EarthJustice
La Promesa de Puerto Rico La Promesa de Puerto Rico Hasta ahora, los planes de reconstrucción de la isla contradicen al compromiso por cambiar a energías 100% renovables. Un técnico instala un sistema de energía solar en una casa en Adjuntas, Puerto Rico, en julio de 2018. La isla forma parte de una lista creciente de estados y ciudades de EE.UU. que se han comprometido con la energía limpia al 100 por ciento. DENNIS M. RIVERA PICHARDO / AP Read this story in English. El huracán María devastó a Puerto Rico en cuestión de horas, pero para muchos el mayor desastre han sido las consecuencias…
Puerto Rico’s Promise Puerto Rico’s Promise So far, the island’s plans for rebuilding are at odds with its commitment to switch to 100% renewable energy. A technician installs a solar energy system at a home in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico, in July 2018. The island is part of a growing list of U.S. states and cities that have committed to 100% clean energy. Dennis M. Rivera Pichardo / AP Leer en español. Hurricane Maria blew through Puerto Rico in a matter of hours, but for many, the aftermath was the bigger disaster. In the months that followed, nearly 3,000 people died and the entire…
Beekeepers Fight the Sting of EPA’s Bee Killing ActionsBeekeepers Fight the Sting of EPA’s Bee Killing Actions The Trump EPA just approved the bee-killing pesticide sulfoxaflor. On behalf of beekeepers, Earthjustice is fighting back. Beekeeper Jeff Anderson says the Trump administration’s anti-bee and anti-science efforts are hurting his business. Chris Jordan-Bloch / Earthjustice It’s been a particularly terrible year for bees. While the nation's honeybee populations continue to plummet, Trump's EPA has announced it's allowing the bee-killing pesticide sulfoxaflor back on the market. In addition, the USDA has suspended data collection for its annual honeybee survey, which provides critical information to farmers and scientists by tracking honeybee populations…
Coming Soon to Your Home: Cleaner Air and Climate ActionComing Soon to Your Home: Cleaner Air and Climate Action The world is watching how Berkeley implements a new ordinance moving new buildings off dirty gas to all-electric power. Berkeley City Councilmember Kate Harrison authored the first-in-the-nation ban on gas hookups in new buildings, starting in 2020. More than 50 other cities in California are poised to follow Berkeley's lead with similar ordinances, switching new buildings to all electric power. Courtesy of the Office of Councilmember Kate Harrison Update, 09/04/2019: Since this blog was published, the city of San Luis Obispo in southern California passed a similar ordinance, mandating new…
Toxic Chemicals Leach their Way into our Food: Report Finds Hidden HarmToxic Chemicals Leach their Way into our Food: Report Finds Hidden Harm Today, we are exposed to the harms of phthalates through a variety of food service polyvinyl chloride (or PVC) gloves and food packaging materials, report found. This class of birth-defect-causing chemicals are known to leach into food upon contact. Good news is that a simple fix is available. As years of phthalates research show links to reproductive, developmental and endocrine health problems, including deficits in child IQ and other learning disabilities, we call leaders in the food service industry to eliminate the use of phthalates-containing gloves and food…
Keeping the Wolverine Wild in a Climate CrisisKeeping the Wolverine Wild in a Climate Crisis Wolverines are among the fiercest creatures on the planet, yet even they are fighting to survive in a warming world. Wolverines, says journalist and wildlife biologist Douglas H. Chadwick, are "not afraid of anything. They climb peaks that human climbers turn back from. So they're just fearless, and they're tireless, and they got no end of attitude." Photo Courtesy of Dale Pedersen Wolverines may be among the fiercest creatures alive — regularly challenging grizzly bears and crunching animal bones like peanuts. Yet biologists say melting snowpack caused by climate change could make…
In Memoriam: David KlipsteinIn Memoriam: David Klipstein Dave’s expertise and financial support enabled Earthjustice to grow its fledgling international program into a major force for transitioning the world away from fossil fuels to clean energy. David Klipstein Earthjustice file photo We recently lost a member of the Earthjustice family. Dr. David H. Klipstein, a scientist and environmental champion, passed away on July 1. Dave’s expertise and financial support enabled Earthjustice to grow its fledgling international program into a major force for transitioning the world away from fossil fuels to clean energy. Those who knew Dave recall his kind and generous spirit, his quick…
Francia Márquez, Renowned Afro-Colombian Activist: What Environmental Racism Means To MeFrancia Márquez, Renowned Afro-Colombian Activist: What Environmental Racism Means To Me In an exclusive interview, Francia sat down with Earthjustice to talk about the state of the environmental movement across the globe, the U.S. role in her community’s plight, and how she deals with constant death threats. Francia Márquez told Earthjustice that "people must be more conscious about the kind of officials they elect, because it’s not just the lives of social leaders that are at stake, but the very existence of humanity today." In April 2018, Afro-Colombian activist Francia Márquez won the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize, thanks to her…
