Previous Action Alerts
STOP The Anti-Environmental Appropriations Bill! 11-09-23
Last week, the House Conservative Majority passed one of their worst anti-environment bills yet. The Fiscal Year 2024 Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill, meant to fund the Federal government’s investments in our lands, ecosystems, and public health, is chock full of poison pills and bad faith budget cuts. Now it moves to the Senate where you can help stop it if you act NOW!
If passed, the Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill would rescind nearly $10 billion allocated by the Biden Administration’s historic Inflation Reduction Act to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Council on Environmental Quality That’s funding destined for critical investments in environmental justice, resilience, and climate change adaptation.
Stop the Dakota Access Pipeline! 11-08-23
The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) threatens drinking water for 17 million people including the Standing Rock Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.
The DAPL threatens Tribal fishing, hunting and water rights, and is equivalent to the emissions from more than 42.4 million gas-powered cars or 51 coal-fired power plants.
STOP DAPL!
Protect Our Forests! Stop Greenwashing! 10-31-23
Taking down Goliath is no easy feat, but with the help of dedicated supporters of environmental justice like you, David may have a chance. This month, we put out our third major report on the wood pellet biomass industry, calling out industry giants like Enviva and Drax for their crimes against public health, the environment, and the climate.
Greenwashing: A Report on the Corporate Selling of Polluting Wood Pellet Production sheds light on the wood pellet industry’s blatant disregard for the health of vulnerable communities whose air they have polluted with volatile organic compounds and other illness-inducing toxins. Their unrepentant clear-cutting of Southeastern US forests destroys our greatest natural defense against atmospheric greenhouse gases. Then they lie about it.
Action at White House Against Biomass 10-31-23
At the White House on October 19, the Rachel Carson Council (RCC) rallied with the Dogwood Alliance and thirty members of frontline environmental justice communities from across the Southeast U.S. to call on the Biden Administration to end its support for the production of polluting and climate damaging industrial wood pellets, or woody biomass. During two days in Washington, as part of the International Day of Action Against Big Biomass that held events on six continents, the RCC helped host an advocacy day on Capitol Hill, the rally and press event in front of the White House, and a meeting with the EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights and the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Throughout, those most directly affected and harmed by the wood pellet industry in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama and were able to share their personal stories with Federal decision-makers.
Stop Offshore Oil Drilling! 10-02-23
Just days after the Biden administration announced that they were continuing to sell off some leases for offshore oil and gas drilling, House Republicans are moving forward with dangerous legislation mandating even more continued offshore lease sales for fossil fuels through 2025!
Representative Gerrit Grave’s (R-LA) Bringing Reliable Investment into Domestic Gulf Energy Production Act of 2023, or BRIDGE Production Act, would mandate at least four offshore oil sales per year in 2024-2025 – that’s more than President Biden required in his entire Five-Year Plan.
Tell Congress to STOP a pro-factory farm act in the Farm Bill 09-08-23
Republicans funded by Big Agribusiness are at it again, this time trying to pass a Farm Bill that includes the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act, introduced by Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas and Representative Ashley Hinson of Iowa.
This pro-factory farm legislation comes as a direct response to California’s Proposition 12, an animal welfare win that even the conservative Supreme Court upheld last May. It allows the state to enforce strict guidelines on space and conditions for pigs sold as meat in California.
Stop MVP’s Southgate Pipeline Extension! 07-17-23
The Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate Extension is a proposed 73-mile extension of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) mainline from Pittsylvania County, Virginia into North Carolina’s Rockingham and Alamance Counties. This pipeline would not only cross through disproportionately disadvantaged communities, but it would also cut through precious waterways in North Carolina. The Southgate project developers have asked for a three-year extension of their original certificate, despite missing the necessary authorizations. We need you to tell the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to deny Southgate’s request to extend their certificate!
Tell President Biden to Declare a Climate Emergency! 06-20-23
This week, news broke that the North Atlantic Ocean is experiencing an “unprecedented” heat wave, endangering marine life. Last week, air quality up and down the East Coast turned toxic as a result of deadly Canadian wildfires.
