Category: News & Opinion

The Biggest Threat to the Colorado River: Thirsty Corporations

Categories

FoodNews & Opinion

by Kat Ruane and Mia DiFelice

Over the past few years, the Colorado River has plummeted to crisis levels, setting off alarm bells for the 40 million people who depend on it for water. 

But recent proposals for cuts on water use have completely ignored a major driver of the crisis: Big Ag. Thirsty mega-dairy cows and cash crops are guzzling the Colorado River at a reckless rate. 

Bad policy and Big Ag’s reign over the Colorado threaten the future of the entire region, especially for those already vulnerable to climate change and water scarcity. To secure a livable future in the Basin, policymakers must completely rethink water use and rein in Big Ag’s water abuses.

Decades of Mismanagement Have Brought the Colorado River to Its Current Crisis

Water on the Colorado River has been tightly managed, going back a century to the passage of the Colorado River Compact. 

Under the Compact, the states split 15 million acre-feet* a year. The Lower Basin states (Arizona, California, and Nevada) get 7.5 million acre-feet, while the Upper Basin states (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) take what’s left. 

Additionally, the Basin is home to more than two dozen American Indian tribes, whose recognized rights make up about a quarter of the River’s flow.

However, the 1922 Compact and its allocations were based on the unusually wet conditions of the time. They didn’t account for the river’s usual flow, for our current climate change-fueled megadrought, or the region’s population boom.

What’s more, the water shortage threatens the vital hydropower produced in the river’s reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell. If water levels sink much lower, they won’t be high enough to flow and generate electricity. This would take relatively cheap power off the table for millions in the region.

In June 2022, the federal government gave the Basin states an ultimatum: create a plan for water cuts, or it would write its own. 

This past May, Lower Basin states proposed to cut their water use by 13%. But this interim deal only amounts to a quarter of the cuts needed for Lake Mead and Lake Powell to recover. And states will still need to go back to the negotiating table before 2026.

Alfalfa and Mega-Dairies Monopolize the Colorado River

These state-level negotiations miss the mark entirely, as they ignore a key regional factor in the crisis: Big Ag. 

The Basin is dominated by agricultural industries that just don’t make sense in the desert. That’s part of the reason Basin states use way more irrigation water than other states across the country. (Arizona, for instance, uses over three times the national average.)

One major guzzler: livestock feed crops. These crops, including alfalfa, account for 55% of water use in the Basin. Our partner organization Food & Water Watch estimates that alfalfa in the Basin consumed 2.2 trillion gallons of water in 2022 alone. That’s enough to meet the indoor water needs of 40 million people for three and a half years.

Another major guzzler: mega-dairies, which confine 500 cows or more. Mega-dairy cows in the Basin number collectively in the millions, and together they need 218 million gallons of water every single day for washing and drinking.

Bad Policy Has Allowed Big Ag to Hijack the Colorado River

Adding Big Ag’s water abuses to climate change has created a vicious cycle. The worse the climate gets, the more water big farms need. And the more water those farms use, the less water is available for other uses — a problem that is, in turn, heightened by climate change-fueled drought.

So why are these thirsty industries so huge in this already dry region? Years of poor state-level water governance and federal policies that favor Big Dairy.

Like the rest of our food system, fewer, larger operations have come to dominate the dairy industry. Weak federal antitrust laws and lax enforcement have allowed rampant consolidation, while federal focus on export markets has squeezed farmers’ prices. To compete in global export markets and keep their livelihoods, farmers feel pressured to “get big or get out” — grow their herds or stop farming altogether.

Big Dairy depends on feed crops like alfalfa — and now, researchers can trace 75% of Lake Mead’s decline over the past two decades to irrigation for cattle feed.

But Big Ag’s greed is not the only culprit. It’s gotten a boost from the region’s inflexible and outdated regime of water rights. 

In the current system, the oldest rights are practically untouchable. So despite record droughts, senior water rights holders like those in Southern California still get the same allocations. As a result, alfalfa production levels have changed little in California during the 2011-2017 drought, with some regions actually producing more.

The Bureau of Reclamation is developing new guidelines for water use on the Colorado River. Join us in demanding that it put families before Big Ag.

send a message

The Colorado River Crisis Hits Hardest for Those Excluded From Negotiations

While corporations can turn scarce water into cash crops, many people can’t even access the water that’s rightfully theirs. 

Native Americans have lived in the Basin since before the U.S. government existed and have senior water rights over states. Yet, allocation discussions — from the original 100-year-old Compact to today — have excluded them.

