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climate JUSTICE Needed
New Jersey elected officials say we should question the validity of intrusive oil company operations that add to the climate crisis – not offshore wind
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Don’t let false attacks delay renewable energy development offshore, Op-ed by Caren Fitzpatrick, Atlantic County commissioner, New Jersey
“.Whales are majestic beings that represent a future of living in harmony with nature. Offshore wind is a big part of that future balance — a future where children have the right to a healthy life free of pollution that causes asthma and other chronic ailments.
“We should question the validity of intrusive oil company operations that add to the climate crisis, not demonize clean renewable offshore wind. The whales’ primary feeding grounds in the Gulf of Maine have been warming faster than nearly any other body of water on earth. Since 2010, water temperatures have been above average 92 percent of the time, and have led to dramatic declines in the whales’ main source of food. . . .” More
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After a year of war, we need a Ukraine Clean Energy Marshall Plan urgently, Op-ed by Alex Cornell du Houx, a Marine combat veteran, a former Maine state lawmaker,
“A year of war in Ukraine has starkly shown how fossil fuels make our world less safe and dependent on autocratic dictators . . .We need a Clean Energy Marshall Plan to help Ukraine rebuild with the security of knowing that they won’t be vulnerable to oil and gas fluctuations, and the dangers of being dependent on fossil fuels ever again.
“It would be inhumane to wait for the end of the war, as millions of Ukrainians are suffering in frigid winter temperatures without electricity. Already seven million souls have been forced to leave Ukraine . . .” More
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Miami-Dade schools should adopt clean-energy goals — and there’s federal funding to make it happen, Op-ed Cindy Lerner, former FL state Representative, former mayor of Pinecres,
“As Miami-Dade County Public Schools prepare to receive 10 new electric buses for their fleet, it’s important to remember that the current fleet of 1,000 diesel buses continues to cost the district millions in fuel costs and negatively impact the health of the children who ride them. Studies have shown that diesel exhaust is a major health hazard and can harm the lung development of growing children.
“Fortunately, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is offering $500 million in rebates for zero-emission and low-emission school buses through the 2022 Clean School Bus Program. . .” More
The California water crisis brought on by Big Oil and Big Agriculture
Communities are being denied the human right to water as thousands of wells are running dry across the state. Low-resource households, people of color, and communities already burdened with environmental injustices are more likely to face severe drought impacts and water shortages. Read more HERE.
Climate change is making California drier. The state, along with the rest of the American West, may have already entered a period of perpetual mega-drought, with conditions in the coming decades predicted to be much drier than the present. .Large agribusinesses and oil and gas operators use massive and unsustainable amounts of water, permitted by ineffective regulations that put profits over people.. . read more HERE.
EOPA hosts webinars on the buildout progress of offshore wind on the East Coast
Over 242 elected officials back offshore wind in New York and New Jersey. Experts and elected officials discuss what’s happening.
Recently there has been disinformation about whale deaths on the East Coast with right wing backed organizations falsely accusing offshore wind survey ships of killing them. It’s more likely oil tanks did as 40 percent of the shipping traffic in the areas is from oil industry transportation, wirh less than 2 percent being offshore wind. survey ships Watch HERE.
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From California to Maine elected officials share their stories with us about how they are working to combat the climate crises in their communities, state and nation.
New York and New Jersey NJ offshore wind projects hit by misinformation
Caren Fitzpatrick, an Atlantic County commissioner, said, “We are so divided and so tribal that a lot of people will not listen to another point of view or another perception, even when it is substantiated by hard facts.”
Addubg in order to cut through the shouting of the minority, there should be town hall meetings and other information sessions with people who are more knowledgeable about offshore wind. Fitzpatrick hopes it will help people see the real benefits to offshore wind and dispel any lies about the projects. Listen to the radio show HERE.
California Public Utilities Commission probes gas price spike
Dominic Frongillo, executive director and co-founder of the group Elected Officials to Protect America, said he is convinced that the best way to protect people’s pocketbooks and the climate – is to transition away from oil and natural gas.
“The fossil fuel industry’s volatility – and collusion, in many cases – is causing prices to spike,” said Frongillo. “And the only way to end this is to accelerate our transition to 100 percent clean energy.”
Listen to the radio show HERE.
Elected officials: EPA should work to reduce methane pollution
Joel Hicks, a Carlisle Borough Councilmember, said many of Pennsylvania’s orphan wells are leaking dangerous amounts of methane, a pollutant 80 times stronger than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. More than 1,000 lawmakers across the country have signed a letter calling for a comprehensive national plan to combat the climate crisis.
““We have literally thousands of untapped wells, and probably none more than in Pennsylvania, The landscape is scattered with many sorts of tapped-out wells that have absolutely no monitoring and no controls over emissions,”said Hicks. Listen to the radio show HERE.
Explore podcasts with elected officials, community leaders, concerned citizens and powerful youth voices from across the country who are actively combating the climate crisis.
Explore podcasts from the City Climate Corner as they explore how small and mid-sized cities are tackling climate change and moving toward an equitable and sustainable future.
Share their ideas and innovations with others.Co-hosted by Abby Finis and Larry Kraft.
For City Climate Corner podcasts click HERE.
Explore podcasts from the Listening Project on the environmental fight in the refinery port city of Richmond, CA. From Chevron refinery’s toxic pollutants and the cleaning up of hazardous materials and from the former Zeneca site to the fight over the Point Molate shoreline, environmental concerns have shaped politics and conversations in Richmond for decades. These podcasts explore the issue.
For Listening Project podcasts click HERE
Radio/Print news reports
A partnership with PUBLIC NEWS SERVICE allows us to share important RADIO news reports from across the country on the climate crisis and action being taken.
Please listen or read the stories HERE.