The effects of climate change are already devastating communities and ecosystems around the world and right in our backyards. We know that urgent action is necessary to avert more climate impacts. And the promise of urgent action was why we elected President Biden, who campaigned on a historically progressive climate platform. Now, it’s time to call the climate crisis what it is: an EMERGENCY!
Let Them Be Heard! 06-08-23
Nearly a decade ago, 21 plaintiffs between 10 and 18 years old filed suit against the federal government on the basis that the government’s fossil fuel energy system and its actions that cause climate change violate the youngest generation’s constitutional rights to life, liberty, and property, as well as their rights to essential public resources like air and water.
For years, the plaintiffs have been unable to have their voices heard at trial. Please join us in saying:
LET THEM BE HEARD!
During the Trump administration, the Department of Justice (DOJ) employed a legal tool known as a Petition for Writ of Mandamus that subverts the judicial process. It keeps these young Americans from having their evidence heard and considered by a judge in open court. But their wait may be over. On June 1, 2023, U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken ruled that the plaintiffs can amend their case, known as Juliana v. United States, and go to trial!
Stop the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP)! 06-02-23
The Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) is a $6.6 billion project designed to transport dangerous methane gas more than 300 miles from West Virginia to southern Virginia. Over the last year, fossil fuel industry mouthpiece Joe Manchin and other members of congress have been trying to tie the MVP to must pass legislation- and they’re close to winning. It’s time to tell the Biden administration to stop the MVP once and for all!
Our planet, our lives, and our future are threatened by fossil fuel production. That’s why we’re asking you to join the RCC and our coalition partners in front of the White House on June 8th at 2PM to voice our demand.
The EPA is setting new limits on carbon pollution for fossil fuel power plants. By 2042, these new regulations could result in a net decrease of 617 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (the amount to power 75 billion homes for a year!). But the EPA needs support from the public to finalize it. The agency is holding a public comment period until June 6th, and we need all hands on deck!
Tell the EPA to crack down on Big Coal’s water pollution! 04-28-23
Big news: The EPA is stepping up and setting limits on the coal industry’s reckless contamination of our waters with new guidelines on steam power plant pollution limits. We could be on the precipice of witnessing a landmark rule on Big Coal’s endangerment of their power plants’ surroundings. But the EPA needs support from the public to codify it. The agency is holding a public comment period for the next thirty days, and we need all hands on deck!The RCC has prepared a public comment for you to send directly to the EPA (you can add to or personalize it if you want) It voices your strong support for the rule in a matter of seconds.
Join the RCC, April 22. End the Era of Fossil Fuels! 04-13-23
This Earth Day, Saturday, April 22, the Rachel Carson Council is partnering with Earth Day Network and dozens of other environmental organizations to demand that the federal government and other decision-makers end the era of fossil fuels.
Join us at NOON for a youth-led rally and concert in Freedom Plaza (1455 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Metro Center Station), followed by a march to the White House and an organizing fair, where Rachel Carson Council will be talking about and tabling for our No New Off Shore Oil and Gas program. Come see us and join us in the fight for climate justice and cleaner communities!
Tell the OMB! No Delay for Clean Air Regulations! 04-06-23
On Tuesday, the RCC and our allies brought together environmental justice advocates, led by a brass band, to march directly to the doors of the EPA. We told the EPA stop delaying critical rules that would protect Americans from fossil fuel power plants’ harmful, often deadly emissions.
Pollution from this dirty industry is responsible for thousands of deaths a year, the majority in low-income communities and communities of color.
One of the most important tools that EPA has for fighting the climate crisis and protecting public health is section 111(b) from the Clean Air Act. It gives EPA the authority to toughen and tighten New Source Performance Standards for new fossil fuel power plants.
Tell the Biden Administration No New Oil or Gas Leases 03-31-23
On Wednesday, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management held one of the largest offshore oil lease sales in U.S. history. Lease sale 259 could result in over one billion barrels of oil over the next 50 years in the Gulf of Mexico, which will significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions and add to the climate crisis. This action, just two weeks after approving the Willow Project in the North Slope of Alaska, does not comport with the Biden administration’s stated climate goals.
Keep Your Promises, Joe! 03-30-23
Rally in front of the EPA with the Rachel Carson Council
Tuesday, April 4, with our friends and colleagues from the
Chesapeake Climate Action Network and other environmental groups
to demand that President Joe Biden keep his promises to cut pollution.
