Cracks in the Fossil-Fueled Facade - July 2025

 

Hi John,

There’s no getting around it: This month brought heartbreak upon
heartbreak, from climate disasters and the horrific budget bill in the
U.S. to forced starvation and famine in Gaza.

At the same time, we continue to see remarkable stories of resistance and
resilience. Nothing embodies this better than the Pacific Climate
Warriors’ signature rallying cry, ‘We are not drowning, we are fighting!’
And this month, the International Court of Justice — the world's highest
court — upheld the Pacific Islanders’ fight for their right to a
future. Naming climate change an “urgent and existential threat of
planetary proportions,” the Court declared that those who fuel this crisis
are legally obliged to stop the harm immediately.

This historic ruling gives new hope to everyone battling to protect their
own community from escalating floods, fires, storms and heatwaves.
Polluting companies and nations now face the threat of legal action for
violating the human right to a healthy and safe environment. Read on for
more examples of hope in the resistance, and in our climate movement's
ability to make progress in challenging times.

In solidarity,

- Team 350

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Cities and States Taking the Lead

SPOTLIGHT: Maryland. 350 affiliate Howard County (HoCo) Climate Action in
Maryland had a major win! After more than two years of campaigning, the
Howard County Council adopted energy-efficient building codes.

This victory makes Howard County the first Maryland jurisdiction to adopt
the latest international model building codes. While the legislation
didn't include everything that advocates wanted, this is still a big win
and advocates are committed to continuing to strengthen the county's
building codes, which are generally updated on a three-year cycle.

* Wondering how to talk to your own community about utility justice?
[ [link removed] ]Join the 350 Network Council for the second webinar in their
two-part series.

SPOTLIGHT: Wisconsin. 350 Wisconsin showed the power in creative
resistance, setting a new world record.

[2]Pictured: Hundreds of colorful origami fishPictured: Some of the 86,262
folded origami fish. (Credit: Devon Young Cupery, shared by 350 Wisconsin)

In a massive collective effort to protect the Great Lakes and shut down
the Line 5 pipeline, 350 Wisconsin and their partners set [ [link removed] ]a new world
record for the largest display of origami fish. Origami was sent in from
every state in the U.S., D.C. and Puerto Rico, as well as Canada and
Mexico, reaching an astonishing total of 86,262 folded fish.

“The collective action of thousands of people who all believe in a future
where water is safe, clean, and protected, has been a shining example of
what is possible when we come together. This immense accomplishment sends
a clear message: Protecting the water now, and for generations to come,
matters more than risky oil pipelines like Line 5.”

— Britnie Remer, 350 Wisconsin

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Standing Up to the Wealthy Elite

SPOTLIGHT: Microsoft. Will Alpine helped Microsoft build an AI tool that
would be used to help fight climate change. Then Microsoft sold it to Big
Oil as a way to turbocharge fossil fuel extraction, causing even more
climate harm than AI data centers.

Will and his wife Holly spent years trying to change Microsoft from the
inside, but ultimately, they concluded that “Microsoft was using [Will’]s
work to distract from the actual, systemic climate harms the company was
enabling” ([ [link removed] ]HEATED). So Will and Holly resigned to found Enabled
Emissions, an activist group that holds Big Tech accountable for their
climate impacts. They continue to boldly tell their story to the media,
including this month’s feature in HEATED. Their story offers lessons on
climate organizing from within the workplace, and the importance of
whistleblowing when such efforts are thwarted.

... & Investing in Community Resilience

SPOTLIGHT: Rooted and Rising. It has never been more important to invest
in community resilience: As the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina
looms, communities on the Gulf Coast are facing the construction of six
huge new LNG terminals and several new deep water drilling projects.
Meanwhile, massive cuts to FEMA, toxic waste cleanups, Medicare and food
assistance leave these communities even more vulnerable to climate
disasters than when Katrina hit.

[5]Pictured: Rooted and Rising attendees assemble disaster relief kits in
New Orleans.Pictured: Rooted and Rising attendees assemble disaster relief
kits in New Orleans. (Credit: Malcolm J)

But local activists have learned a lot about staying strong and fighting
back, so we recently hosted an event bringing faith leaders and climate
champions together to share practical knowledge, strengthen solidarity and
plan ahead.

Participants didn't just talk, they also rolled up their sleeves to
prepare and distribute 2,000 disaster relief kits to local residents. We
thank our co-sponsors, Climate Power, Climate Revival, Counterstream
Media, the NAACP and Whole Kingdom, for making this day possible.

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Resistance Across Movements

SPOTLIGHT: Good Trouble Lives On. On July 17th, the anniversary of Civil
Rights activist John Lewis’ passing, 25,000 New Yorkers stood together to
honor Lewis’ legacy and shut down 26 Federal Plaza, home to New York’s
Federal Immigration Court.

The New York Immigration Coalition shared these core demands to protect
immigrant New Yorkers:

 1. Pass [ [link removed] ]NY4All and No Masks for ICE
 2. Shut down 26 Federal Plaza until there is a guarantee of safety
 3. Bring home all kidnapped immigrants

[7]Protesters hold up photos of kidnapped immigrants in NYCPictured:
Protesters hold up photos of kidnapped immigrants in NYC (Credit: Alexa
Wilkinson, shared by New York Immigration Coalition NYIC)

What does this have to do with climate change, and why should we care?

* Climate justice is migrant justice, and we must stand up in the face
of this onslaught and protect due process and basic civil liberties
for our neighbors, our communities and ourselves.

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One Thing You Can Do RIGHT NOW

Donald Trump has threatened to shut down FEMA at the end of this year’s
hurricane season.

FEMA is one of the few lifelines people have when climate disasters
strike. The federal government has already slashed FEMA’s funding, and now
Trump has threatened to eliminate it altogether. In an era of worsening
climate disasters, this is not only reckless and shortsighted — it is
incredibly dangerous.

Send a letter to Congress today and tell them: Don’t let Trump gut
FEMA! [ [link removed] ]Send a letter »

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