Entrevista con Francia Márquez: ‘A Muchos Líderes Ambientales Nos Seguirán Matando, Pero La Existencia del Planeta También Está En Juego’Entrevista con Francia Márquez: ‘A Muchos Líderes Ambientales Nos Seguirán Matando, Pero La Existencia del Planeta También Está En Juego’ En una charla exclusiva, Francia compartió con Earthjustice su opinión sobre el racismo ambiental, el rol de los EE.UU. en las dificultades que vive su comunidad y cómo enfrenta las constantes amenazas contra su vida. Francia Marquez, en una foto tomada en La Toma, departamento del Cauca, Colombia En abril del año pasado, la activista colombiana Francia Márquez fue galardonada con el prestigioso Goldman Environmental Prize, gracias a su labor por recuperar sus tierras ancestrales de manos de la minería…
Major Investments in Infrastructure to Charge Electric Trucks and Buses Coming to San Diego RegionMajor Investments in Infrastructure to Charge Electric Trucks and Buses Coming to San Diego Region The California Public Utilities Commission approved a new electric vehicle program for San Diego Gas & Electric Company, solidifying California's leadership in electrifying the freight and transit sectors. Aerial view of the Port of San Diego Port of San Diego / CC BY 2.0 Today, the California Public Utilities Commission approved a new program that will allow San Diego Gas & Electric Company to invest $107.4 million in infrastructure and charging equipment for medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles. To prioritize investments in the communities that…
Extinction Crisis Looms as Trump Attacks Endangered Species ActExtinction Crisis Looms as Trump Attacks Endangered Species Act Earthjustice’s Drew Caputo breaks down recent rollbacks aimed at the Endangered Species Act, and what they’ll mean for the future of our most imperiled species. A juvenile grizzly stands in a summer wildflower field in Yellowstone National Park. The Trump administration's Endangered Species Act rollbacks imperil grizzlies and many other species. Photo Courtesy of Tom Murphy This week, the Trump administration finalized rules that overhaul the enforcement of the Endangered Species Act, a bedrock environmental law that is both widely popular among the public and remarkably successful in protecting imperiled wildlife.…
Puget Sound Orcas are Dying — Latest Sign of Nature’s DeclinePuget Sound Orcas are Dying — Latest Sign of Nature’s Decline The world’s top scientists warn that biodiversity is in a free fall. Puget Sound’s endangered resident orcas are just the latest victims of short-sighted human actions that are causing an ecological crisis. The Puget Sound orcas live in three pods named J, K, and L. Members of L pod, Admiralty Inlet, Oct. 10, 2009. Tatiana Ivkovich / Shutterstock Three orcas from the Southern Resident population in Washington state’s Puget Sound area are presumed dead after being missing for several months, the Center for Whale Research recently reported. The troubling…
Cuts to Animal Protections Aren’t Surprising to Anyone Who Knows David BernhardtCuts to Animal Protections Aren’t Surprising to Anyone Who Knows David Bernhardt As a former oil and gas lobbyist, Interior Secretary David Berhardt has a long history of proposing regulations that benefit industry at the risk of species extinction. Bernhardt was a top lobbyist for the oil and gas industry before serving as Interior Secretary. DAVID ZALUBOWSKI / AP Who would want to make it harder for vulnerable species to survive on an increasingly imperiled planet? That would be David Bernhardt, Trump’s Secretary of the Interior. Today, Bernhardt dramatically weakened the rules that implement the Endangered Species Act. He is…
When a Canoe Is More Than a CanoeWhen a Canoe Is More Than a Canoe A new film documents Nimiipuu people building their first canoe in 100 years. The Tribe's health is linked to the fate of Snake River salmon. Chris Jordan-Bloch / Earthjustice Chanting rang out across the Snake River as a Nimiipuu canoe slipped into the water for the first time in a century. For thousands of years, the Nimiipuu people, also known as the Nez Perce Tribe, piloted their canoes up and down the tumbling waters of this river through Washington and Idaho. The Snake's abundant salmon nourished the tribe physically, culturally, and spiritually.…
Landmark Coal Ash Law Signals Hope for Midwest CommunitiesLandmark Coal Ash Law Signals Hope for Midwest Communities The new law provides long-awaited coal ash protections in Illinois and ensures that polluters, not taxpayers, pay for coal ash cleanups. A coal-fired power plant in southern Illinois. A new state bill would clean up coal ash from power plants like this one. Jim Suhr / AP Summers in the Midwest are great for outdoor activities like growing your garden or cooling off in one of the area’s many lakes and streams. But some waters aren’t as clean as they should be, thanks in part to coal ash ponds that are…
