By Ben Chisam.

With the recent presidential election, it’s important to anticipate the incoming administration’s approach to environmental issues. While Trump’s exact plans are unclear, we can gain some insight from Project 2025, a federal policy agenda written by former Trump officials and The Heritage Foundation. 

Project 2025 is a thorough blueprint for restructuring the federal government, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Overall, the plan would greatly reduce the size and strength of the EPA to target the economic impact of environmental regulations. In practice, Project 2025 would reduce restrictions on toxic chemicals and cut federal environmental justice programs. 

Project 2025 sees environmental regulations as a barrier to economic growth, and proposes fewer restrictions on pollutants. While landmark environmental policies like the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act would remain in place, these statutes would be interpreted very narrowly.  For example, the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) would be limited to only what is legally required by the Clean Air Act. Furthermore, they recommend revisiting the designation of PFAS (forever chemicals) as “hazardous substances” under the Superfund Law (CERCLA). This designation was put in place under the Biden administration and its reversal could have serious health consequences.

Project 2025 proposes the elimination of several EPA programs related to environmental justice, including the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights (OEJECR) and the Office of Children’s Health Protection (OCHP). Troublingly, the plan also discusses removing race from the EPA’s decision making process. They cite Supreme Court cases that have ruled against race-based affirmative action programs in college admissions to justify this shift. As we know, environmental injustices disproportionately affect communities of color. Therefore, it’s imperative that race continue to be considered in the distribution of environmental justice funds by the EPA. 

Last week, Trump nominated former New York congressman Lee Zeldin to head the EPA. Zeldin has been a vocal advocate of Trump, but has limited experience with environmental issues. Myron Ebell, who led Trump’s EPA transition team in 2016, has described Zeldin as someone with the potential to be a “great deregulator.” Additionally, while Trump has tried to separate himself from Project 2025, recently his administration has recruited several of its key architects.

This article isn’t intended to create a sense of doom and gloom. It’s important to stay informed about what changes lie ahead, but the core of our work – grassroots community organizing – will remain the same. Our two previous posts highlight this. In Climate Change and Community Action, Leila Waid emphasizes that “even in times of great political uncertainty, we are not powerless.” In How Change Happens: A Reminder from Lois Gibbs, our founding director writes that “every struggle, every victory counts,” no matter how small. To that end, the fight continues.

By Leila Waid.

During a presidential election cycle, it may feel like national-level politics will make or break the societal issues you care the most about for the next four years – or even beyond. Environmental justice and climate change have always been politically charged topics, so it’s no wonder that during this election cycle, people felt a lot of climate anxiety. In fact, climate anxiety among youth is on the rise, according to the World Economic Forum. The uncertainty, fear, and anxiety that individuals feel about what the future will entail is understandable, given the stark warnings that climate scientists have provided. For example, the IPCC states that “Today, our chances of limiting warming to 1.5 °C are hanging on a very slender thread. The recent UNEP Gap Report concluded that global emissions would need to fall by 7.5 percent per year through to 2035 to return us to a 1.5 °C pathway.”

When the national tides turn against climate action, it can feel overwhelming. However, it’s essential to not let yourself become so anxious and worried about the future that you become immobilized from acting now. One of the best ways to deal with large-scale political setbacks is to realize that actions don’t need to be grand – you can be just as impactful at the local level. Utilizing grassroots organizing to spur community action and increase community resilience is one of the best ways to get involved in climate action.

So, what do grassroots climate action activities look like around the country and beyond? In LA, an organization called Crop Swap works directly with families and communities to take spacious and empty green lawns and turn them into micro-farms. Their approach helps feed dozens of local families, uses solar power, and provides significantly less water than traditional farms. Microfarming can be a great climate adaptation technique for drought-prone areas.

Decarbonization is another area of focus for community action. Many cities, such as New York, Toronto, and Oslo, have pledged to reduce their carbon emissions by eighty-five to a hundred percent. The governing bodies in these cities are planning to achieve these goals by switching fully to renewable energy, improving the efficiency of old buildings, promoting electric vehicle transition, and investing in public transport. Some ways to get involved with local decarbonization policies is to be educated on where your city or town stands regarding net neutrality commitments, getting involved in local politics, and advocating for decarbonization action with your local representatives.

