United States’ citizens deserve adequate water security: Saudi Arabia expose
Saudi Arabia has been unjustly purchasing U.S. water rights and U.S. land to grow cattle feed that is shipped back home. Saudi Arabia was legally permitted to buy these water rights and land despite an 20-year drought in the American Southwest. In Arizona alone, they can freely extract up to 2.3 million gallons of water a day disregarding the drought and the needs of communities and other farmers.
United States’ citizens deserve adequate water supplies and security. Unfortunately, this right is persistently unmet by unjust laws that are depriving many Americans of a healthy lifestyle.
Elected officials band together to fight fossil fuel industry in California
In 2018, a group of elected officials got together to fight the hypocrisy of the Brown administration over the expansion of fossil fuel operations in California. These elected officials continue their work to phase out all fossil fuels and to keep the promise of California transitioning to 100 percent clean energy by 2045.
More than 110 local governments in California have passed more than 160 local policies to protect their communities from fossil fuels. Some measures include phase-out plans or safe zone setbacks on oil and gas drilling, climate lawsuits, divestment from fossil fuel companies, and stopping the expansion of fossil fuel production and/or infrastructure.
As Maine faces climate change — clean energy solutions are in the works
As the world experiences drastic environmental disruption due to climate change, the increasing lack of fresh water is causing conflicts around the globe. But there is hope. Real solutions are already making a difference across the country and world. Maine has large land wind farms, community solar power projects and is developing cutting edge offshore floating wind platforms at the University of Maine, with the potential to export clean energy for the Eastern seaboard. Innovation, research and development grants and American ingenuity just might see the state take a lead in offshore wind development.
Veterans who are elected officials band together to protect America’s public lands
A group of veterans who are also elected officials banded together to keep public lands out of the hands of developers and corporate interests, as well as to protect watersheds and groundwater thereby keeping the land vibrant for future generations.
Launched in September 2018, the group organized 80 bipartisan lawmakers, who are veterans from all 50 states, to sign a letter to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to support the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). LWCF had been stalled in Congress for a year. In January of 2019 the reauthorization of LWCF was signed into law. In July of 2020 fully unabated annual funding for LWCF passed Congress in the Great American Outdoors Act.