Montanans Win Latest Fight to Keep Harmful Mining Out of a Pristine Wilderness AreaMontanans Win Latest Fight to Keep Harmful Mining Out of a Pristine Wilderness Area Earthjustice is fighting in the courts and in the state legislature to protect Montana's pristine Cabinet Mountains Wilderness from mining companies and serial polluters. Lifelong Montana resident Tim Flynn encourages his neighbors to rethink the assumption that Montanans must mine at any cost. He supports a state law that holds mining executives accountable for cleaning up their pollution. Eric Ian for Earthjustice [Editor’s note: Recently, a district court judge struck down the state of Montana’s decision to grant a water use permit for the Montanore Mine,…
SoCalGas’ Reckless Strategy to Keep California Tied to CombustionSoCalGas’ Reckless Strategy to Keep California Tied to Combustion Through a network of front-groups, lobbyists, and PR firms, SoCalGas is funding and coordinating a misinformation campaign to greenwash gas and stoke local opposition to building electrification. For gas-only utilities, decarbonization is an existential threat. Gas has slipped under the climate radar for decades, hiding behind its mythical status as a “bridge” fuel. But study after study indicates that to slash building emissions—responsible for 1/4 of California’s greenhouse gases—we need to stop combusting gas in our buildings and power them with electricity from an increasingly renewable grid. Now, gas companies are…
As Alaska Overheats, Trump Administration Policies Could Make Things WorseAs Alaska Overheats, Trump Administration Policies Could Make Things Worse Anchorage just experienced its hottest two days on record. Smoke obscures the sun along the Chena River in Fairbanks on July 8, 2019. Record high temperatures in Alaska in early July worsened wildfires burning throughout the state. Image Courtesy of NASA News headlines this week warn of a “widespread, oppressive and dangerous” heat wave soon expected to grip much of the continental United States. Meanwhile, Alaska recently experienced its hottest two days on record, with temperatures rising to 90 degrees in Anchorage and even hotter elsewhere in the state. Nine…
How Climate Change Is Fueling Extreme WeatherHow Climate Change Is Fueling Extreme Weather The spike in global temperatures is contributing to climate disasters that will only get worse unless we take action. Emily Scott walks through the ruins of her house burned in the July 2018 Carr Fire in Shasta, CA. Climate change is making wildfires more ferocious. John Locher / AP Across the globe, extreme weather is becoming the new normal. Torrential rains and flooding. Record hurricanes. Destructive wildfires. Deadly heatwaves and drought. From season to season and year to year, weather events that were once rare occurrences are now increasingly commonplace. Human activity is…
Fireflies’ Glow Could Soon Be Extinguished by Human ActionsFireflies’ Glow Could Soon Be Extinguished by Human Actions Species’ extinction rates are accelerating on a global scale. We need solutions that match the severity of the problem. A firefly lights up at dusk. Jeremy_Hogan / Getty Images Say goodbye to one of the dreamiest things about childhood. In the Midwest, fireflies are dying off. For many Americans, it’s hard to imagine summer nights without the magical glow of dozens of bioluminescent bodies fluttering above the grasses and fields, and lighting up the dark skies above. But the die-offs aren’t just limited to fireflies — or to the American heartland.…
Earthjustice VP of Climate Litigation Is Ramping Up Transition to 100% CleanEarthjustice VP of Climate Litigation Is Ramping Up Transition to 100% Clean New VP of Climate Litigation Jill Tauber, along with the climate and energy team, are working to spur a swift, equitable transition to clean energy — a task more urgent now than it has ever been. Earthjustice attorney Jill Tauber in a meeting with the clean energy team in Washington, DC. SidexSide Productions When attorney Jill Tauber began her legal career, she didn’t foresee working to advance a nationwide transition to 100% clean energy. “Everyone’s journey is different, Tauber says. “Some people know early on exactly what they…
A Fight for the Right to Breathe Begins in South AfricaA Fight for the Right to Breathe Begins in South Africa South African environmental justice advocates are suing the government to force it to clean up the air in the country’s Mpumalanga Highveld region. Kendal Power Station in South Africa's Mpumalanga Highveld, where the air is heavily polluted by coal-fired power plants. Image Courtesy of James Oatway / CER In the mid-1990s, South Africa’s post-apartheid government overhauled the nation’s constitution. Among the reforms, the country’s leaders adopted a bold, sweeping protection for the land and its people: the right to a healthy environment. Now, as scientists warn that all countries…
Defendiendo Las Tierras Fronterizas del Muro de TrumpDefendiendo Las Tierras Fronterizas del Muro de Trump Clientes de Earthjustice están llevando a la administración Trump a los tribunales para proteger la tierra que los sostiene Ramiro Ramírez visita la tumba de sus padres en el Cementerio Jackson Ranch en Texas. El muro de Trump dificultaría tales visitas. Martin do Nascimento / Earthjustice El muro fronterizo que el presidente Donald Trump quiere expandir, es el megaproyecto menos regulado en la historia moderna de los Estados Unidos. A raíz del 11 de septiembre de 2001, el Congreso le otorgó al Poder Ejecutivo autoridad para hacer a un lado cualquier ley…