The result: a patchwork of realized and unrealized water rights. Many tribes’ lack of infrastructure prevents communities from actually using the water they have rights to, while legal battles have tied up some rights in court.

For instance, the Colorado River borders more than 100 miles of Hualapai land. But the Tribe’s rights to the river are pending in Congress, and it’s currently barred from drawing a single drop.

We Need to Completely Overhaul Water Management on the Colorado River

While some communities can’t even get drinking water, industrial farms are guzzling with impunity. We’ve known for decades that the arid West can’t sustain Big Ag. Our governments need to act like it. Continuing down this path will only lead to harm for communities and ecosystems already struggling to survive in a hotter, drier climate.

Now, Basin states and the federal government are considering allocations beyond 2026. State leaders must seize this opportunity and radically rethink their water use.

* An acre-foot is a measurement of water equal to the amount it would take to cover an acre of land with water a foot deep. One acre-foot is about 325,851 gallons.

Building a Better Future in Allegheny County with Sara Innamorato

Categories

ClimateDemocracyNews & Opinion

by Megan McDonough and Mia DiFelice

Update (November 8, 2023): Yesterday, the voters of Allegheny County chose Sara Innamorato as their next County Executive. After the corporate-backed, $1.3-million attack campaign against her, Sara’s victory showed the strength of people power over corporate cash.

Food & Water Action is proud to have mailed 1,600 handwritten letters and knocked on 41,000 doors to support Sara this year. We congratulate her on her win, and we look forward to her future plans to expand voting access, hold polluters accountable, and more.

Update (May 17, 2023): In yesterday’s six-way primary, Sara Innamorato won the Democratic nomination for Allegheny County Executive. She will face her Republican opponent in November but is likely to become the next County Executive, thanks to the region’s strong Democratic base. 

Sara’s victory shows that bold progressive candidates who serve the people, not profit, will win — even in places like Allegheny County where, historically, corporate polluters have dominated the political landscape. 

Moreover, Sara’s win shows the strength of people-powered, grassroots efforts. To that end, Food & Water Action knocked on more than 40,000 doors in support of her campaign. We look forward to Sara’s term as County Executive, as she fights against corporate polluters and for a brighter, greener future for all County residents.

Hers is the latest victory for progressive candidates in the region, including Food & Water Action’s 2022 endorsed candidate Rep. Summer Lee and our supported candidate Rep. Chris Deluzio.

Western Pennsylvania, home to Allegheny County, has become the heart of the nationwide fight to end our reliance on fossil fuels. The region has seen not only the growth of fracking, but now an expanding petrochemical industry. 

Until recently, fracking companies have wreaked havoc on the region — which sits atop the Marcellus Shale formation — with impunity.

But thanks to grassroots movements, including Food & Water Action’s Municipal Ordinance Project, the tide is turning. Now, there are 25 municipal ordinances protecting over half a million Allegheny County residents from fracking. 

Additionally, last year we helped to pass a ban on fracking in Allegheny County Parks. Originally vetoed by the current county executive, the ban now protects 12,000 acres of County park land. 

That brings us to this year’s race for county executive and the campaign of Representative Sara Innamorato. Sara has served as a climate champion in the State House of Representatives and is now running for county executive on a platform that prioritizes clean air, environmental justice, green jobs, and more. Food & Water Action is proud to endorse Sara’s campaign. 

At a recent Food & Water Action event, our Pennsylvania Director Megan McDonough spoke with Sara on the importance of this race, the threat of the fracking industry, and her vision for a better future.

Below is an excerpt from Megan’s interview with Sara, edited for clarity and length.

On the Regional and National Significance of the Office of Allegheny County Executive

What makes this County such an important place for both state and national politics?

When we’re electing our national leaders, people are always looking at where Pennsylvania is going. And here in Pennsylvania, our counties are responsible for the administration of elections. 

In the past, we’ve done an excellent job counting our mail-in ballots and administering elections. But we still don’t exercise the full potential of our elections division; we could be putting out ballot boxes and making it more convenient for people to vote early. 

We have such an opportunity to go further, to decrease every barrier possible, so that as many people as possible can exercise their right to vote. And the excitement and infrastructure we’re building in the County, reaching the 1.25 million people who live here — that’s infrastructure we can turn over into 2024.

Why is the county executive such an important position? Why should people care — whether they live in Allegheny County or elsewhere?

