This is especially dangerous for people that live near airports. These communities have been found to have higher levels of lead in their blood. And the 360,000+ children that live near airports around the country are even more at risk from lead exposure. In fact, one study found that children living downwind of an airport had blood lead levels on par with lead levels found in children during the peak of the Flint, Michigan Water Crisis.

And like many other environmental issues, exposure to toxic leaded aviation fuel is also an issue of environmental justice. Most general aviation airports with the highest lead emissions are located in communities of color. And many Native Alaskan communities are situated near Alaskan airports. 

Friends of the Earth had numerous reasons to get involved. Dating back as far as 2003, we’ve been pressuring the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate lead in aviation fuel. That year, we submitted a comment letter asking the EPA for an endangerment finding from lead in aviation gasoline. And in 2006, we filed an administrative petition for EPA to conduct a study of the danger that leaded avgas has on public health.

It wasn’t until 2010 that EPA issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) acknowledging the adverse health problems likely caused by lead in aviation fuel. The ANPR also found that communities living near airports and people working at airports or with general aviation planes could be at risk from exposure to lead emissions. But even as EPA’s own findings concluded how toxic lead is to public health, wildlife, and the environment — even at low doses — the agency failed to take steps to actually regulate avgas. So in 2012, we went to court again, suing the EPA for its inaction. The agency agreed to issue an endangerment finding in 2015, but unfortunately those plans never materialized.

Years passed and our campaign for cleaner air continued. We got tens of thousands of our members to get involved by calling for a phase out of dangerous, toxic leaded avgas. And in 2021, we filed another petition calling on the EPA to take the necessary steps to regulate lead pollution from aircraft. We also joined over 35 organizations and individuals in a letter demanding EPA’s action on the issue.

Finally, in October 2023, EPA announced its final endangerment finding on leaded aviation gas, a crucial step toward protecting the health of so many who have been unjustly exposed to toxic air pollution and irreversible health impacts! 

After 20 years of campaigning with partners such as Oregon Aviation Watch, Earthjustice, the Golden Gate Environmental Law and Justice Clinic, we could finally celebrate this win. Communities near the 20,000 airports across the country that host aircraft that use leaded avgas will soon breathe cleaner air. And this has been a true victory in our fight for environmental justice. We look forward to the day that leaded avgas is banned once and for all, just as leaded gasoline in motor vehicles was banned over 25 years ago.

The post Protecting Communities From Air Pollution appeared first on Friends of the Earth.

We have seen progress restricting neonics or passing consumer bans in states like Maryland, Connecticut, Minnesota, and Vermont. The state of New York took it a step further, introducing a bill to limit these toxic pesticides even further by restricting agricultural use — the most common application of neonics.

The Birds and Bees Protection Act proposed to eliminate 80-90% of the neonics entering New York’s environment yearly. This would be huge in New York — a state where local beekeepers have lost more than 40% of their bee colonies due to toxic neonics.

And while neonics have already been banned in the European Union for almost a decade, the Birds and Bees Protection Act was a first-of-its-kind in the US. 

Research by Cornell University found that neonics provide no economic benefits to users or can be replaced with safer, effective alternatives. And the EPA reported that the toxic pesticide has threatened the existence of over 200 species. That’s 11% of the entire endangered species list!

The evidence for why neonicotinoid pesticides should be banned was mounting. And thankfully, New York State legislators chose to side with science and pass the bill in both chambers. But unfortunately, rumors circulated that the state’s governor, Governor Kathy Hochul, may not be on board with the bill. Her signature was the final step in making the bill law. 

So we ramped up our advocacy for this important bill. Thousands of Friends of the Earth members in New York contacted Hochul, urging her to pass the bill. In November 2023, we gathered in New York City to call on the governor to be a climate leader and sign the bill into law. We also pointed out how neonics can be harmful to human health, especially pregnant women and babies. Studies show that neonics were associated with malformations of babies’ developing hearts and brains. And farmworkers are also vulnerable due to their constant exposure to the pesticide. 

With just a few days left in 2023, we received news that Governor Hochul signed the Birds and Bees Protection Act into law! Environmentalists, farmers, and health professionals all joined in a sigh of relief that the governor chose to listen to proven science, instead of the exploitative pesticide industry. The passage of this bill will set an example for other states to follow. And we hope to see the EPA, which has published its own research on the harms of neonics, ban the pesticide once and for all. Until then, we will continue to campaign to save the bees and others from deadly chemicals.

