EARTHJUSTICE NEWSLETTER: This is what energy democracy looks like 22APR18

FROM EarthJustice on Earth Day, a day we should all be renewing our commitment to do the best we can to protect our Mother Earth! Click the links to read the full articles, participate in EarthJustice actions and / or to donate to EarthJustice, because the Earth needs a good lawyer!

With a team of more than 100 legal experts on staff and more than 400 active cases, Earthjustice is holding accountable those who threaten to harm our environment and break our bedrock environmental laws.

No reason for dirty natural gas Three California communities in six months have defeated plans for gas-burning power plants, fueling a new trend. Clean energy is not only healthier; now it’s cheaper, too. READ MORE   THIS EARTH DAY, GIVE THE EARTH A GOOD LAWYER With a team of more than 100 legal experts on staff and more than 400 active cases, Earthjustice is holding accountable those who threaten to harm our environment and break our bedrock environmental laws. Help us win in court today! DONATE NOW     Halting a coral reef heistA federal court nixed permits that allowed collectors to snatch approximately a quarter of a million fish out of Hawai‘i’s waters. READ MORE A high-schooler shouldn’t handle the most dangerous pesticides on the marketA recent court ruling puts EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt on notice that the courts are going to be scrutinizing any rule that reduces health protections for farmworkers. READ MORE One step closer to saving wild salmonAn Earthjustice victory means that endangered baby salmon will have an easier migration. But anti-wildlife lawmakers are already trying to dash their chances of survival. READ MORE It’s illegal to ignore civil rights complaintsBut after decades of delaying investigations in some of the nation’s most polluted communities, the EPA needed a federal court to explain that to them. READ MORE   “This string of court rulings shows that the Trump administration is repeatedly breaking the law. It’s not just me saying that—federal judges have been saying it repeatedly in recent weeks, and ruling against the Trump administration.” — Earthjustice Vice President of Litigation Drew Caputo, on recent federal court decisions rejecting the Trump administration’s efforts to delay and roll back protections for public health and the environment READ MORE HOW YOU CAN HELP Scott Pruitt is unfit to lead the Environmental Protection Agency Since his first day as head of the Environmental Protection Agency for the Trump administration, Scott Pruitt’s number-one priority has been to dismantle our nation’s bedrock environmental and public health protections. TAKE ACTION Don’t let dirty industry pollute our waters and communities Coal ash, the toxic remains of burning coal in power plants, is full of chemicals that cause cancer, developmental disorders and reproductive problems. Don’t let the EPA take away our protections from this toxic pollution threat. TAKE ACTION

EARTHJUSTICE NEWSLETTER: GRIZZLIES ‘SAVED HIS LIFE’ , THE DIRT ON “CLEAN” NATURAL GAS, COAL ASH & PRUITT, CONSUMER SAFETY, SAN PEDRO RIVER 18NOV17

BESIDES the articles from EarthJustice there are to actions you can take part in. I sent this message to the Army Corps of Engineers regarding the proposed development along the San Pedro River.

"It is time to put the brakes on our environmental greed and to take the necessary steps to protect the biodiversity of areas like the San Pedro River watershed. I am asking you to revoke  CWA Permit No. 2003-00826-SDM and to deny any development along the San Pedro River."

AND I sent this to the BLM and Sec of the Interior asking that the 2015 Sage Grouse agreement be maintained, not weakened or abolished.

"There is no reason to weaken or abandon the agreement negotiated and agreed to by the BLM, US Forest Service, the oil and gas industry and conservation and environmental groups. This agreement protects people, property and profits and is an example of what can be accomplished  when people work together. The agreed to protections for sage grouse habitat protects the biodiversity of area environment to the benefit of all."

PLEASE CLICK THE LINKS AND SEND MESSAGES FOR THESE TWO ACTIONS AND FIND MORE ABOUT AT THE EARTHJUSTICE ACTION CENTER.

“If people are allowed to shoot grizzlies, all these bears that have tolerated people are going to be betrayed by humanity in such a deadly way. It’s ugly.”