Back in the day, we had a heavy industrial sector and we had — and still have — some of the worst air quality in the country. But the County passed regulations before we even had a federal Clean Air Act. 

It’s the county executive and their Department of Health — not the EPA, not the state Department of Environmental Protection — that crack down on polluters and issues permits. 

When we talk about the amount of pollution we’re releasing from Western Pennsylvania and its impacts, that is within the purview of the county executive. That’s one reason why this role is so consequential; not only for people who live here, but for our region and across the state. 

On the Threat of Fracking in Allegheny County and Beyond

What are the risks of expanding fracking for people who live outside of Allegheny County?

Just last week, I met with folks from Dimock, who I’d been in contact with during my time as a state representative. They’ve been without water, because fracking companies came in and took what was theirs. To this day, they still do not have clean water.

And these guys from Dimock told me that one of their friends — someone who had handled fracking waste — passed away from a rare type of poisoning that he likely got from doing that job, and which he got paid $12 an hour to do.

All three of them — because of their constant exposure to fracking waste and chemicals — are sick. Their families are sick. They’re watching their neighbors die of cancer. 

Elected officials are the protectors of public health, public safety, and the commons. Previous officials have let companies destroy all of those things in the name of jobs and corporate profits. We can’t let that stand any longer. 

When we make decisions about what industries we invite into our backyards, the voice of the community is most valuable. We have this opportunity to set ourselves on a new path away from extraction. To not only begin clean-up and right the wrongs from the past, but also offer opportunities and participation in this new green economy. 

And, we want this to be a regional effort. That’s where we’re going to make a real and tangible difference — not only in the lives of the people here in Allegheny County, but throughout our region, and across the state.

We mentioned the parks ban earlier, the first successful anti-fracking initiative at the County level. Would you support expanding that as a county executive to other County-owned lands, or possibly County-wide?

Absolutely. We believe we have the legal options and that we can exercise the full power of our Department of Health to write an ordinance that will give us the opportunity to ban fracking. That would be an incredible win not only for the County, but throughout the Ohio River Valley. 

It’s good for our economy, too, because we’ve seen time and time again how oil and gas companies come in and say, “This is how many jobs we’ve made. Look at all this money we’ve made.”

And then we see what’s happened to communities that are heavily fracked over the course of 10 years. They’ve lost population. They’ve lost jobs. The income per capita has declined, and devastation has been left in the wake. People are sick. They are without clean water, and they can’t use their farmland or any other green space.

So this is going to set us on a course of saying, “We’re ready for a new economy, one that’s more inclusive, one that is justice-centered.” We’re ensuring that prosperity is shared, especially in places that have been left behind for far too long.

We’re planning and creating the jobs of the future. We can say, “We’re not only going to shut things down, but we’re going to bring in jobs and companies.” We’re going to invite companies that are part of our community and care deeply — that don’t just throw some money at a public works project here and there, but are truly a part of the community. 

That way we can get all of these things. We can win on the environment, we can win on good public health, and then we can win on creating prosperity that is sustained and that is shared. 

On the Relationship Between Public Health, Justice, Jobs, and Climate

How do you plan to tackle the problems of polluters and public health? And are you open to meeting with people to come up with those solutions?

Absolutely. I believe that being an elected official and governing is a team sport. Most importantly, that means working with people who are most impacted by policy decisions being made in halls of power that they typically are not a part of.

We need to go into communities that are impacted by industries and government inaction. And we need to rebuild the Health Department — specifically the Air Quality Division — so we can enforce better, strengthen our health and safety standards, and incorporate environmental justice into our permitting decisions. 

We have a Clean Air Fund, and when the past county executive administration fined industrial polluters, that money was supposed to be directed to citizens who have been most impacted by pollution. For so long, it has been a mystery where that money has gone. The way that the fund has been used has not been transparent, and there are millions of dollars in it.

It would be a small but meaningful gesture to reinvest that money into communities that have been disproportionately harmed by our industrial polluters.

Last year you finished the legislative session by passing the Whole-Home Repair Act. Congratulations! Why did you work to write and pass that bill? And what do you hope will come out of it?

I live in a very rapidly gentrifying urban neighborhood. I have seen development come into my community, which was traditionally very working class. My neighbors were being offered cash for their homes, and rents were rising. They weren’t able to benefit from the investments that finally came after decades and decades of waiting. 

Not only did I see my neighbors go through it. When I was a teenager, my dad suffered from addiction. My mom, my sister, and I left him, and we went from having this really solid middle class life to losing our stability and losing our home. I know how important it is for everyone to have a safe, stable, and healthy home. That really drove my work as a State representative. 

