John, What we’ve been able to do together this year is incredible! We just posted our 2023 Impact Report and I wanted you to be the first to see it and have a chance to be part of creating a bigger impact next year! I’m proud of my colleagues who, given what’s on their plate and what we hear on the news, could feel worn down and pessimistic. Yet this team is so excited to get on the ground and organize for environmental justice. And they’re good at what they do! And I’m proud of you because you make our work possible! Okay, here are some highlights of our impact (so far) this year. - New Mexico: Won a ban on new oil and gas leases within one mile of schools and day care facilities on state trust land.
- New Mexico: U.S. Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland put a 20-year moratorium on oil and gas drilling within 10 miles of Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
- Gulf Coast: No major oil, gas, and plastics infrastructure project we’re fighting has begun construction.
- Colorado: The state dramatically expanded public information about oil and gas operations complaints.
- California: Ensured a rigorous environmental review of a poorly understood type of lithium mining proposed for the Salton Sea.
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- Alaska: The EPA effectively killed the long-proposed Pebble Mine, a project that would destroy Bristol Bay and the world’s most productive salmon fishery.
- Climate Change: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg required agencies he directs to consider climate impacts of offshore oil and gas export terminals.
- Climate Change: Exposed the repeated failures of Project Canary, one of the largest gas certifiers. In July, the administration withdrew any involvement in certified gas claims.
- Pennsylvania: Earthworks’ optical gas imaging shows pollution at a new Shell cracker plant in Beaver County. This imaging (and your support) is fighting Shell’s dangerous project which turns ethane into plastic products and hurts the climate and air quality.
- Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico: Deployed optical gas imaging to win media coverage and support for limits on methane and volatile organic compound emissions.
I could go on. These big wins are possible because we believe in partnership with frontline communities and supporters like you. Together, we’re protecting communities, land, air, water and wildlife. What about 2024? We have so much to do. And national, state and local elections mean progress will require all of us working together. Please be proud of what we accomplished this year together. I hope you’ll support Earthworks so we can work to protect communities and the climate in 2024. Thank you. In solidarity,  Jennifer Krill
Executive Director P.S. Read more about our work, wins and challenges in the 2023 Impact Report now available on earthworks.org. |
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