Dear John,

This week, as we celebrate another Earth Day, we’re supporting communities around the country who continue to be innovative and committed to clean, green and just climate solutions for us all. These community-led climate solutions ideated and implemented by those on the frontlines of climate chaos and polluting industry change people's lives for the better every day. 

They are even more impressive in the current climate of intimidation targeting large swaths of the non-profit sector, including universities, philanthropy and community-based organizations for simply doing what they were created to do: serve the public good.

As funding cuts on community organizations and environmental justice related programs continue, critical services that communities across the country (and political spectrum) depend on will disappear, leaving millions without things like healthy food, disaster relief and the chance to rebuild after climate emergencies. 

We can’t let this become the new normal. The ability of community-based organizations to continue providing direct services to millions by leading projects that combat the climate crisis and ensure that regardless of zip code, we can all breathe clean air and drink clean water, is essential now more than ever. Through projects like super fund site clean ups, recovery and mitigation programs after disasters, affordable clean energy, and heating and cooling centers during extreme weather – especially for seniors and vulnerable neighbors – non-profits play a vital role and are a critical part of communities spanning the political and geographical spectrum. 

Federal funding cuts targeting communities and social safety nets don’t save money; in fact they increase costs down the road that we and local, state and federal governments will end up paying for.  

This month, we invite you to remember your neighbors and the community-based organizations that support us all. Let’s lift them up this Earth Day and throughout the year!  

As Earth Day celebrations unfold around the country, we remember the importance of community-based organizations providing critical services to us all. Thank you for working towards a world where we can all breathe clean air, drink clean water, and live on clean land.

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The Green New Deal Network is hosting various community organized events primarily on the east and west coasts this week. If you’re nearby you might want to stop by and join those working for climate action in your area. If you’re already planning an event, add it to the calendar! See what’s happening in your neck of the woods here.

The Clean Water Act that communities fought hard for years ago, was meant to protect all waters, but the EPA is considering a weaker interpretation that will let pollution flow freely into our rivers and lakes and put drinking water and public health even more at risk. The EPA is accepting comments by Wednesday of this week. More information here.

March 28th was National AI Literacy Day, and we thought it was important to make sure people were getting a more complete picture of AI. It turns out – like with most other tech out there – that there’s a piece to the puzzle that they don’t want you to see beyond the flashy branding and exciting things like chatbots: the impact on our planet, our communities, and our pocketbooks. 

AI can’t exist without data centers. These are large buildings that house equipment that stores, transmits, and processes huge amounts of data. Data centers in their current iteration didn’t really show up on the scene until the late 2000’s when technological advances, and the pressures of the 2008 financial crisis, led to what we know of today as a data center. Despite being such a recent arrival on the scene, data centers already account for 4% of energy consumption in the United States, and that amount is projected to triple by 2028

There’s another way data center growth is impacting people: utility companies typically share the costs of building new power plants and transmission lines across their ratepayer. This means that when your local utility company pens a deal to provide energy for a new data center coming to town, you’re helping to flip the bill and your utility costs are going up – for the sports fans out there, it’s kind of like city tax payers being asked to shoulder the burden for a billionaire’s new sports arena. 

Check out this piece we pulled together for more information, including AI and data centers’ impacts on water, land grabs, and militarization.