And we can’t think about things like housing in a silo. We have to think about them in an intersectional way. 

In Western PA and across Pennsylvania, climate change is manifesting as more intense rainfall, happening in a shorter amount of time. Basements are flooding, more homes are susceptible to landslides. Our infrastructure — including our most vital infrastructure, our homes — is deteriorating faster. 

I knew that with a home repair program, we would have an opportunity to tackle many things. We would be able to help people stay in their homes, especially in rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods. Having a home repair can make a huge difference in sparking an upward spiral of community development and community investment. 

And, by weatherizing and making homes more energy efficient, we’re reducing our overall energy use. The bonus is that this work cannot be outsourced. People who live in the region must do it. So the money that we are investing in these types of repairs, it’s circulating in the local economy.

On What It Means to Support Her Campaign

We are less than one month out from the election. As in any campaign, the last few weeks are critical. Can you tell us why it’s important for people to get involved right now, and how they can do that?

We’re at a critical point in this campaign where we have the polling. We know that when people know about this campaign, they are more than likely bought in. 

We’re inviting them to participate. We are saying, “There is plenty of room for you because we are a multi-racial, multi-generational, working class-centered campaign. There is room for all of us.” 

And so your time, your money, your networks — they are invaluable at this point in the campaign. That’s what we need on election day. We need to make sure that we’re exhausted. That we have reached every single person that we are capable of reaching. Because that’s the way that we are going to build a better world. That’s how we’re going to make sure that we have key re-elects next year, and we protect what we value most. 

That’s what your investment means. It’s an investment in me. It’s an investment in this vision. And it’s an investment in the future of democracy and this green economy that we are going to build together.

Help us support candidates like Sara and a fracking-free future!

donate now

East Palestine Makes Clear: We Need to Ban Vinyl Chloride

Categories

ClimateNews & Opinion

by Mia DiFelice

When that Norfolk Southern train first derailed in East Palestine, vinyl chloride was one of the top concerns. In the days after, officials on the ground burned more than 100,000 gallons of it from five of the derailed train cars. 

Now, more than a month later, officials have found distressing levels of dioxins, toxic byproducts of burning vinyl chloride, in the soil around East Palestine.

Vinyl chloride and dioxins may have come under the spotlight most recently in February, but they’ve been harming communities for decades. And if our current plastics boom continues unabated, their threat to us will grow.

We can’t let this happen. That’s why Food & Water Action and our allies are calling for a ban on vinyl chloride. 

Vinyl Chloride is a Public Health Nightmare

Vinyl chloride is a colorless, flammable gas used to make PVC, a common plastic. Researchers have linked it to cancers, harm to the nervous system, and birth defects.

There is no safe level of exposure, and yet we find vinyl chloride in nearly every corner of our lives. It’s in our cars, our packaging, the siding on our houses, and the pipes that bring water to our faucets. It’s in our furniture and in the gift cards and toys we give to our children.

We also find vinyl chloride in the water we drink and the food we eat. Notably, it leaches into our water through PVC pipes. Our water supply and farmland are further threatened during chemical spills like that in East Palestine. 

Even worse, as the train derailment reminds us, burning vinyl chloride releases dioxins. These carcinogens can also damage our hormonal, reproductive, developmental, and immune systems. 

Dioxins from industrial processes or accidents like that in East Palestine have contaminated the crops and animals we eat. They can persist for years, and take just as long to travel from the air to soil to food, and ultimately into our bodies.

Making Plastic from Vinyl Chloride Endangers Workers and Communities

Vinyl chloride is used almost entirely by the plastics industry, at great risk to both our health and our climate. 

PVC plastics are harmful throughout their lifecycle, from the raw materials to disposal. These plastics and the vinyl chloride required to make them pose major health risks to workers and surrounding communities. 

Researchers have found vinyl chloride in the air around manufacturing and processing plants, hazardous waste sites, and landfills. The chemical also threatens the communities through which it travels, as we’ve seen in East Palestine.

At the same time, workers exposed to high levels of vinyl chloride have reported a range of health issues. Those include joint and muscle pain and even changes to their finger bones.

Vinyl chloride’s hazards fall especially on low-income communities and communities of color. That’s because much of the country’s vinyl chloride is manufactured in Black and Brown communities in Louisiana, Texas, and Kentucky.

