St. Paul, MN (Nov. 6, 2020) — Faith and spiritual practice leaders along with laity demonstrated outside the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) asking Commissioner Laura Bishop to deny Enbridge’s Line 3 water crossing permits on the grounds that Line 3 endangers our climate, waters, health and wellbeing of Minnesotans.

Bishop has until the November 14 to make a ruling on the permit.

Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light (MNIPL) organized the event, and Boundless Love Project Mindfulness Teacher Freeman gave the Keynote address. About 50 people attended the masked and socially-distant rally to highlight that the new and expanded Line 3 will generate the greenhouse gas emissions of 50 coal-fired power plants. Those are more emissions than currently generated by all activities within the state of Minnesota.

The rest of this article will walk you through the demonstration.

Singing and Native Land Acknowledgement

Before the event started, Paul Andress led us in the song People Gonna Rise.

Then one of MNIPL’s outreach manager’s, Buff Grace, gave a Native land acknowledgement, tying in how the new and expanded Line 3 will violate treaty rights by going through treaty lands, destroying their wild rice beds, and polluting their waters.

The event was emceed by MNIPL’s Environmental Justice Program Manager Whitney Terrill.

Opening Prayer by Rev. Dr. Rebecca Voelkel

After the Native Land Acknowledgement, Rev. Dr. Rebecca Voelkel led us in this opening prayer:

Holy One, Source of All that is and that shall be, Animating Spirit, Creator, as we gather this day we do so in deep solidarity with all that you have created and given life. We name and claim our place, not as more than or special, but as kindred with the plants and animals, rocks and waters. We name and claim that you have given us to one another so that all of life might flourish.

But we also confess that, too often, human kind has sought to extract, dominate and abuse this sacred gift. We have, too often, chosen to rend the fabric of connection and interdependence. We confess that this pipeline and all pipelines are but one manifestation of our hubris and violence.

And, so this day, Holy One, Source of All that is and that Shall Be, Animating Spirit, Creator, we ask that you might breathe in with each breath that we take, we ask that you might pause our hearts and spirits that we would be reminded of our deepest connections with you and all beings, with you and all plants and animals, rocks and waters. We ask that a spirit of connection and interdependence be upon us.

And we boldly yet humbly pray that you might touch our hearts and our lips, our bodies and our spirits that this gathering, that this protest, that this vigil be done to manifest justice. That our no be a sacred no. That our actions might be directed and informed by solidarity and that which makes for life.

Amen, ashe and blessed be.

Song by Paul

Andress then taught us his song “This Water” as we joined him in socially-distant and masked outdoor singing.

Keynote by Boundless Love Project Mindfulness Teacher

Then the Boundless Love Project Mindfulness Teacher gave the keynote address:

My name is Freeman Wicklund. I serve as the Mindfulness Teacher for  the Boundless Love Project , a nonsectarian nonprofit that respects all religious and secular wisdom traditions and seeks to create a global Beloved Community where all life thrives. Today, I share our message to Commissioner Laura Bishop.

Dear Commissioner Laura Bishop,

When you joined the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, you expressed your passion and willingness to address the looming threat of climate change.

As communities of faith and spiritual practice, we share your passion to protect the climate. We gather today to encourage you to live your values with integrity and courage. With regard to protecting our climate and future generations, you now face the most important decision of your life: whether to grant the water-crossing permits to Enbridge. If granted, Enbridge will immediately start building a new and expanded Line 3 pipeline in Minnesota to ship dirty, chemical-laden, tar sands oil from Canada, through Minnesota, to Wisconsin.

Each of these 50 black balloons represent the greenhouse gas equivalent of one coal-fired power plant. Together, they represent the new greenhouse gases that the expanded Enbridge Line 3 will create. These emissions are on top of the greenhouse gases currently produced by the old Line 3. This carbon pollution created by the new Line 3 dwarfs the carbon pollution created by all activities of all Minnesotans within our state.

Let that sink in.

If Line 3 is built, we will have more than doubled the carbon footprint of the entire state of Minnesota. This is unacceptable.