EPA: Please Stop Smoking! EPA has a bad habit of delaying industry pollution rules. Let’s show them it’s time to QUIT. Rally & March Outside EPA headquarters
EPA finally rules on PFAS 03-22-23
After decades of inaction, the EPA finally proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation on March 14 for six PFAS chemicals. This is a huge step forward for protecting public health and environmental justice, but it’s not finalized yet – we need YOU to tell the EPA that you support these necessary regulations, which will prevent thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of PFAS-related diseases.
Widespread PFAS contamination has plagued environmental justice communities for years. While there are over 9,000 chemicals in the PFAS family, this action by the EPA will regulate the most widespread chemicals that have caused the most damage. Tell the EPA that you want these regulations finalized quickly and that you support limits on additional PFAS chemicals.
Join with our friends from Maryland League of Conservation Voters Wednesday for Wind POWER! 03-11-23
We’ve only got a few more weeks to pass the POWER (Promoting Offshore Wind Energy Resources) Act and expand offshore wind in Maryland.
Join us in Annapolis on Wednesday and show your support to the Maryland General Assembly. Cleaner air and good jobs are a win-win (a wind win!) for Marylanders.
Protect Marylanders From Dangerous PFAS-Containing Pesticides 02-10-23
We urgently need your support now for a bill protecting Maryland from massive PFAS contamination from pesticides.
SB158 Pesticide Registration – PFAS Testing – Requirements Bill was heard before the Maryland Senate Committee on Thursday. They could be voting on the bill as soon as next week. It is critical for all Senators to hear from their constituents this week that you want this bill passed.
Would You Die for a Forest? 02-07-23
In September 2022, the Atlanta City Council, supported by then Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, voted to demolish a large portion of the historic, sacred South River Forest to construct a new, privately funded $80,600,000 police training facility — despite over 17 hours of public comment from residents in opposition. Since the passage of Councilwoman Joyce Shepherd’s bill to cut the forest and build what has become known as “Cop City,” opposition has continued to mount.
Save a Sacred Forest! 01-26-23
In September 2022, the Atlanta City Council, supported by Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, voted to demolish a large portion of the historic, sacred South River Forest to construct a new, privately-funded $80,600,000 police training facility — despite over 17 hours of public comment from residents in opposition.
Once sacred to the Maskogee people, the history of this land has been mired in violence from the displacement of natives to the formation of slave plantations, and, ultimately, prison farms. The proposed erection of “Cop City” is but the newest chapter of a land defined by subjugation. We cannot let this happen.
Tell President Biden to Protect ICWA 11-10-22
Right now, conservative states and fossil fuel lawyers intend to dismantle Indigenous rights and sovereignty by overturning the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) through the ultra-conservative Supreme Court.
If they succeed, tribal sovereignty will be weakened. And so will tribal protections of natural resources that keep fossil fuel corporations at bay.
The ICWA was enacted in response to a long and tragic history of separating Native American children from their families. The petitioners in the case seek to overturn the ICWA, which legal and Native experts say would erode tribal sovereignty and compromise tribal protections in other fields, such as natural resource protection.
Georgia’s forests are under attack! Tell the EPA to regulate wood pellets. 11-05-23
Right now, in Adel, Georgia, activists are calling for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to crack down on the notorious wood pellet manufacturer, Spectrum Energy. Citing concerns of hazardous air, South Georgia residents and the Concerned Citizens of Cook County (4C), led by Dr. Treva Gear, have asked the state court in a lawsuit filed by the Southern Environmental Law Center to revoke an air permit granted to Spectrum. It was approved by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) despite the known environmental and public health hazards of wood pellet manufacture. You can help stop this environmental injustice!
2022
On November 17, 2022 at 6:00 pm, the North Carolina Secretary’s Environmental Justice and Equity Advisory Board will host an in-person special meeting on biomass. Advisory Board members will field questions and concerns from the public regarding the air quality permit renewal of wood pellet manufacturer Enviva’s Ahoskie, NC plant.
If at all possible, please come to Raleigh to briefly explain why you are opposed to expanding wood pellet production! The meeting is in the Green Square Training Room, 217 West Jones Street, Raleigh, 27603.