After two tours, this Vietnam vet went into the American wilderness to confront his demons The story of how grizzly bears “saved his life” and why he’s fighting like hell to protect them. READ MORE Your gift will be matched $1-for-$1! We’ve been fighting in court for years to protect grizzly bears and other endangered wildlife and we’re not stopping now. Help us take on these critical courtroom battles today and your gift will be matched $1-for-$1! DONATE NOW Here’s the dirt that industry won’t tell you about ‘clean’ natural gasIt’s not clean, it’s not good for the planet, and it’s not necessary. READ MORE For two decades, this tribe fought for the right to breathe clean air—then wonNow EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt wants to take these protections away as a gift to the coal industry. READ MORE Her list of clients includes Big TobaccoAn attorney who has spent her career defending defective or dangerous products could soon be part of the very agency responsible for developing safety standards for our consumer products. READ MORE Why are we still fighting about Styrofoam trash?In Florida, cities have banned it, but powerful lobbyists are using it as a proxy battle to stop local governments from passing strong environmental laws. READ MORE “It’s a procedural victory, but a victory for people breathing nonetheless.” — Earthjustice attorney Adrian Martinez on a recent ruling that will make it harder for industry lobbyists to push through last-minute changes to weaken air regulations. READ MORE HOW YOU CAN HELP Help protect this iconic bird’s habitat The health of sage-grouse habitat determines the survival of an entire ecosystem, including the golden eagle, elk, pronghorn and mule deer. But if the oil and gas industry has its say, tens of millions of acres of wildlife habitat across the western U.S. could soon make way for fossil fuel development. TAKE ACTION A massive development threatens Southwest’s last free-flowing river The San Pedro River provides an oasis of life for hundreds of species of migratory birds, and jaguars have been seen prowling the nearby Whetstone mountains—but a massive development could decimate this desert gem. TAKE ACTION

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Photo Credits (top to bottom): Tom Robertson, Photo courtesy of RSC Publishing, Chris Jordan-Bloch/Earthjustice, Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images, Wingedwolf/Getty Images

DUKE ENERGY, NORTH CAROLINA vs CLEAN WATER 24APR14

FIRST we had the chemical spill in the Kanawha River in West Virginia, then the coal ash spill in the Dan River in North Carolina. The gop / tea-baggers in congress have worked at weakening the regulatory power of the federal EPA and state epa agencies, not only through fighting regulations being adopted but through budget cuts, reducing the staff and so the enforcement power of the agencies. At least these environmental disasters occurred in states where the people have elected gop / tea-baggers to  govern their states and to represent them in congress. One can say, without any joy, these people reaped what they had sown. They have allowed corporate money to buy off their politicians and so allowed their politicians to place the interest of corporations over the interest of the people. duke energy in north carolina is under scrutiny by it's own shareholders, they are demanding the company come clean about it's political contributions and the corrupting influence of corporate political contributions. 

Duke Energy has such a cozy relationship with North Carolina's governor that Duke was able to cause a massive coal ash spill that threatened drinking water. Who knows what other sweetheart arrangements Duke is benefiting from for its political contributions. Tell Duke that you want it to come clean about its use of money to influence politicans and regulators.

America’s biggest utility company, Duke Energy, is responsible for the spilling of 39,000 tons of coal ash into the Dan River in North Carolina. And it gets worse: the spill was totally preventable, but the state’s environmental watchdog didn’t have the resources to catch the problem.
Why? Because Duke has an ultra-cozy relationship with North Carolina’s governor, Pat McCrory, who has been systematically dismantling the state’s once-formidable environmental watchdog’s powers -- to the benefit of Duke Energy. Pat McCrory worked for Duke Energy for 28 years before being elected Governor -- then suddenly when McCrory became Governor, Duke Energy was allowed to flout federal and state law and increase its bottom line.
Federal investigators have begun to ask questions about Duke’s campaign contributions to Gov. McCrory. Buying off political candidates for corporate gain at the expense of everyday people isn’t right.
Duke: come clean about political contributions that allowed special treatment.
Governor McCrory holds the interests of Duke Energy above the good of North Carolina’s everyday people. If Duke is able to make large campaign contributions to a political candidate and then receive special treatment, it doesn’t just affect North Carolina. It has long-reaching impacts on the environment and the way companies do business in the United States.
Even Duke's own shareholders want to know how Duke is spending their money. The largest proxy advisor -- a firm to help shareholders vote on issues in the company -- demands Duke come clean about its dirty spending on politics and lobbying, and is advising all shareholders to do the same at Duke's upcoming annual shareholders meeting next week.
The federal investigation into Duke’s huge environmental mishap has raised questions about the company’s approach to the land it operates in and the people that live there. Coal ash -- a byproduct of burning coal to power Duke Energy’s electrical generation plant -- should never have been stored in leaky, unlined ponds on the river bank, and almost certainly never would have been if the Governor hadn't dismantled the State's environmental regulatory agency.
By taking action, you’ll be telling Duke that you don’t think it’s right to buy off political candidates for corporate gain at the expense of everyday people.
Tell Duke to disclose its political contributions in North Carolina.
Thanks for all that you do,
Taren, Jon, Lisa and the rest of us

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For more information:
Coal ash spill has wide-ranging impacts in North Carolina, New York Times, 28 Feb 2014


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