Another community action that can be taken is “community healing.” An article by Maldonaldo et al. describes how Indigenous communities utilize cultural practices, such as “spiritual connection” to the land, as a way to cope with climate stressors, such as relocation. As the authors mention, even in situations where relocation becomes imperative, “it is critical to support communities in continuing their cultures, traditions, and practices in new places.”

Even in times of great political uncertainty, we are not powerless. As long as we invest in our communities, build up each other’s strengths, and invest in each other, we can adapt and mitigate the changing climate. To quote climate activist Thelma Young Lutunatabua, “The question shouldn’t be will my actions be enough? But will our actions be enough? This is a communal quest.”

By Lois Gibbs.

As we sit back and ponder yesterday’s election results, it seems like a good time to pause and reflect on how lasting change happens. One valuable lesson is that long-term change, a cultural shift in society, begins at and grows from local communities to the national level. Peter Montague, a scholar of the grassroots environmental health movement who has written about lasting change talks about changing the climate of opinion. He wrote that, “today slavery is not only illegal, it is unthinkable. The climate of opinion would not allow a serious proposal to bring back slavery or allow a public debate over a proposal to prohibited women from voting.” Once a climate of opinion victory has been achieved, it is difficult to reverse.

When Lois Gibbs began her struggle at Love Canal in Niagara Falls, New York, she set out to protect her children from the leaking 20,000 tons of toxic wastes buried in the center of her neighborhood. Like many people, Lois believed that government would protect her and her family if there was a problem that required its intervention. She also believed that science was pure and never used politically against innocent families. Yes, she was naïve when she first got involved.

In her own words, “What I learned is that every struggle, every victory counts. Science and laws are tools in our tool box, in our efforts to win change. At Love Canal, it was shocking to hear that the state health department agreed that 56% of our children were born with birth defects. But it was more shocking to learn that the health authorities believed this rate was due to a random clustering of genetic defect people – not the 20,000 tons of chemicals leaking into our homes, air and neighborhood. And the burden of proof, beyond the shadow of doubt, was thrust upon our shoulders.

“With this new understanding of how science was used against us in the political arena, our community worked to win over public opinion to obtain justice. Mothers with sick children were creditable messengers as they pointed to the governor as responsible for the cover up. Moreover, state health authorities looked foolish with their “cluster of genetically damaged people” statement. Essentially, we changed the public opinion of how our health department was behaving. They were not protecting public health at Love Canal, rather they were protecting corporate profits and government resources from being used to resolve the problem and protect innocent people.

“Our story went national and then international. Suddenly women and men stood up worldwide to say they too have been harmed by environmental chemicals. You couldn’t open a newspaper anywhere that was not covering a story about ‘another Love Canal.’ People nationwide were educated and felt strongly that innocent people harmed by pollution should absolutely be helped. A movement was born of ordinary people, many of low wealth and of color, standing together to demand protection.

“The ‘climate of public opinion’ shifted dramatically. The Superfund law was passed that provided federal funds to address other Love Canal-like situations. The Right-To-Know law was passed to give both workers and the community the right to information about chemicals used, stored or disposed in their community. A federal health agency was established under Centers for Disease Control to assess environmental chemical risks. And equally important, not one new commercial hazardous waste landfill has been built since 1984. Although it is still legal to build such facilities, it’s no longer acceptable to the American people.

“Why is all of this important? Because it is important that people understand that every victory, no matter how small or local, will add voice and power to change the climate of public opinion, making certain actions unacceptable. Local victories in which citizens tackle a problem will improve the local environment. Local victories have other benefits as well — they give people real experience in making democracy work, they create connections between strangers, and they can even seed the idea that the community should be planning ahead to take control of its own destiny.

“After a series of local fights has highlighted a problem, government policy becomes ripe for change. Local fights are the basic engine for identifying problems, inventing solutions, and eventually changing government and corporate policies. Local fights ‘trickle up’ to higher levels of government where they generate new policies. Unfortunately, policy victories are rarely permanent and must be defended again and again. They are just important steps along the way. The victory of a change driven by the climate of opinion is much more difficult to reverse than a policy victory. The climate of opinion determines what kind of behavior is unthinkable. Climate of opinion changes are so big that often we aren’t even aware of them.