Seabirds are in trouble! Tell Congress to protect them. 10-13-22
Members of the Audubon Society have addressed key members of Congress on this issue, we need to add to their momentum.
Seabirds populations all over the world have declined precipitously by 70 percent over the last 70 years. Ocean temperatures continue to rise and make life harder for Atlantic Puffins nesting in Maine. Since 2021, only half the normal number of puffin chicks have survived.
Stop the Mountain Valley Pipeline! 09-25-22On Tuesday, the Senate is going to vote on Senator Joe Manchin’s side deal to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2022. Section 24 of the deal’s text explicitly requires federal approval of Equitran Midstream Corp’s permitting application for the infamous Mountain Valley Pipeline. (MVP) This $6.6 billion natural gas pipeline project would ravage over 300 miles of land between Virginia and West Virginia. We cannot let this deal pass.
That’s why we’re writing to you, urging you to take action immediate action! Tell your Senators to intervene and oppose the deal unless the language on the Mountain Valley Pipeline is removed.
Tell President Biden to halt construction of the MVP and reaffirm his legacy of bold environmental and climate legislative progress. 09-02-22
The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 marked the most ambitious climate legislation ever put forth by the United States government. However, the package contains certain climate-damaging provisions to appease fossil fuel industry-backed Senator Joe Manchin.
While we should celebrate the momentous environmental victory wrought by the IRA, we can’t stand idly by as Manchin gets his way on the construction of dangerous projects such as the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) in Virginia and West Virginia.
The MVP, if constructed, will ravage over 300 miles of land from southern Virginia to northwestern West Virginia. Additionally, it marks a significant investment in natural gas energy at a time when our country desperately needs to make a rapid and comprehensive shift to renewable energy.
The Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management just released their Proposed Program for offshore drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf for the 2023-2028 period. It sanctions up to 11 new offshore drilling operations – 10 in the Gulf of Mexico and one in Alaska’s Cook Inlet.
Leasing new offshore drilling operations only contributes to our spiraling climate crisis. And, offshore oil drilling regularly leads to oil spills like Deep Horizon harming the health and safety of coastal communities in the Gulf and marine life like the threatened beluga whale in the Arctic.
https://rachelcarsoncouncil.salsalabs.org/stopnewoff-shoreoildrillingleasesPresident Biden promised to halt new offshore oil production on the campaign trail: it’s time for him and his officials to make good on that promise and urge his cabinet to approve of #NoNewLeases in the Proposed Program.
But you can tell that directly to Biden’s head of the DOI’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Kelly Hammerle. Just click to send detailed comments which you can edit or personalize.
In her landmark book, Silent Spring, Rachel Carson wrote about the destruction of birds from the indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides. Worse, the loss of birds is a harbinger of ecosystem collapse.
Now, 60 years later, we have a chance to tell our U.S. Senators to co-sponsor the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Enhancements Act that would ensure that the EPA reins in pesticides that threaten birds and the insects they rely upon for food.
TELL CONGRESS THEY MUST PASS VITAL CLIMATE LEGISLATION – THE BUILD BACK BETTER ACT – NOW!!! 11-09-21
It can be confusing. Congress just passed the infrastructure bill. And the White House has celebrated a victory. But most of the big, innovative, and vital climate spending and programs are in what is called the Build Back Better (BBB) Act.
BBB has over half a trillion dollars out of $1.75 trillion for clean energy tax credits, manufacturing wind turbines and solar panels, environmental justice measures like replacing diesel school buses, and heavy-duty trucks, as well as measures like coastal restoration, forest protection, and more.
But so-called moderate Democrats and Congressional Republicans have again held up passing Build Back Better. The measure, already cut to appease members like coal baron Sen. Joe Manchin, is vital to slowing climate change and moving to renewable energy.
MIGRATORY BIRDS NEED YOUR HELP! 09-22-21
For over a century, since 1918, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) has protected migratory birds from unintentional, but predictable, killings from industrial activity. But under the Trump administration, the MBTA was weakened, opening the door to the killing of migratory birds from explosions, oil spills, collisions and more. President Biden and the US Fish and Wildlife Service are acting to reverse such needless slaughter. But pelicans, geese, songbirds, and more need permanent protection that cannot be quickly eliminated by a future president.