As long as Line 3 has a chance to be built, this potential carbon pollution hangs over our heads. That is why all of us who care about this generation, future generations, and healing our climate stand courageously united to stop Enbridge’s Line 3. Commissioner Laura Bishop, please live your love and your values and join us in opposing Line 3.

Climate change impacts us now, and it is still ramping up. Hurricanes smash the United State’s southern coastline more frequently, and more intensely. Three-hundred and fifty thousand more homes have been added to flood plain maps in the last year alone. Uncontrolled wildfires rage for months in the western United States.

In Minnesota, we experience more intense heat events and record temperatures. We see our forests retreating northward as temperatures rise. We see more extreme rain and wind events that lead to significant economic and physical harm. Just this August, our Iowan neighbors suffered billions of dollars in damage from the most destructive thunderstorm event in US history.

The emissions associated with Enbridge’s new Line 3 will make these changes more rapid and pronounced. This is why the Minnesota Department of Commerce found the social costs of Enbridge’s Line 3 emissions to be $287 billion over the lifetime of the project. Minnesota’s budget for the last two years was less than $50 billion. The costs are more than 5 times that amount, or 10 years worth of operating Minnesota. Do we want to saddle ourselves, our children, and future generations with this burden? This is unacceptable.

For decades, our friends in the fossil fuel industry have used their enormous wealth and power to set energy policy. But their hearts and minds are clouded by greed. They deny the science and keep pushing forward on a self-destructive path. We need compassionate leaders willing to hold our friends in the fossil fuel industry accountable and tell them “no.” And we hope to count you, Commissioner Laura Bishop, to be among those clear-seeing, compassionate,  and courageous leaders.

We are Muslim, Hindu, Jew, Pagan, Buddhist, Christian, or of another faith, or of no faith, and we depend on leaders, like you, to care about all life on earth like we care about all life on earth.

We are gay and straight, trans and cisgender people and we depend on leaders, like you, to encourage a rapid and elegant transition away from fossil fuel use.

We are Black, Brown, white, Native and newcomer and we depend on leaders, like you, to say to Enbridge, “Due to climate change, we don’t do fossil fuel projects.”

We are rich, poor, and middle class, and we depend on leaders, like you, to protect the Tier-2, high-quality waters that Enbridge’s Line 3 will degrade.

We are young and old together, and we depend on leaders, like you, to protect our lands, our waters, our people, and our climate for all current Minnesotans and for future generations.

That is why we ask with one voice that you deny with prejudice the 401 water-crossing permits to Enbridge because the expanded Line 3 endangers human health and the environment and that danger cannot be removed by a modification of the permits. (See MN Administrative Rules 7001.0140 Final Determination. Subp. 2. (D) for reasons you can deny this permit with prejudice.)

Commissioner Laura Bishop, this is our plea to you: With a stroke of your pen, make this climate threat end! Say “no” to enbridge! Deny their permits!

The Balloon Popping Ceremony

After the keynote, Paul played “People Gonna Rise” while individuals approached the balloons, said “With a stroke of your pen, make this climate threat end!” and used a pen to pop one or more of the balloons.

The burst balloons were then put in a box to mail to Commissioner Bishop. Also enclosed was a pen for her to use in ending this climate threat, a copy of the keynote speech, and a letter from Steve Morse — Executive Director of the Minnesota Environmental Partnership — explaining the many legal ways Commissioner Bishop can deny Enbridge’s water-crossing permits.

Finally, Episcopal Bishop Craig Loya blessed the box, praying that its contents may open hearts and give courage to those with the power to stop Line 3.

Take Action

Help us protect our Indigenous family members, our climate, our water, and future generations. Here’s what you can do:

1. Tell the MPCA and Governor Walz to protect all life and stop Line 3!

2. Learn more about the issue at StopLine3.org.

3. Donate and volunteer for the Stop Line 3 Coalition. There are numerous roles that need filling within the Line 3 movement and one will be fount that matches your skills, interests, and commitment level. Complete the form here to get involved.

Photo Credits for this article: Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light.