These communities are unfortunately well-acquainted with pollution, largely from the petrochemical and chemical industries. In Louisiana, along one 85-mile stretch of the Mississippi River, rates of cancer have risen so high that the region has been dubbed “Cancer Alley.”

Vinyl Chloride and PVC Will Keep Growing If Dirty Industry Gets Its Way

Vinyl chloride isn’t just a public health issue; it’s part of our climate crisis, as well. Fossil fuels, specifically ethane sourced from fracking, are used to produce vinyl chloride.

In 2022, ethane production hit a new monthly record, and that number will only grow if the PVC market expands as predicted.

This trend is likely to worsen thanks to the vinyl industry’s lobbying. Over the years, its leading trade group, the Vinyl Institute, has spent millions on those efforts. For instance, the Insitute has countered efforts pushing the EPA to regulate PVC waste as hazardous.

Right now, it’s pushing for more water systems to use PVC pipes, rather than traditional metal ones. This would risk vinyl chloride contamination in our water supply, endangering public health and our right to safe water.

So far, these efforts are paying off. The four member chemical companies in the Vinyl Institute have all announced multi-million or billion-dollar expansions to their PVC operations in recent years.

What’s more, as we replace fossil power with renewables, the growth of vinyl chloride and plastics would serve as a lifeline to fossil fuel corporations.

That’s already happening in Western Pennsylvania, just 20 miles away from East Palestine. In Beaver County, PA, a Shell cracker plant has recently begun operations turning ethane into plastic. Already, the plant has violated its permits for air pollution — it spewed as many toxic volatile organic compounds in September 2022 as it was permitted for the entire year.

We Can’t Let Vinyl Chloride Pollution Continue

We don’t have to live with vinyl chloride, and we don’t have to let the vinyl lobby or the frackers win. We have alternatives to PVC plastics that we could be using, and we have laws that the EPA could wield to regulate and even ban toxic chemicals. 

So we’re calling on the EPA to ban vinyl chloride, and we’ll keep fighting until all our communities are safe from it.

Your gift today helps our work for tomorrow. Become a Food & Water Action member.

donate now!

Local Matters: What This Pennsylvania County Election Means for the Region and Beyond

Categories

ClimateDemocracyNews & Opinion

by Mia DiFelice

Update (November 8, 2023): Yesterday, the voters of Allegheny County chose Sara Innamorato as their next County Executive. After the corporate-backed, $1.3-million attack campaign against her, Sara’s victory showed the strength of people power over corporate cash.

Food & Water Action is proud to have mailed 1,600 handwritten letters and knocked on 41,000 doors to support Sara this year. We congratulate her on her win, and we look forward to her future plans to expand voting access, hold polluters accountable, and more.

Update (May 17, 2023): In yesterday’s six-way primary, Sara Innamorato won the Democratic nomination for Allegheny County Executive. She will face her Republican opponent in November but is likely to become the next County Executive, thanks to the region’s strong Democratic base. 

Sara’s victory shows that bold progressive candidates who serve the people, not profit, will win — even in places like Allegheny County where, historically, corporate polluters have dominated the political landscape. 

Moreover, Sara’s win shows the strength of people-powered, grassroots efforts. To that end, Food & Water Action knocked on more than 40,000 doors in support of her campaign. We look forward to Sara’s term as County Executive, as she fights against corporate polluters and for a brighter, greener future for all County residents.

Hers is the latest victory for progressive candidates in the region, including Food & Water Action’s 2022 endorsed candidate Rep. Summer Lee and our supported candidate Rep. Chris Deluzio.

In our efforts to slow down climate change and stop the greedy corporations behind it, local fights matter. We’ve seen how city and county elections can move the needle, especially in key regions. 

Take Western Pennsylvania. The region had a huge influence in the 2022 midterms. It helped elect a Democrat as governor and keep the U.S. Senate blue. It also voted two new progressives, Summer Lee and Chris Deluzio, into the House to represent districts in Allegheny County.

Now, in the lead-up to 2024, Allegheny County’s local elections are the most important of this year. 

Home to the city of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County has faced a long history of extractive, polluting industries. But in this year’s elections, it has a huge opportunity to forge a new future. Our longtime ally, State Rep. Sara Innamorato, is running for County Executive, the most powerful position in the county.

The impact of this election extends far beyond Western Pennsylvania. If Rep. Innamorato wins this election, she will enact game-changing voting rights policy. In such an influential county, getting more voters to the polls could be decisive in next year’s national elections. The turnout here may even decide our next president. 

