Bridge over clean water

Let’s keep it that way

ISABEL BRAVERMAN
Posted 5/3/17

NARROWSBURG, NY — Community members gathered at the Narrowsburg Bridge on Saturday, April 29 for Climate Justice Day. The event, called “Building Bridges,” was a sister march to the …

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Bridge over clean water

Let’s keep it that way

Posted

NARROWSBURG, NY — Community members gathered at the Narrowsburg Bridge on Saturday, April 29 for Climate Justice Day. The event, called “Building Bridges,” was a sister march to the People’s Climate March held in Washington, DC. The three woman organizers—Beverly Sterner, Nora Eisenberg and Jill Padua—put out a call to residents of both sides of the river to come together.

They gathered to voice their concerns about climate change and the Trump administration’s handling of environmental issues. They came with signs, many of which related to fracking. Padua, one of the organizers, said, “We’re gathering together for climate change and for the environment.” She explained that Building Bridges is a coalition that unites all the environmental groups in the community. “There are so many groups in the area, and things happen better in numbers. We’re trying to build this coalition with lots of organizations coming together to promote a clean environment, clean climate, renewable energy, reduce re-use recycle, [banning] fracking—all of the things that keep the environment clean.”

Barbara Arrindell of Damascus Citizens for Sustainability was there to support their work to stop fracking. Building Bridges “represents essentially our organization’s mission, which is to apply science-based information to solutions—how we live and what our future will be,” Arrindell said. “My sign says ‘Our future is pure water,’ and there is no pure water when you put chemicals in the water directly or you have drilling.” She continued, “We have to live thoughtfully, if we’re going to be here in the future, if our children and grandchildren are going to survive.”

Many people expressed those sentiments. “We all want this land and this environment for our grandchildren,” Padua said. “We want a clean environment; we want our earth to live.”

Star Hesse, a Narrowsburg resident and member of the Tusten Energy Committee, was one of those who came out to the march. “I thought it was appropriate that we’re out here in the middle of this beautiful country, and clean water, the gorgeous Delaware, and I just had to be here,” she said. “With what’s going on with the Trump administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the opening of the national park lands for drilling; it’s just scary, it’s just really frightening. Of all the water on earth, there’s only 1% that’s potable, and the Trump administration and others are trying to use that little bit that’s left, and what are we going to have?”

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