“So, the question for all of us as, we move forward, is how can we create the climate of public opinion that demands the prevention of harm, protects our forests, mountains and rivers, our air, water and communities and stop contributing to climate change? This is a big question that can only be answered when leaders have a focused inclusive conversation, across issues and geographical lines.”

This article was edited from an earlier article written by Lois Marie Gibbs, the founding director of the Center for Health, Environment & Justice.  

By Gregory Kolen II.

As individuals who care deeply about the health of our communities, environment, and future, we know that the decisions made at every level of government impact us all. Voting is one of the most effective ways to shape those decisions, ensuring our voices are heard on issues that matter most.

At the Center for Health, Environment & Justice, we believe that every person has the right to live in a safe, healthy environment. Voting connects us with this right, giving each of us a say in policies that impact public health, climate action, and environmental justice.

Here’s how you can make a difference:

• Mark the Date: Check your local voting dates and mark them on your calendar. Every vote counts, whether it’s a local, state, or national election.
• Be Informed: Research the candidates and measures on your ballot. Understanding their positions on issues like clean water, air quality, waste management, and climate change empowers you to make choices that reflect your values.
• Spread the Word: Encourage friends, family, and neighbors to vote. Many people don’t vote simply because they aren’t reminded or don’t feel their voice matters. Your encouragement can make all the difference!
• Vote Early or By Mail if You Can: Many areas offer early voting or mail-in ballots, making it easier to fit voting into your schedule.

Voting is not just a right; it’s a responsibility to our communities and our planet. Let’s take a stand for health, environment, and justice by showing up at the polls. Together, we can make a lasting impact. Be sure you are ready to vote by visiting vote.gov.

By Leila Waid.

The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which began on June 1 and will end on November 30, has already produced many storms and hurricanes that have left a trail of devastation in the U.S. Florida was hit by back-to-back hurricanes, Helene and Milton, within a two-week span. Experts warn that these repeated traumatic exposures to natural disasters can have a tremendous impact on mental health and emotional well-being.

In May 2024, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)predicted the 2024 hurricane season would be “above-normal,” in part due to “near-record warm ocean temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean.” Researchers have long predicted that climate change will lead to stronger and more intense hurricanes. As described by the Lancet, “a warmer world makes hurricanes nastier and wetter, giving them more energy and greater intensity.”

Now that we are faced with the reality of disastrous hurricanes year after year that are projected to get worse and worse, how do we organize and protect ourselves and our communities from these natural disasters that are made worse by anthropogenic activity?

There are two main approaches to addressing climate change: mitigation (reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions) and adaptation (adjusting to current and future climate change events). Although mitigation techniques are incredibly important, they alone are not enough to overcome the barriers communities face from a changing climate. Adaptation techniques are needed. One such critical adaptation approach is called community resilience, which researchers define as “ a community’s capability of bouncing back—restoring the original pre-disaster state, as well as bouncing forward—the capacity to cope with emerging post-disaster situations and changes.”

No single community is the same as another, and there are variousways one can define a community. Thus, the specific community resilience method that works best for one community may not work as well for another – after all, climate change solutions are rarely a one-size-fits-all approach. Some examples of community resilience include increasing funding for community resources. For example, some researchers argue that increasing funding for Rural Local Public Health Departments can help increase the healthcare infrastructure and help with climate resilience in communities that tend to be geographically isolated. Other researchers have pointed out the importance of utilizing public health preparedness and response frameworks to increase community resilience.

Other examples of community resilience focus on increasing mental health services for communities since natural disaster events, such as hurricanes and floods, can lead to an increase in depression and PTSD. Education is another important aspect of community resilience. Many individuals may not realize that they are vulnerable to the effects of climate change, or if they are aware of the risks, they may feel helpless in doing anything about it. It’s important to increase individuals’ “risk perception” of climate change to motivate them to take action.