TELL INTERIOR SECRETARY DEB HAALAND TO MAKE THE TEMPORARY PAUSE ON OIL AND GAS DRILLING LEASES PERMANENT!In January, the White House temporarily paused granting leases for pending oil and gas drilling projects on publicly owned lands and waters. While the temporary moratorium on extraction leasing has no set end date, Secretary Deb Haaland announced that it would not be permanent. But drilling must stop for good! Deb Haaland has the power to do that.
On average, offshore drilling operations spill 157,000 barrels of oil every year. That equals 10 Olympic swimming pools of oil ruining our ocean ecosystems every year.
DANGEROUS DUKE ENERGY LOBBYISTS ARE AT IT AGAIN! 07-23-21 (Residents of North Carolina only)
Behind closed doors, Duke lobbyists and Republicans in Raleigh put together a bill that is terrible for the environment, the consumer, and North Carolina. AND NC House Republicans passed it in the middle of the night!
This bill will stick North Carolinians with the bill for Duke’s polluting natural gas infrastructure and massive fees for their minimal transitions to renewable solar energy. Duke says they’re helping North Carolina change to a clean energy economy, but they’re actually backing fossil fuels for decades to come.
PUFFINS AND OTHER THREATENED SEABIRD SPECIES ARE STARVING! 07-20-21
These iconic birds must eat to survive. But with less and less forage fish in the ocean, they often cannot find enough food. Forage fish are small fish relied on by puffins and other predators, but overfishing is exacerbating their population collapse. No forage fish, no food.
Some Atlantic Puffin colonies have decreased by 80% since the 1970s because of a lack of prey. We must act now, or these beloved birds will continue to go hungry. Click here to take action
CELEBRATE SHARK WEEK RIGHT: SAVE THE SHARKS 07-13-21
This shark week you may be drawn to TV shows and movies that exaggerate the danger of sharks. WE are the danger, not sharks. Shark attacks result in less than 10 fatalities per year. Humans kill about 275,000 sharks EVERY DAY. Most of these sharks are gruesomely killed by severing their top fin and throwing their bodies back into the ocean to bleed out, be eaten, ordrown. The fins are then traded legally and illegally across the world. YOU can help the US stop its support of this devastating trade.
KICK OFF PLASTIC FREE JULY! FREE NATIONAL PARKS FROM PLASTIC WASTE! 07-02-21
While packing a day bag for Yellowstone National Park, I made sure to fill up my Nalgene for the trip. They’ll have plenty of fill stations to keep me going, but I’ll take my largest bottle just in case. From the Grand Prismatic to Ole Faithful, out to the Eastern Falls and back west to Mammoth Hot Springs, I only found one fill-station for water bottles. I traveled 128 miles over 10hours with a grand total of 64 oz of water. Even picnic areas with bathroom infrastructure lacked so much as a rusty old water fountain.
S.O.S. SAVE OUR SEABIRDS! 07-01-21
We celebrated World Albatross Day on June 19th. But now this legendary seabird and other amazing species that roam the oceans need our help! Before it’s too late.
68% of albatross species and 50% of petrel species are threatened with extinction!
Take action NOW to send an S.O.S. and save the huge number of beloved albatrosses, petrels, and shearwaters that are killed by fisheries and plastic pollution every year.
OUR WILDLIFE IS IN DANGER! 06-22-21
From pollution to habitat destruction to climate change, human actions have endangered the species that sustain our ecosystems. Currently, 64% of North American bird species are threatened, 40% of North America’s freshwater fish species are endangered or already extinct, and at least 8,500 of America’s plant and animal species are at risk of extinction. But you can help save them! Click here now to take action.
Tell your Senators that you want them to co-sponsor the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act of 2021, (RAWA) (S. 2372), introduced by Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO).
IT’S POLLINATOR WEEK: TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT OR POLLINATORS 06-21-21
Pollinator Week reminds us that change is critical to the survival of the planet and that we can take action, both in our households and communities and in the state and federal policy arena.
