Nearly five months have passed since we began experiencing the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. I hope you and your loved ones are safe and doing as well as possible.
It’s more important than ever for us to feel connected and informed. That’s why I wanted to share an update on the work that you’ve supported to help people and communities across the country. From calling and writing to your representatives to making donations, you have continued to fight for people in need through your amazing generosity, support and involvement. From the bottom of our hearts, we can't thank you enough.
So, what has been happening the past few months at Food & Water Watch? Here's a quick check-in on our latest fights and wins.
Currently we are suing the Trump administration on many fronts. Here’s a snapshot:
Waters of the United States (WOTUS):The Trump administration is threatening the drinking water of 117 million Americans with the biggest environmental rollback of the Clean Water Act in decades — a dangerous new rule that eliminates Clean Water Act protections for many waterways. We’ve joined forces with four other environmental organizations to sue the Trump administration and put a stop to this attack against our water;
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA): Trump’s new rule shortcuts environmental review and eliminates consideration of climate change impacts. It not only gives Big Oil & Gas companies rubber-stamp approval for new pipelines and polluting infrastructure, but also gives Big Ag free range to expand factory farms. Food & Water Watch is on the frontlines with a coalition of organizations that just filed a lawsuit to stop this dangerous rollback;
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC): In a groundbreaking lawsuit, Food & Water Watch is fighting to force a key federal agency to follow the law and evaluate indirect effects, including climate change, before it permits dirty fossil fuel projects; and
Slaughterhouse Food Safety Rollbacks: Food & Water Watch is leading a federal lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Agriculture's new rule to remove food safety protections in hog slaughterhouses. This illegal rule is a disaster for food safety and animal welfare.
Your ongoing support has also kept us focused on other critical fights to protect people and our planet. And your commitment is paying off! It’s amazing to think about what we’ve accomplished together in just the past few months alone. With your support, we:
Led the fight to stop water shutoffs in Washington D.C., 16 states, and more than 700 cities and towns across the country — protecting 220 million Americans (67% of the U.S. population);
Mobilized more than 30,000 people to demand Congress oppose Big Oil bailouts;
Demanded that the EPA and USDA step up to enforce basic protections for our food, water and environment; and
Fought to enforce basic safety protocols and provide safety equipment for the people who process and inspect our food, to protect their health and help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
We couldn’t have done all this without you. You signed petitions, sent emails and texts to your elected representatives, made calls to Congressional leaders, and donated to help fuel these fights. Your support has made a difference, and together we’ll keep fighting! Right now, we’re working hard to:
Protect public lands as Trump sells off our public lands to Big Oil & Gas and recklessly rolls back environmental protections for iconic landscapes — including Chaco Canyon.Take action now!
Continue to keep bailouts for Big Oil & Gas out of federal coronavirus relief legislation;
Fight for a permanent, national moratorium on water shutoffs; and
Stopped the oil and gas industry from getting direct, industry-specific bailouts in the coronavirus relief packages.
Having you by our side in what feels like such chaotic times fills me with hope for the future — hope that we can build the power we need to hold corporations and our government accountable in order to create a world where everyone has access to safe food, clean drinking water and a livable climate.
Together we can take on the biggest issues and win.
Onward together,
Wenonah Hauter
Founder and Executive Director
Food & Water Watch and Food & Water Action
Food & Water Watch and its affiliated organization, Food & Water Action, are advocacy groups with a common mission to protect our food, water and climate. This email was sent to [email protected] - and we're glad you got it, because it's one of the most important ways you can reclaim political power, hold elected officials accountable and resist corporate control.