That’s why Food & Water Action is throwing our support into Allegheny County’s elections.

The Race Is On in Allegheny County

Since the birth of the steel industry, Allegheny County has been subject to the whims of big corporations. Now, the steel industry has abandoned its workers and left behind a legacy of poor air quality and pollution. 

In more recent years, fracking companies have set up shop. They’ve brought even more pollution, while pumping climate-wrecking gas out of the ground. The fossil fuel industry has further targeted the region for petrochemical and hydrogen hubs. 

But the residents of Allegheny County are starting to fight for a different path. They’re showing up for progressive candidates that hold polluters accountable. That includes County Executive candidate Rep. Innamorato.

The office of County Executive enforces pollution regulations and can leverage the county’s multi-billion-dollar budget toward climate action. It makes decisions on policies, protections, and investments that have huge impacts in Western PA and beyond. 

We Need Bold Leaders Who Will Fight for Us, Not Corporations

Past leaders have allowed a host of bad actors to act with impunity in this region. Those include major polluters and huge corporations that put profit over people. For too long, Allegheny County’s elected officials have failed to hold these bad actors accountable. In fact, they’ve often worked with them.

But in this May’s primaries, Food & Water Action is supporting a challenger with a track record of standing up for families — and against powerful special interests. 

Sara Innamorato has represented Allegheny County in the Pennsylvania House since 2018. She’s helped pass legislation that protects families from rising costs, creates good jobs, and tackles the climate crisis head-on.

As Allegheny County Executive, Innamorato will continue that work: from protecting us from criminal polluters, to helping families save money on energy costs, to improving labor standards and creating new jobs in growing industries. 

Sara Innamorato smiles in front of a gray background.
Rep. Sara Innamorato fights for us, not corporations.

Expanding Democracy in Allegheny County Could Make or Break 2024

Electing Rep. Innamorato isn’t just essential for Allegheny County’s future — it will influence the results of next year’s national elections. That’s because Allegheny County is the second-largest source of Democratic votes in Pennsylvania, a critical swing state. We’ll need a strong turnout here if we’re to keep the White House blue. 

Unfortunately, the County has failed to prioritize voter turnout in recent years. The current County Executive has refused to authorize programs that would expand democracy.

For example, elsewhere in Pennsylvania, early voting sites open on the weekends before Election Day. That makes voting easier for working-class residents who work during the week. But Allegheny County hasn’t approved early voting stations. It’s also voted against policies that would make it easier for residents to vote by mail. 

As County Executive, Rep. Innamorato would change this. With her deciding vote on the Board of Elections, Allegheny County would finally enact programs to make voting more accessible for more residents. 

A victory for Rep. Innamorato would majorly boost Democrats’ chances in 2024, including in the race for President. These victories are essential to make way for the food, water, and climate policy we need.

How We’re Electing a Climate Champion in Allegheny County

For the past five years, Food & Water Action organizers have worked on the ground in Allegheny County. We’ve gone town-by-town, passing municipal ordinances to protect communities from fracking. We’ve knocked on doors and supported progressive candidates in key races. 

Now, we’re pouring our efforts into this race. We’re mobilizing our national volunteer network and the grassroots power we’ve already built in the region. We’ll be writing thousands of letters and knocking on tens of thousands of doors to ensure a strong turnout.

The fight for Allegheny County will be a big one. Fossil fuel interests have had the region in their grip for years, and they’ll fight hard to keep it that way.

With new threats like petrochemicals and hydrogen on the horizon, we need a champion in office who will defend County residents. That champion will also defend surrounding communities that are threatened by dirty industries, too.

Allegheny County can move boldly into a brighter, greener future; one that prioritizes working families, public health, and the existential threat of climate change. But getting there requires progressive leaders like Sara Innamorato, who won’t back down from the action we need.

With your help, we’ll elect bold, progressive leaders in Allegheny County and beyond!

donate now

Six Things Biden Must Do Right Now to Fight Climate Change

Categories

ClimateFoodNews & Opinion

Photo CC-BY-SA Gage Skidmore
by Mia DiFelice

In February 2023, President Joe Biden marked the halfway point of his term with his State of the Union address. The address was light on climate, and what climate talk there was focused mostly on the lackluster Inflation Reduction Act. In the speech, he called climate change an “existential threat” — but he hasn’t done enough to treat it like one.

