EarthJustice
‘¿Qué Significa Para Mí El Mes De La Herencia Hispana? Se Trata De Orgullo, Empatia E Ira’.‘¿Qué Significa Para Mí El Mes De La Herencia Hispana? Se Trata De Orgullo, Empatia E Ira’. La diáspora hispana y latina es un mundo amplio, incluso dentro del universo cultural en una ciudad como Nueva York El abogado de Earthjustice Julián González (medio) junto con su madre Jackie y su difunto padre Waldemar. Julián González En este Mes de la Herencia Hispana, he estado pensando mucho en mis padres y en la vida que hicieron posible para mí. Crecer como puertorriqueño en Nueva York implica muchas preguntas sobre tu persona. Apenas había estado en la Isla, no hablaba español…
‘What Does Latinx Heritage Month Mean to Me? It’s About Pride, Empathy, and Anger.’‘What Does Latinx Heritage Month Mean to Me? It’s About Pride, Empathy, and Anger.’ The Latinx diaspora is a vast world, even within the larger cultural universe of New York City. Earthjustice attorney Julian Gonzalez (middle) with his mother Jackie and his late father Waldemar. All photos courtesy of Julian Gonzalez This Latinx Heritage Month, I’ve been thinking a lot about my parents and the life they made possible for me. Growing up as a Puerto Rican in New York involves a lot of wondering about who you are. I had hardly been to the Island, I did not speak…
What Happens When a Hurricane Smashes Into Fossil Fuels?What Happens When a Hurricane Smashes Into Fossil Fuels? When hurricanes hit our coasts, vulnerable fossil fuel plants threaten local communities, wildlife, and entire ecosystems with a “second storm” of toxic air, poisoned water, and chemical fires. Here‘s what needs to be done to reduce and eliminate the risks. The nation's largest oil refinery, owned by Motiva and located in Port Arthur, Texas, was forced to shut down in 2017 due to flooding from Hurricane Harvey. Alex Glostrum / Louisiana Bucket Brigade Black smoke billowed from a chemical plant near Lake Charles, Louisiana. The worst of Hurricane Laura had passed,…
Leaking and Looming, Legacy Coal Ash Ponds Spew Poisons. Is There One Near You?Leaking and Looming, Legacy Coal Ash Ponds Spew Poisons. Is There One Near You? Despite a court order, Trump's EPA is dragging its feet on regulating this toxic threat. Andrew Rehn, right, of the Prairie Rivers Network and Lan Richart of Eco-Justice Collaborative paddle past toxic coal ash waste seepage on Illinois' Vermilion River in 2018. Tribune Content Agency LLC / Alamy Stock Photo Update, 10/1/20: The EPA published a grossly inadequate and illegal response to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals' 2018 order requiring the EPA to address the threat from legacy coal ash ponds. Two years later, the…
The Planet Cannot Afford a Risky Choice for the Supreme CourtThe Planet Cannot Afford a Risky Choice for the Supreme Court We need Justices who will make sure our courts remain a place where science and the law beat corruption and privilege. Amy Coney Barrett, a staunchly conservative judge on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, has been selected by Trump to replace late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with an expedited Senate confirmation hearing. Samuel Corum / The New York Times via Redux For fifty years, Earthjustice has been fighting in the courts on behalf of our planet and its people. As the country’s premier environmental law firm, we are…
El Planeta No Puede Permitirse Una Elección Arriesgada Para La Corte SupremaEl Planeta No Puede Permitirse Una Elección Arriesgada Para La Corte Suprema Necesitamos jueces que garanticen que nuestras cortes sean lugares donde la ciencia y la ley venzan la corrupción y los privilegios. Amy Coney Barrett, una jueza incondicionalmente conservadora de la Corte de Apelaciones del Séptimo Circuito, ha sido seleccionada por Trump para reemplazar a la recién fallecida jueza Ruth Bader Ginsburg con un proceso de confirmación acelerado del Senado. Samuel Corum / The New York Times via Redux Durante 50 años, Earthjustice ha estado luchando en las cortes en nombre de nuestro planeta y de aquellos que la…
This Dreamy Alaskan Rainforest is a Buffer Against Climate ChangeThis Dreamy Alaskan Rainforest is a Buffer Against Climate Change The Tongass National Forest is threatened by a rule change that would allow new clear-cut logging. We’re fighting to defend it. A humpback whale breaches in Seymour Canal, with Mt. Sumdum and the Tongass National Forest in the background. Michael Penn Ever wonder what it feels like to hug an 800-year-old tree? Or see a glacier’s blue orbs of ice from the inside out? Or hear the shrill call of bald eagles, by the hundreds, soaring overhead? These are everyday experiences in the Tongass National Forest. Situated in the southeast…
What the Environment Needs in a Supreme Court JusticeWhat the Environment Needs in a Supreme Court Justice As we mourn the loss of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, we must sadly also prepare for a contentious debate over her replacement. People gather at a makeshift memorial for late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the steps of the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., on September 18, 2020. ALEX EDELMAN / AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES For fifty years, Earthjustice has been fighting in the courts on behalf of our planet and its people. As the country’s premier environmental law firm, we know what a Supreme Court nomination means…