Defending the Border Lands From Trump’s WallDefending the Border Lands From Trump’s Wall Earthjustice clients are taking the Trump administration to court to protect the land that sustains them. Ramiro Ramirez visits his parents' graves at Jackson Ranch Cemetery in Texas. Trump's wall would make such visits harder. Martin do Nascimento / Earthjustice President Trump’s border wall expansion is the least regulated mega-project in modern American history. In the wake of Sept. 11, 2001, Congress gave the executive branch the authority to waive all environmental laws when erecting border barriers. Ever since, contractors building the wall have been able to ignore impacts to critical habitat, migratory…
Estamos Demandando Con el Fin de Prevenir El Próximo Derrame de Crudo Como el de Deepwater HorizonEstamos Demandando Con el Fin de Prevenir El Próximo Derrame de Crudo Como el de Deepwater Horizon Exenciones y restricciones a la Regla del Control de Pozos ponen en riesgo muchas vidas Humo negro y fuego se ve en este incendio controlado en el Golfo de México luego de la explosión en el Deepwater Horizon, el 20 de abril del 2010 MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 2ND CLASS JUSTIN STUMBERG / U.S. NAVY El presidente Donald Trump y miembros de su administración que sostienen lazos con la industria de combustibles fósiles están dispuestos a saquear las tierras públicas y las aguas dentro…
We’re Suing to Prevent the Next BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill DisasterWe’re Suing to Prevent the Next BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Disaster Waivers and rollback of Well Control Rule put lives at risk. Dark clouds of smoke and fire rise from a controlled oil fire in the Gulf of Mexico following the April 20, 2010, explosion on the Deepwater Horizon. MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 2ND CLASS JUSTIN STUMBERG / U.S. NAVY President Donald Trump and members of his administration who hold deep ties to the fossil fuel industry have set forth to plunder America’s offshore and onshore public lands and waters, even at the cost of endangering human lives. As Politico reporting has…
La Energía Limpia Está Arrasando el País, Estado Por EstadoLa Energía Limpia Está Arrasando el País, Estado Por Estado Maine es el séptimo estado en aprobar un plan de energía limpia al 100 por ciento, desafiando los intentos de la administración Trump por apoyar los combustibles fósiles. El gobernador de Washington Jay Inslee firma un proyecto de ley que establece una meta de energía limpia al 100 por ciento.en ese estado. Actualización del 27 de junio del 2019: Maine se convirtió en el séptimo estado en comprometerse a adoptar una energía limpia al 100 por ciento. Legisladores estatales aprobaron un proyecto de ley que solicita a Maine a generar…
State by State, Clean Energy Is Sweeping the NationState by State, Clean Energy Is Sweeping the Nation Maine is the seventh state to pass a 100% clean energy target, defying the Trump administration’s attempts to prop up fossil fuels. Gov. Jay Inslee signs a bill that establishes a 100% clean energy target for Washington state. Image Courtesy of the Office of the Governor Update, 6/27/19: Maine recently became the seventh state to commit to 100% clean energy. State lawmakers passed a bill that requires Maine to generate all of its energy from renewable sources by 2050. California, Hawaii, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, and Washington have passed similar…
On River’s Banks, Tribe Defends Its Heritage from Mining ThreatsOn River’s Banks, Tribe Defends Its Heritage from Mining Threats The Back Forty Mine will pollute a pristine river and desecrate sacred sites of the Menominee Tribe. Menominee youth gather at the mouth of the Menominee River with Tribal Chairman Douglas Cox and high school teacher Dawn Wilber. Kiliii Yuyan for Earthjustice It’s no accident that the river that divides the places known today as Wisconsin and Michigan bears the same name as the Menominee Tribe. The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin lived along the Menominee River for thousands of years, and evidence of their ancestral past – including sacred…
How We Defeated a Corporate Scheme to Sell the Mojave Desert’s WaterHow We Defeated a Corporate Scheme to Sell the Mojave Desert’s Water Earthjustice successfully challenged Cadiz, Inc.’s plans to sell contaminated groundwater from a fragile ecosystem in southern California. Cadiz, Inc., wanted to extract 16 billion gallons of water a year from beneath the Mojave Desert. Bob Wick / Bureau of Land Management At Earthjustice, we’re skeptical any time a company announces plans to convert public resources into private profits. Whether it’s natural gas extraction in national parks or logging in a national forest that would displace endangered species, we’re prepared to step in to protect our nation’s natural resources…