Write President Biden and your governor and tell them to ban all pesticides and treated seeds that harm pollinators. —There are many deadly chemical insecticides including neonicotinoids, synthetic pyrethroids, and organophosphate insecticides that should be banned to protect pollinators. We need a national strategy that will eliminate our dependence on toxic chemical pesticides and help growers and land managers transition to organic alternatives. Ask your governor to take the same steps at the state level. We must act now to protect our ecosystems and biodiversity and avert an insect apocalypse.
STOP THE STRANGLE! TELL CONGRESS TO SAY NO TO GILLNETS! 06-11-21
Gillnets used for commercial fishing trap far more than intended. Over 70 important marine species have been caught, strangled, and killed in gillnet lines including dolphins, sharks, sea turtles — even whales. These dangerous fishing lines are a threat to all marine life in their path and can stretch for miles along our US coastlines. Luckily, there are bipartisan bills in the Senate and the House to get rid of these killer netsNOW. The bill to end gillnetting was vetoed by President Trump in January of 2021 even after Congress passed it with bipartisan support! But now we can act to Stop the Strangle!
SAY NO TO PLASTIC POLLUTION! SUPPORT THE BREAK FREE OF PLASTIC ACT 06-03-21
Every year, the U.S. mismanages 2.24 million tons of plastic waste, leaving it to flood into our oceans, lakes, and rivers. As the world’s largest producer of plastic pollution, the U.S. must take strong action to stop plastic pollution at the source.
Our recycling systems were not designed to keep up with the catastrophic rate of plastic production today, and these systems continue to failunder the pressure. Plastic waste now fills our coastlines and the shores of countries overseas where we export our waste.
REMOVE DONALD TRUMP 01-08-21
On January 6, 2021, at a demonstration called by President Donald S. Trump to oppose the legitimate results of the November 3, 2020 election and urged on by the president, thousands of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol interrupting Congress’ certification of the presidential election results.
The president’s actions amount to the incitement of violence against the elected government of the United States and are treasonous. The President of the United States must respect the Constitution of the United States, the rule of law, and the will of the people. These are the bedrock of democracy and the American republic. Click here to take action
STOP NAVY TRAINING 11-24-20
This month, the Trump Administration published permits for U.S. Navy training exercises in the Pacific Northwest that threaten endangered whales. These exercises involve firing torpedoes, detonating bombs, and using sonar to pilot underwater drones.
The National Marine Fisheries Service failed to analyze harm done to a number of whale species including both Southern Resident orcas, or killer whales, and North Pacific right whales. Only a couple of dozen right whales remain on earth. Deafening sonar and explosions interfere with marine mammals’ feeding, breeding, and migration. Click here to take action
PROTECT THE NORTHERN RIGHT WHALE 11-16-20
North Atlantic right whales could soon become the first great whale in modern history to go extinct. With only 400 of these magnificent creatures left in existence, we can’t allow this to happen.
For 40 years, scientists, environmentalists and conservationists have fought hard to save the endangered North Atlantic right whale. But the number of these unique and beautiful creatures left in the wild is dwindling fast — since 2017, there have been a record 31 deaths of these rare animals. Click here to take action
SAY NO TO MORE LOGGING 11-09-20
Join the RCC and other major environmental organizations in opposing S 4431/HR 7978 which would bring destructive logging in our National Forests. We need your voice to put a stop to an environmental disastrous logging bill currently in Congress. By clicking the button below you can immediately contact your Congressional Representative and US Senators and urge them to oppose H.R.7978/S. 4431, the “Emergency Wildfire and Public Safety Act of 2020.”
The title of this bill is completely misleading. It proposes extreme attacks on environmental laws in order to increase destructive commercial logging in our National Forests, including logging of large, old trees and clear cutting. Additionally, it would destroy endangered wildlife habitat, increase fire intensity and smoke, result in increased threats to communities from wild land fire, and hasten climate change. Click here to take action
STOP SEISMIC TESTING IN THE ARCTIC 10-29-20
The Bureau of Land Management released a plan last week that would clear the way for seismic oil exploration in December in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Make your voice heard and help stop the destruction of one of our last great wild areas.
Alaska’s North Slope is already open for oil and gas exploration and development, we should not destroy one of our last great wild areas that is home to countless species of wildlife.
