism vs. the Climate protested outside the conference, in opposition to his support of fracking. Several examples illustrate Senator Whitehouse’s record as a fracking champion:

“Something’s fishy in the Ocean State. Why is the supposed climate champion Senator Whitehouse supporting a billion dollar gas pipeline expansion?,” questioned Pia Ward, a resident of Rhode Island.

Spectra Energy’s so-called “Algonquin” pipeline expansion would increase pollution and explosion risks in communities and ecosystems across New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The project would involve the expansion of highly-polluting compressor stations and would carry flammable gas less than 1,500 feet away from the Indian Point nuclear power plant, where a pipeline rupture could lead to “spent fuel radioactivity releases exceeding those of Fukushima” according to the engineer Paul Blanch. Capitalism vs. the Climate and twenty-nine other groups recently signed a letter charging that the Federal Regulatory Energy Commission has so far failed to consider the cumulative impact of Specta’s three pipeline expansion proposals in the Northeast and should not approve any of the proposals without further assessment.

Fracking, a method of extracting methane gas, involves the injection of toxic chemicals into the ground to break up shale rock containing gas. In addition to local water and air pollution, the extraction, transportation and burning processes leak large amounts of methane into the atmosphere, accelerating global climate change. Studies by Cornell biogeochemist Robert Howarth and others conclude that gas is even worse than coal for the climate.

“Senator Whitehouse needs to either stop Spectra’s pipeline expansion or stop pretending he’s a climate champion,” said Dan Fischer of Capitalism vs. the Climate.