Organizing Against Pipeline Threats and Building Environmental Justice:
Hello everyone! My name is Aidan Loretz, and I am proud and excited to be writing here as Haw River Assembly’s newest Community Organizer. I am a 2024 graduate from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, earning a BA in Sociology with a concentration in Communication Studies. When I was young, a deep love of the natural world and appreciation for education were instilled in me, largely due to my grandma Jean Mai, a brilliant biologist and educator. At UNCG, I was given opportunities to develop my knowledge and skills around social and environmental justice, and I took them! Attending a guided history tour of the Haw River, the 2023 Ocean Advocacy Workshop, and my introduction to 7 Directions of Service are among my most influential undergrad moments.
Since graduating, I have begun organizing my community around environmental justice issues and networking with local environmental groups, largely through my internship with 7DS. The bulk of my work has concerned opposing the proposed Williams-Transco Southeast Supply Enhancement Project, or SSEP. Multiple environmental justice organizations across North Carolina have come together to form the coalition NOSSEP, and I have spent the past 6 months leading the organizing in Greensboro and the greater Guilford County.
SSEP is a dangerous fracked methane gas pipeline that would pump 1.6 billion cubic feet of methane gas per day through a 42-inch diameter pipeline. That is the same as trying to move 18,123 full Olympic-sized swimming pools through a hula hoop per day! The project would expand its Transco network of high-pressure, methane gas pipelines in five states, which includes two compressor station expansions in North Carolina, and the horrible air quality and health impacts that come with them.
Some asks for this week:
● Go to nossep.org to learn more about the project and the impacts on Guilford County, our air, and our watersheds
● Watch this news coverage of this Thursday’s work session with the Guilford County Commissioners: Pipeline problems: Guilford County commissioners hear concerns over water quality, explosion risk. Commissioners heard from Caroline Hansley, a Sierra Club Senior Organizer and Strategist, and Brenda Chaney, an impacted landowner from Oak Ridge.
● If a Guilford resident, sign this petition to your commissioners: Guilford County Commissioners: Pass a NO SSEP Resolution!
As I write in this space, I want to continue community trends of growth and expanding connections with those around us. I bring a passionate sense of justice, a diverse interest in sociological thought, and a unique perspective on life. I enjoy meeting new people and love discussing complicated topics that everyone at the family dinner table wants to avoid. Our environmental community in North Carolina needs young leaders who can engage in complex social and environmental issues and translate them into meaningful knowledge that is beneficial to the collective consciousness of our community. I hope that I can step into this role with the respect and compassion required. Please, never hesitate to reach out with questions/feelings/thoughts/ideas/opportunities! As I create this space, I welcome all engagement. Thanks everyone!
Take care of yourselves and each other,
~ Aidan Loretz (they/them, she/her)
aidan.loretz@gmail.com