Seismic testing is extremely destructive to wildlife. If this plan is approved, huge vehicles will be rumbling across the fragile tundra 24/7 for months, threatening migratory bird habitats, denning polar bears and calving caribou herds. Click here to take action
SAVE DOLPHINS AND WHALES 07-14-20
Trump recently overruled North Carolina’s objection to seismic blasting in the Atlantic.
By firing air guns every 10-15 seconds all day, every day, corporations want to scour ocean beds for oil and gas. These blasts are one of the loudest sounds that humans can make––loud enough to injure, deafen, and kill marine life.
Dolphins and whales are acoustic creatures; they depend on sound to locate food sources, find mates, and navigate. The North Atlantic Right Whale is critically endangered. Seismic tests could push this species to extinction. Must we continue to lose dolphins, whales, and fish to extract energy from fossilized life? How much of our natural world will be sacrificed for the sake of fossil fuels? Click here to take action
COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE. SAVE OUR FORESTS! 04-22-20
Today marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, a day established to reflect on the beauty of nature and to take action to protect it. But right now, our forests and their soil face daily assaults that threaten the best way of drawing down and sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. On this historic Earth Day, the Rachel Carson Council needs you to sign our joint petitionwith the John Muir Project. Tell Congress to take action on the climate crisis through real forest protection and renewable energy solutions, not fake ones.
We appreciate that it may be difficult to take action during the overwhelming coronavirus crisis. But we need to act now as the new and expanding energy source called woody biomass is touted by corporations and their lobbyists as carbon neutral and renewable. It is neither. Every day, our forests are being ground up and shipped for energy production to Europe. They are being “managed” in ways that destroy their natural benefits and harm the communities around them, particularly environmental justice communities. We must protect them now. Click here to take action
STOP STRIP MINING 03-31-20
For me this is personal, deeply personal. Amidst the coronavirus crisis, the Trump administration is considering opening 75,000 acres of the pristine, protected Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee to strip mining for coal.1 That’s where I grew up. As a native Tennessean and Appalachian, I’d like to tell you why that’s a terrible idea.
A part of the Appalachian Mountains, the Cumberland Plateau forms a natural break that covers three states: Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. It’s filled with forests, waterfalls and the wild places I explored as a boy. It’s where I camped and hiked with my grandfather. It’s a big part of why I am an environmental justice advocate today, so someday I can do the same with my grandchildren.
Both Democrats and Republicans oppose the Trump administration opening this area to coal companies! Click here to take action
BIRDS ARE BEING KILLED 01-14-20
Birds are Being Killed! You Can Help Stop It! Write your Representatives and Senators NOW To Support the Migratory Bird Protection Act (H.R. 5552)
Since 1970, migratory bird populations have declined by 3 billion birds. These critical populations need protection now.
Bipartisan legislation introduced by Rep. Alan Lowenthal (CA-47) would strengthen the critical Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1970 which has saved countless bird populations across the US. It will be voted on in committee this Wednesday, January 15. Now, more than ever, it is critical you tell your Representatives to pass this bill. Click here to take action
OPPOSE ENVIVA FOURTH PLANT EXPANSION 09-19-19
In an unsurprising turn of events, Enviva has applied for its fourth expansion permit in under a year for its Southampton Plant located in Franklin, Virginia. This expansion would increase production by 246,000 tons per year equaling another 5,600 acres of forests cut down annually. This is unacceptable. We are on the precipice of climate disaster, and the only tried and true way to draw down carbon from the atmosphere is through the protection and expansion of biodiverse forests. Every week, more reports and investigations are demonstrating that forests are key to any climate solution and that the wood pellet industry is failing to properly source its materials, failing to protect communities’ health, and worsening our climate through its operations. (Link expired)
VOICE YOUR OPPOSITION TO THE EXPANSION OF THE WOOD PELLET INDUSTRY! 08-14-19
Enviva, the world’s largest producer of wood pellets, destroys almost 100 acres of forest every day in North Carolina. And now, Enviva is applying to increase production at their facility in Northampton County, North Carolina, just weeks after their application to increase production at their Sampson County plant.
