Extinction Rebellion takes over DC Council in full hazmat suits against gas project

Video from XRDC's Twitter clips 41 sec

On the 7th of June, Extinction Rebellion DC activists in full hazmat suits took over the DC Council chamber while the council was in session.They used a loudspeaker to play Antonio Guterres's speech before the UN demanding an end to investments in new fossil fuel infrastructure, then chanted "DMV, gas free!"

This is part of XRDC's campaign against a proposal to spend over $5 billion to replace Washington Gas's rusty and leaking gas distribution pipeline network. XRDC proposes that the money be spend instead on electrification, which is intended to be compatable with future renewable energy supplies. A potential future emergency ban on the use of oil and gas would flush that (now very late) $5 billion investment in Washington Gas's pipes down the toilet. Replacing residential and commercial gas usage with electricity would allow shutting down Washington Gas entirely, ending the methane leaks altogether. This of course would have to be followed up with a shift to renewable sources of electricity, rather than burning fracked gas to generate the electricity replacing burning fracked gas at home.

Author's commentary: The amount of energy available from renewable electrical generation probably exceeds the amount available from methane capture at sewage systems etc. Unless sewer gas can be generated in sufficient quantity to pay for pipelines it would be cheaper to bottle it under pressure for camping and torch uses. It is doubtful Blue Plains even after optimization for renewable methane production could produce enough renewable gas for uses beyond cooking. I do not know if it would be affordable for homeowners to pay the cost of maintaining Washington Gas's pipelines if they can only get enough captured gas to run their stoves. As for "natural" gas (named to distinguish it from coal gas), fracking fossil fuel gas is clearly not sustainable and the planet is quite literally being "cooked with gas."