EPA recently released the Climate Resilience and Adaptation Funding Toolbox (CRAFT), a resource for organizations interested in implementing climate change adaptation techniques in their communities. Question to consider: If you were to apply to help strengthen your community against climate change, what would you want to focus on?

By Stephen Lester.

A recent article in the Washington Post painted a very clear picture of the enormous amount of energy being used by data centers to fuel the exploding world of Artificial Intelligence (AI). According to the article, roughly 25% of all Americans have used ChatGPT (an artificial intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI) since it was released in 2022. These chatbots use massive amounts of energy to respond to questions on-line. Keeping these computers operating means keeping them cool and that is taking a significant toll on the environment.

Two often cited concerns are the massive amounts of water and electricity that these data centers require, not to mention the strain on the local infrastructure that results from the increased demands. Working with researchers from the University of California at Riverside, the Washington Post estimated how much water and energy OpenAI’s ChatGPT uses to write the average 100-word email.

Water used to generate a single 100-word AI response:

Once: Requires 519 milliliters of water, a little more than 1 bottle.

Once weekly for a year: Requires 27 liters, about 1.43 water cooler jugs.

Once weekly for a year by 1 out of 10 Americans (roughly 16 million people): Requires 435,235,476 liters, equal to the water consumed by all of Rhode Island households for 1.5 days.

Energy used to generate a single 100-word AI response:

Once: Requires 0.14 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity, equal to powering 14 LED light bulbs for 1 hour.

Once Weekly for a year: Requires 7.5 kWh, equal to the electricity consumed by 9.3 Washington, DC households for 1 hour.

Once weekly for a year by 1 out of 10 working Americans: Requires 121,517 megawatt-hours (MWh), equal to the electricity consumed by all Washington, DC households for 20 days.

The computers used to generate an AI response run through “thousands of calculations to determine the best words to use in a response.” This process generates a great deal of heat. According to the article, water is usually used to cool these computers, typically housed in data centers that are cropping up all over the country because of the exploding demand for AI. “Water transports the heat generated in the data centers into cooling towers to help it escape the building, similar to how the human body uses sweat to keep cool.”

According to the Post article, where electricity is cheaper or where water is scarce, electricity is often used to cool the computers using large air-conditioning-like units. You might see this in Arizona, southern California, Georgia or anywhere in the southern half of the United States. As a result, large portions of the country are suddenly developing a growing need for electricity that’s not necessarily readily available. Another Washington Post article describes energy demand in Georgia reaching record highs and the Arizona Public Service, the largest utility in the state, struggling to keep up with energy demand, projecting it will run out of transmission capacity by the end of the decade. Similar energy challenges are playing out in Northern Virginia, Texas and other places where these data centers are being built.  

This growing demand for electricity has triggered lots of push back from local communities that are unsure whether they want these data centers. Concerns have been raised about the noise generated by these centers as well as the enormous amount of water and electricity they use. Questions have been raised about who gets the electricity from the grid and how is it paid for. Some local residents worry that their electric bill will go up to help subsidize the cost of meeting the increased need for electricity. 

This search for energy prompted Microsoft to reach out to the Constellation Energy, a large energy company that owns the closed Three Mile Island Nuclear Power (TMI) plant near Harrisburg, PA, the site of the worst nuclear accident in US history. One of the two reactors at the site (Unit #2) suffered a partial meltdown and has remain closed since 1979. The second reactor (Unit #1) was shut down five years ago. Microsoft reached an agreement with Constellation to purchase all of the energy generated by Unit #1 at TMI for 20 years. Constellation described this as ”it’s largest ever power purchase agreement. The reactor is set to open in 2028 pending approval by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The agreement between Microsoft and Constellation said nothing about what’s going to happen to the radioactive waste generated by this power plant. There still is no permanent repository for this waste. Instead, it is being stored at over 70 operating and shuttered nuclear plants around the country.

The growing demand for electricity driven by the booming fields of artificial intelligence and cloud computing is here to stay. These proliferating data centers are going to require unprecedented amounts of energy and water. Where that comes from remains to be seen, but you can  be sure the tech companies will do everything in their power to get what they need, even if it means reopening a dead nuclear power plant.le that will put extra demands for housing, transportation and other essentials for an expected growing population?