Can you join us at the Public Hearing in Gaston, NC, to voice your opposition to the expansion of the wood pellet industry?
- WHAT: Public Meeting/Public Hearing on Enviva Pellets Northampton permit
- WHEN: 6:30 PM Tuesday, August 20, 2019
- WHERE: Northampton High School, Auditorium, 152 Hurricane Drive, Gaston, NC 27832 (Expired)
SAVE OUR SHORES! 07-23-19
From Maryland to North Carolina, our beach environments and coastal communities are directly threatened by proposals for seismic blasting and offshore oil drilling. Help save our beach and coastal communities!
WesternGeco, a seismic testing company, has proposed plans to blast air guns, louder than a rocket launch, every 10 seconds, 19 miles off our coasts from the Eastern Shore, Maryland to the Outer Banks and beyond in North Carolina. These blasts would have a devastating impact on marine life, the recreational and commercial fisheries dependent upon them, and millions of Americans who vacation or live near or along the ocean. Aside from the sheer noise and disruption, zooplankton populations, the very underpinnings of our fisheries, would be decimated, leaving fish and fishermen with no options. Click here to take action
WE DEMAND DEMOCRACY 06-28-19
It will be hard to protect the environment if the majority of Americans who share our views are not represented properly come election time. I wrote to you recently about the need for environmentalists (and all citizens) to worry about the state of democracy that has been under growing assault here at home and abroad. https://rachelcarsoncouncil.org/nature-empathy-fight-democracy/
Proof? Mitch McConnell and the U.S. Senate are sitting on a bill right now that could start to restore our democracy. I am asking for your help to pressure Senator Mitch McConnell and other Senate leaders to bring H.R.1 up for debate and a vote. Click here to take action
SAVE MD’S FORESTS 03-13-19
Did you know that Maryland lost over 2,600 acres of forests last year that were lawfully cleared and not replanted? We need you to sign RCC’s joint petition immediately! ACT NOW and save our forests today by urging your legislators to pass the Forest Conservation Act. This suite of bills would:
Define Forests: The current definition of “forest” recognizes trees on the street and forests in the same way. We need a stronger definition of “forests,” one that recognizes their biological diversity and supports healthy soils and habitat. Click here to take action
CHLORPYRIFOS BAN IN MD 03-06-19
Your state legislators will vote shortly on a bill to ban chlorpyrifos, a highly toxic pesticide manufactured by Dow. The EPA under President Obama determined that there was no safe level of exposure and no safe method of application. Unfortunately, President Trump’s EPA appointee reversed this ban – for no scientific reason. Tomorrow, the bill could advance with a crucial House committee vote, and another in the Senate committee this week. Dow Chemical is working hard to convince legislators to not support it. We need you to speak up NOW and make sure legislation to ban the use of this dangerous chemical in Maryland moves forward. Your action is critically important to protect Maryland children. Expired
HISTORIC BLACK WOMEN’S COLLEGE UNDER SEIGE 12-21-18
Bennett College, an HBCU and member of the Rachel Carson Council Campus Network (RCCCN), is at risk of losing its accreditation, despite growing enrollment and improved finances. Bennett women were central to launching the nationwide civil rights sit-in movement in 1961 and remain active today. We are calling on you to#StandwithBennett
Founded in 1873, Bennett College is one of the oldest Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the country and, with Spelman College in Atlanta, one of only two focused on educating young black women. Recognizing the importance of Bennett, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke there in 1963 just before his historic “I Have a Dream” speech. He then met directly with student leaders. Click here to take action
DEFEND RICHMOND COUNTY AGAINST ENVIVAS EXPANSION 11-08-18
Every year, tens of thousands of acres of North Carolina forests are cut down, turned into wood pellets at Enviva’s mills, and shipped overseas to be burned for electricity. It’s worse for the climate than burning coal, and it’s hurting our communities here at home with toxic air emissions. Enviva plans to increase production by 88,000 tons per year – from 537,000 tons per year to 625,000 tons per year. This means 2,000 more acres of forests logged each year
We pay for Enviva’s booming business. The healthy forests they chop down for European buyers would protect us from flooding and storms and provide us with clean air and water. Meanwhile, our county leadership gives them tax incentives for the privilege of making us all less safe. Expired
