FIGHTING FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
There’s one entity that keeps on giving without ever asking anything in return… our planet, Mother Earth. No matter the season, she continues to provide a home for her 7.8 billion inhabitants. That’s quite a family. Now Mother needs a rest and looks to us for help.
Fortunately, there are plenty of environmental nonprofits working to ease her burden. From the Sierra Club to Greenpeace, these groups continue to fight for our planet. Apparently, pollution existed as far back as Roman times. It was also thought to be responsible for the spread of disease in Europe during the Middle Ages. Nothing compares to the devastation we face today. Thankfully, groups, such as Earthjustice, keep fighting to “protect people’s health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change.” Apparently, our planet needs a lawyer.
With more than 150 environmental lawyers in 14 offices throughout the country, Earthjustice has managed to fight the good
fight since 1971. Their work has never been more crucial than during our current political climate. They continue to oppose such issues as oil drilling in the pristine wilderness of Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico. As the current administration sought to reverse over 100 environment rules, Earthjustice fought back and already won nearly 80% of its lawsuits, blocking many of these reversals in the federal court system.
They fight for all of Earth’s children, including the four- legged ones. They helped protect families of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem from illegal trophy hunts. Teaming up with the Sierra Club, Northern Cheyenne Tribe, Center for Biological Diversity, and National Parks Conservation Association, Earthjustice Attorney Tim Preso argued the case with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, who upheld the protections for the grizzlies throughout Idaho and Wyoming.
Earthjustice continues to stand up for such diverse issues as clean car standards in California and FDA bans on toxic chemicals in food packaging. They recently won a fight against pollution and childhood asthma. Starting in June 2021, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to require residential and commercial builders to create new structures without any fossil gas infrastructure.
These reflect but a few of their victories. It’s time for all of us who care deeply about the environment to get our day in court. For further information about donating or working with Earthjustice, visit their website at earthjustice. org.