Newport Preservation Society protested over their lawsuit against wind power

“Opposition to clean energy is a privilege. It imposes pollution burdens on poorer communities and communities of color, as it slows down the transition away from fossil fuel electricity sources..."

Around 50 climate activists with Climate Action Rhode Island (CARI) gathered outside the Preservation Society of Newport County’s “Holiday Open House” Tuesday evening to protest the Preservation Society's lawsuit against the construction of wind turbines off the coast of Rhode Island.

In their lawsuit, the Preservation Society maintains that the wind turbines “will inflict severe and long-lasting effects on the character, community, and heritage-tourism-driven economy of Newport, including historic properties that depend on this economy for their preservation activities.”

At least one employee of the Preservation Society, Director of Marketing Kevin O'Leary, was moving among the protesters, saying that the Preservation Society is not against wind energy. The Preservation Society suggested O’Leary, brought their lawsuit because they maintain that the process that approved the wind projects was not adequate. He suggested that climate activists read the original lawsuit.

“I did,” responded one activist. “Every word. Every court brief.”

Problematically, the Preservation Society's lawsuit is rooted in racism and class privilege. In a letter signed by Environmental, scientific, and labor leaders asking for the lawsuit against the wind projects to be withdrawn, quote an article by Leah C. Stokes, Emma Franzblau, Jessica R. Lovering, and Chris Miljanich in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that describes “how anti-wind opposition is disproportionately found in wealthier, whiter areas of the United States and Canada.”

“Opposition to clean energy is a privilege,” wrote the authors of that article. “It imposes pollution burdens on poorer communities and communities of color, as it slows down the transition away from fossil fuel electricity sources overwhelmingly placed in their backyards. The impacts of this delay can be felt for generations.”

“Studies have shown that children exposed to higher levels of air pollution experienced major health impacts and potentially devastating socio-economic ramifications,” noted the letter to Trudy Coxe, CEO of the Preservation Society. “This justice issue is worsened by the fact that the richest 1% emit as much greenhouse gasses as 66% of the rest of humanity. We ask you to consider what you’re asking other communities to bear to maintain your privileged aesthetic view.”

It is perhaps an irony that the Newport Mansions - museums celebrating the robber barons of the last century and temples to grotesque wealth and power - are now standing in the way of our making progress against the energy company oligarchs of today.

As the protesters stood outside, holding signs and chanting, “Drop the lawsuit, Drop it now” holiday fundraiser ticketholders drove onto the the property. Newport Police Officers were on hand to direct traffic and see to the safety of protesters and event attendees alike.

The protest lasted around two hours and was entirely peaceful

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