Right now, we have a Supreme Court and a divided Congress unlikely to make meaningful progress on climate. But with his executive powers, Biden could respond to the climate crisis — and intertwined food and water crises — with the urgency they call for. Here’s how:

1. Declare a Climate Emergency

With an executive order, Biden can declare climate change a national emergency. That would unlock several key powers to respond to the emergency — notably, reinstating our ban on crude oil exports. 

Oil exports have taken our energy markets for a spin, pinning prices to global crises like the war in Ukraine. Banning exports would help insulate our energy prices from shocks, while forcing oil and gas companies to cut down their production and their climate pollution.

Biden has already called climate change “an emergency.” But he must officially declare it one to unlock those emergency powers. 

2. Ban Fracking on Public lands

Before stepping into office, President Biden promised to ban fracking on public lands. But he’s yet to follow through. In fact, in the past two years his administration has approved thousands of oil and gas leases.

Shutting down oil and gas on public lands should be a no-brainer. More than a quarter of U.S. climate pollution comes from fossil fuels extracted from public lands and waters. Moreover, fossil fuel operations endanger the wildlife and environment we’re supposed to be protecting.

3. Stop Dirty Infrastructure Projects

The administration can and should direct federal agencies to stop permitting new fossil fuel infrastructure. That includes everything from drilling, to pipelines, to export terminals. 

American gas companies have expanded their plans for export terminals in recent months, responding to the energy crunch caused by the war in Ukraine. But these plans are capitalizing on a crisis with little hope of actually relieving Europe’s energy problems. Moreover, these terminals will be hugely expensive and lock us into gas for decades.

The Biden administration must prevent plans like these from becoming reality. In 2022, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change made clear: any expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure will “rob us of our last chance to avert climate chaos.”

4. Regulate Dangerous Rail Cargo

Liquefied natural gas isn’t just a climate threat — it also threatens communities with the risk of catastrophic explosions. In 2020, the Department of Transportation cleared the way for the transport of LNG by rail. Even worse, it stripped back safety precautions, allowing companies to transport highly flammable LNG like normal freight. 

The recent disaster in East Palestine, Ohio has shown us the consequences of rail deregulation and expanding dirty infrastructure. There, a “100% preventable” train derailment endangered nearby communities, spilling toxic chemicals used by the petrochemical industry.

So far, Biden’s DOT under Pete Buttigieg has dragged its feet on fixing Trump-era rail deregulation. But to keep communities safe and hold these polluting, dangerous industries accountable, the administration must strengthen regulations.

5. Defend Our Food System from Mega-Mergers

In the past few years, food prices have soared. More families are struggling to afford their grocery bills, while farmers see none of the windfall. Instead, that windfall is lining the pockets of huge corporations, thanks to their monopoly power.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. To start, this year the Biden administration can stop a mega-merger between grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons. 

If approved, the merger would subject millions of families to the whims of an even more powerful monopoly. As we’ve seen before, monopolies lead to higher prices and worse working conditions. Through the Federal Trade Commission, the Biden administration can help block this merger and many others.

6. Protect Families from Factory Farm Pollution

Factory farms fuel the climate crisis, sicken neighboring communities, and pollute our air and our water. The EPA is supposed to protect us, but for decades, its lax rules have allowed factory farms to pollute with impunity. 

That pollution threatens human health with respiratory illnesses, bacteria in drinking water, and more. And those health risks fall disproportionately on low-income communities and communities of color.

We need stronger rules to protect environmental justice communities and slow down climate change. Biden can direct the EPA to finally enact new, better regulations for factory farm air and water pollution. 

Biden Can and Must Act Boldly on Climate

We are running out of time. Every day, temperatures rise; a new disaster strikes. The window is closing to secure food, water, and a livable future for all. And the greedy corporations at the heart of the problem are making matters even worse.

But Biden can show true leadership by enacting policy that will actually help families. He can turn the tide on climate change, while also stopping corporate abuses and extractive industries that threaten our communities.

In the second half of his term, Biden can and must wield his full powers as president to defend our food, our water, and our climate.

Tell President Biden to declare a climate emergency.

send your message

How State-Level Organizing Could Spark National Change in 2023

Categories

ClimateFoodNews & OpinionWater

by Mark Schlosberg

It’s easy to feel discouraged with the House of Representatives controlled by hard right-wingers. But federal legislation is only one avenue for change. 

This year, Food & Water Action is working at the state level toward big policies with national impact. Building on our years of work with communities on the ground, we’re growing grassroots power. Because of that work, 2023 could be a banner year, with or without federal legislation. 

