Washington, DC — Following EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy’s comments on the “keep it in the ground” movement during a Facebook Live interview with Mashable yesterday, 350 Action Policy Director Jason Kowalski issued the following statement:

“We couldn’t agree more with McCarthy that for progress to happen, activists movements have to push our government to respond. Her comments are an inarguable sign that the work of our movement is making an impact, and that we’re winning. Days after leaked emails showed Hillary Clinton telling Keystone activists to “get a life”, it’s clear that whether or not she had a genuine change of heart on the pipeline, our continued pressure on her and other politicians pushed her to join our side on that fight. We haven’t yet stopped all new fossil fuel pipelines or justly transitioned to a 100 percent clean energy economy, but by pushing those in power to do better for our communities and our planet, we’re on the right track.”

Transcript:

Mashable:

On climate change, we’ve seen the growth of a very strong activist movement in the last 4, to 6, to 8 years, really pushing the administration on the Keystone pipeline, and on other projects. What are your thoughts on what is now sort of morphing into the keep it in the ground movement? Is this unrealistic, or do you see these activists as really being helpful, as providing wind at your back to propel action forward?

McCarthy:

Well, all I know is that without activist movements in the environmental sphere and elsewhere, progress wouldn’t be made. You know, this is the United States, and it’s great! I love people pushing. That’s what you’re supposed to do, and government, they’re supposed to respond, and without that push very little incentive happens to move forward.

Most of the best movements happen from the ground up. I don’t really think the federal government sits around and thinks “how can I innovate every day,” it’s “how do I respond to what I’m hearing?” So I would never deny anybody’s right to keep pushing.  

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Contact: Dani Heffernan, 350 Action, [email protected], (305) 992-1544