‘Ruth Bader Ginsburg Is One of the Reasons I Work at Earthjustice’: Honoring a Legal Giant’s Legacy‘Ruth Bader Ginsburg Is One of the Reasons I Work at Earthjustice’: Honoring a Legal Giant’s Legacy Earthjustice staff share their memories of Justice Ginsburg and their reflections on her career. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, shown here at the Court in 2013, advocated for gender equality throughout her career. Nikki Kahn / The Washington Post Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s fierce championing of civil rights and sharp legal mind advanced America’s vision of equality and justice. The U.S. Supreme Court → A look into Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s scant legal record. Read analysis. → What the environment needs in a Supreme…
It’s Time to Say Goodbye to Household GasIt’s Time to Say Goodbye to Household Gas Gas appliances are polluting our homes. Gas lines cause tragic explosions. Electrifying our housing supply can help. Mari Rose Taruc of Reclaim Our Power is advocating for a safe, reliable energy system that benefits everyone. John Osgood for Earthjustice Imagine you’re moving into an apartment or a house. You ask the owner if there are any concerns you should know about. The owner replies no, other than the highly explosive material coursing through your walls and foundation. They add that there’s no need to worry about the risk of explosion, in the…
‘Debemos creer que podemos cambiar el mundo drásticamente’‘Debemos creer que podemos cambiar el mundo drásticamente’ Un relato sobre cómo la protesta obliga a que las personas en el poder tengan que enfrentarse a las injusticias que su sistema creó Victoria Cassinova para Earthjustice Isabel Valentín es una activista ambiental de 17 años que vive en Viejo San Juan, Puerto Rico. Actúa como miembro del equipo de logística del US Youth Climate Strike. Su historia es parte del proyecto de Earthjustice Lit, que sirve para inspirar acción y alcanzar un mundo más justo, elevando las historias de aquellos y aquellas luchando por la justicia climática. La primera vez…
‘We Have to Believe That We Can Change the World Drastically’‘We Have to Believe That We Can Change the World Drastically’ How protesting forces those in power to face the injustices the system has created “Despite what others may say, protest is no easy way out,” writes Puerto Rican climate activist Isabel Valentín. Victoria Cassinova for Earthjustice Isabel Valentín is a 17-year-old climate activist from Viejo San Juan, Puerto Rico, who serves as logistics director for U.S. Youth Climate Strike. As part of Earthjustice’s Lit project, we are sharing the perspectives of justice advocates outside Earthjustice who are working to solve the climate crisis. The first time I was tear-gassed,…
A Guide for Protecting Our Children from Lead PoisoningA Guide for Protecting Our Children from Lead Poisoning Earthjustice's Better Lead Policy toolkit offers three key practices for eliminating lead poisoning hazards before children are harmed. Paint made before 1978 contains lead, which poses serious health risks to children who live in older houses that still contain lead-based paint. Getty Images Lead poisoning is a silent public health crisis, and the damages to children are irreversible. This crisis is a matter of environmental justice that affects Black and Latinx children at disproportionately higher rates. Globally, one-third of children suffer from the effects of lead poisoning. The number of children in…
Come on, Florida. It’s Time to Help More Citizens With Energy EfficiencyCome on, Florida. It’s Time to Help More Citizens With Energy Efficiency It’s ridiculous that Florida utilities rank near the bottom of all states when it comes to providing energy efficiency programs. Robert Coppock Photography / NREL When utilities make electricity use more efficient, every single one of us wins. It shrinks power bills, and the more energy waste we can cut, the less power we need from dirty coal and gas power plants. It’s also the cheapest path to cut the greenhouse gasses that are blanketing Earth and making our planet hotter. We’ve known about these benefits for decades.…
While Wildfires Blaze, California Is Making Two Important Decisions to Get Us off Fossil FuelsWhile Wildfires Blaze, California Is Making Two Important Decisions to Get Us off Fossil Fuels It’s time for environmental policies that fit the scale of the problem. A man charges an electric car at home before a family trip in Washington state. THOMAS BARWICK / GETTY IMAGES Update: On August 27, 2020, the California Public Utilities Commission approved Southern California Edison’s program unanimously. In addition, the California Air Resources Board unanimously adopted the at-berth rule on the same day. These two decisions are victories for clean air in California. This week, while climate impacts blaze through California and we breathe the dirtiest…