From New York, to Iowa, to Oregon and beyond, here’s how we’re moving the needle on food, water, and climate. 

How State Wins Ripple into National Action

Though the national stage gets much attention, we’ve seen how state victories can be just as impactful. For instance, back in 2011, we called for a ban on fracking, despite its popular support and reputation as a “bridge fuel” among many environmental organizations. 

Some said fighting for a ban was politically naive, but we didn’t listen. With grassroots partners in New York, we built a powerful coalition and successfully banned fracking in the state. That helped change the conversation, and the environmental community has now reached a consensus against fracking.

Moreover, the New York ban led to bans in Maryland, Washington state, and communities across the country. It also energized a growing movement working to move off fossil fuels. 

We’ve seen this happen with other issues as well, from banning arsenic in chicken feed in Maryland, to stopping water privatization in California and Illinois. These state-level efforts laid the groundwork for nationwide change. 

Now, we’re building on this history of influential state wins in our current campaigns. 

Fighting Factory Farms With Statewide Bans

For years, we’ve worked to stop the factory farms that dominate our food system, threaten our climate, and pollute our communities. 

In Oregon, a moratorium on factory farms is now in sight. We have a new governor, more champions in the state legislature, and more organizations joining our efforts. This year, we’re doubling down on on-the-ground organizing, helping Oregonians to engage their representatives and communities in this fight. 

A statewide factory farm moratorium in Oregon — the first in the country — would advance efforts against factory farms nationwide. Moreover, it would help us fight factory farm gas, a greenwashed marketing ploy propping up both dirty energy and factory farms. That’s why we’re dedicating more research, national volunteers, and funding for key tactics. 

Protecting Our Water by Going After Its Worst Abusers

Across the U.S., millions lack access to affordable clean water at the tap — but not because there’s no water. We face a crisis of underinvestment in water infrastructure, coupled with policies that put big agriculture and fossil fuel corporations before our human right to water. 

Nowhere is this crisis more extreme than in California, where over a million people lack reliable access to clean water. In 2023, we’re ramping up our campaign for water justice in the Golden State. That includes fighting for a moratorium on fossil fuel permits, factory farms, tree nuts, and alfalfa. These industries guzzle tons of water, even when the wells of nearby residents run dry. 

With upcoming research and new volunteer efforts, we can pressure Governor Newsom to protect our communities and climate. Last year, we successfully moved Newsom to embrace protection zones between oil drilling and homes and schools. This campaign, led by environmental justice groups, shows that big changes in California are possible. 

Now, we’re growing our efforts to stop new drilling permits. A statewide moratorium on new drilling in California would be the first of its kind, setting a powerful national precedent. 

Stopping Fracked Gas in Its Tracks

The science is clear: we need to move off fossil fuels as quickly as possible. That means ending policy that benefits dirty energy companies, as well as investing big in clean energy. 

So in New York, we’re working to ban gas hookups in new construction. We already won a gas ban in New York City; now, the state ban is just within reach, with support from Governor Hochul and more than 80 state legislators. 

At the same time, we’re pushing for the Build Public Renewable Act, which would allow New York’s largest public utility to build new renewable energy projects. 

Not only are we targeting fossil fuels in buildings — we’re working against fracking operations, fossil fuel power plants, and pipelines in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and California.

Moreover, we’re fighting Big Oil’s latest schemes to protect its dying industry. High on our radar: carbon capture and storage. In Iowa, we’re fighting plans for three carbon pipelines that will threaten public health and mask more pollution and emissions.

We’ve spent years on the ground in Iowa, helping to build a powerful bipartisan movement against these pipelines. In 2023, we’re advancing efforts to pass legislation that will stop pipeline companies from wrenching land from families and farmers.

Iowans aren’t the only ones threatened with Big Oil’s climate scams — hydrogen power buildouts, factory farm gas facilities, and more loom over communities across the country. A victory in Iowa will drive efforts nationwide to stop harmful industry boondoggles.

2023 Will Be Our Year — With Your Help

In the face of congressional inaction, we know we must use every strategy we have to protect our food, water, and climate. We’ve seen how state-level organizing can drive huge national changes. So in 2023, we’re doubling down on everything from blocking fossil fuel permits to protecting our water; ending factory farms to exposing carbon capture and other greenwashing grifts. 

But we can’t do it without you. Every campaign starts at the grassroots, with communities pitching in whatever they can — time, expertise, resources. With your help, we’ll secure the wins we need to secure a livable future for all.

Join us in our work toward a livable future for all!

learn more