Winning the Fight Against Coal Projects in South AfricaWinning the Fight Against Coal Projects in South Africa Earthjustice's South African partners shut down a proposed 600 MW coal power plant in the Mpumalanga province, sending a message to the country's biggest polluters. An aerial view of Secunda Power Station, one of the coal-fired plants that pollutes the air and water in South Africa's Mpumalanga province. James Oatway / CER On July 21, 2020, the South African NGO groundWork secured a court victory shutting down the proposed 600 MW Khanyisa coal-fired power plant in the Mpumalanga province. At a time when coal and other fossil fuels generate 91 percent…
Fixing Hawai'i’s Power Lines and Street Lights to Save Seabirds and Sea TurtlesFixing Hawai'i’s Power Lines and Street Lights to Save Seabirds and Sea Turtles Bad infrastructure in Hawaiʻi is putting wildlife at grave risk. The solution is actually quite simple. Earthjustice attorney David Henkin holds a Newell’s shearwater chick. Earthjustice Hawaiʻi has a problem that is killing our wildlife. Our communities’ infrastructure – the lights that brighten the streets, and the power lines strung along them – are decimating a large proportion of our wildlife. Nocturnal seabirds such as the Newell’s shearwater (‘a‘o) and Hawaiian petrel (‘ua‘u) are especially at risk. As these seabirds leave their nests to fly out to…
Environmental Leaders in Michigan Fight to Improve Air Quality in Their CommunityEnvironmental Leaders in Michigan Fight to Improve Air Quality in Their Community The DOJ objects to an agreement to provide millions of dollars in public health benefits to local communities. The Ford Motor Company's River Rouge Factory in Michigan, shown here in 2008, is one of many industrial facilities surrounding the town of River Rouge. Christian Burkert / Redux River Rouge, Michigan, a city that neighbors Detroit, is not the same city full of hope that drew Vicki Dobbins’ parents and other Black families from the Deep South to its factories and steel mills in the 1940s. “I bet you…
Trump Said Water Protections Hurt Farmers. An Earthjustice Attorney Fact-Checked Him.Trump Said Water Protections Hurt Farmers. An Earthjustice Attorney Fact-Checked Him. Water pollution has made more than half of U.S. streams and rivers unsafe. So why did the Trump administration end this key water protection rule? Here's a point-by-point reality check of President Trump's remarks on the repeal. A bird researcher rides past water on a ranch in Montana. Ami Vitale / National Geographic In a speech at the American Farm Bureau convention, President Trump declared, “I terminated one of the most ridiculous regulations of all.” The president was talking about Waters of the United States (WOTUS), or the 2015…
After This Year, We All Deserve to Breathe a Little EasierAfter This Year, We All Deserve to Breathe a Little Easier COVID-19 is an environmental justice problem. Electric vehicles can be part of the solution. Charging up an electric car in St. Petersburg, Florida. City of St.Pete / CC BY-ND 2.0 It’s clear that COVID-19’s burdens have fallen heaviest on communities of color. What’s less well known—but critical to understand—is what that has to do with electric vehicles. By moving toward a clean energy transportation system, we can potentially save hundreds of thousands of lives. The pandemic has highlighted the need for this transition more urgently than ever. In coalition…
After Deceiving Bridgeport’s Religious Leaders, PSEG Is Facing the BacklashAfter Deceiving Bridgeport’s Religious Leaders, PSEG Is Facing the Backlash Energy company PSEG promised jobs and local investments to the residents of Bridgeport, Connecticut, to get their new gas-fired power plant built. Seven years later, none of that has happened. The residents — and the city — are done waiting. The new PSEG gas-fired power plant plant sits next to Bridgeport Harbor, Conn. Allison Minto for Earthjustice When Rev. Carl McCluster stands on the front porch of Shiloh Baptist Church and gazes across Broad Street, his eyes take in the towering smokestacks of PSEG’s 50-year-old coal-fired plant — and the…
For Orcas and Salmon, This Dam Plan Is a DisasterFor Orcas and Salmon, This Dam Plan Is a Disaster Leaders in the Pacific Northwest must step up where federal agencies have failed. The removal of dams on the Snake River could save the Pacific Northwest's dwindling orca population. MILES RITTER / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Federal agencies had a once-in-a-generation opportunity to save wild salmon and the orca whales that depend on them. The agencies had four years to get it right — but when they stepped up to the plate, they whiffed. In early 2016, a judge ordered three federal agencies to revise their operating plans for hydroelectric dams…
Los Jóvenes No Necesitan Un Título Universitario Para Luchar Por Su FuturoLos Jóvenes No Necesitan Un Título Universitario Para Luchar Por Su Futuro La activista climática juvenil Mishka Banuri describe cómo venció sus temores sobre el llamado “síndrome del impostor” para unirse a la lucha climática y exhorta a los jóvenes alrededor del mundo a exigir soluciones audaces a la crisis climática. Cactus como el que se ilustra en esta imagen florecen en el desierto que se encuentra cerca del hogar de Mishka Banuri, ubicado en Utah. RACHELLE BAKER PARA EARTHJUSTICE Mishka Banuri es una activista de 19 años de edad y cofundadora de Utah Youth Environmental Solutions (UYES), una organización…