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We noticed a spike of climate disinformation spreading through social media ads prior and during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP). During COP 27, FOE took part in a disinformation “intelligence unit” to monitor climate disinformation narratives. One analysis found that around the time of COP, 3,781 ads on Meta spread greenwashed lies about fossil fuels. 

Our reports and research urged Big Tech to crack down and restrict these kinds of ads on their platforms. But we also work to stop the spread of climate lies spreading through ‘organic’ unpaid content. This content has become more and more prevalent on polarizing issues such as Covid-19 and election fraud. In fact, on Twitter, misinformation was 70% more likely to be retweeted than tweets with factual information. On TikTok, videos denying that climate change is driven by human activities have been viewed over 30 million times. It’s to no one’s surprise that the fossil fuel industry has poured millions of dollars into spreading lies and misleading information to keep the public in support of its destruction.

To hold these platforms accountable for allowing these violations, we launched the Social Media Scorecard in April 2022 to pressure social media companies and Congress to tackle climate disinformation. We also leveraged the power of our members to get involved. And they did! More than 92,000 members signed petitions demanding that CEOs of Big Tech companies tackle oil and gas propaganda on their platforms.  

Since then, Pinterest adopted a robust policy for climate dis/misinformation in both organic content and ads. And just days after our scorecard placed Twitter last on our scorecard, the platform adopted a new policy to promote credible information on climate science. The policy also prohibited ads that contradict climate science. And in April 2023, TikTok announced that it would be overhauling its community guidelines and would include climate mis/disinformation in its misinformation policies.

Our work with the Climate Action Against Disinformation Coalition (CAAD) has also spearheaded research on climate disinformation in non-English languages, which can be even more prevalent and unregulated than English disinformation. For example, our analysis found rampant misinformation around online discussions of extreme weather events in Brazil, Chile, and Peru. 

The CAAD coalition is leading the way in analyzing and lobbying against these crises. And fortunately, our efforts have helped shape the policies that Big Tech companies have in place to regulate the spread of false and misleading information. We will not stop until these companies take accountability for their role in the spread of dangerous narratives about climate change. Every other industry — from food production to car manufacturers to airlines — has to report about the safety of its products. So why should tech companies be any different? Together, we can promote truthful information and inspire robust action to protect our planet.

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When this news broke, Friends of the Earth immediately condemned the resolution and called on President Biden to use his veto powers to stop it. But there was still hope that the resolution would not be passed by the House. Over 40,000 FOE members took action to call on their representatives to oppose this dangerous resolution. But prior to this, FOE members had been sounding the alarm that more was needed to protect endangered species. In fact, over the past few years, 296,794 FOE supporters submitted comments calling on the Biden administration for increased protections to the Endangered Species Act.

However, even after pressure to reject this attack, the House passed the resolution to strip protections of lesser-prairie chicken, as well as the northern long-eared bat. If signed into law, this could prevent the federal government from establishing protections for these species, even if they were facing extinction. 

Once again, we called on President Biden to stand up against this bold attack on a bedrock environmental law and veto the resolution. And thankfully, in September 2023, Biden made good on his word and vetoed the resolution! We can not let Republicans and other Big Oil-funded politicians threaten the Endangered Species Act after 50 years of proven success.

This win for the lesser-prairie chicken and the northern long-eared bat shows our commitment to protecting endangered species and standing up against Big Oil. And we will continue to be champions of science and truth in the face of greed and lies.

The post Protecting Endangered Species appeared first on Friends of the Earth.

That’s why Friends of the Earth has joined conservation and Indigenous rights groups to advocate for the protection of areas like the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon, Avi Kwa Ame, and Castner Range National Monuments. Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni, or Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon, provides water to at least 40 million people. And the monument is home to over 3,000 cultural and historic resources. The Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition led efforts to protect the moment for decades. We joined them, calling on our members to sign a petition urging the Bureau of Land Management to designate Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni. And 57,155 Friends of the Earth members spoke up about this important monument. Finally, in August 2023, those demands were met. President Biden announced that Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni would become a national monument and become permanently protected from extractive industry projects!

Similar to Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni, Nevada’s Avi Kwa Ame area is considered sacred for numerous Indigenous tribes. Avi Kwa Ame is also home to Nevada’s largest tree, the Joshua Tree, and many other native species, like the desert bighorn sheep, desert tortoises, and Gila monsters. These are just a few reasons why we joined Native American tribes, conservation organizations, and recreation groups to call for Awi Kwa Ame’s designation. Over 133,400 FOE members petitioned as well, noting the need to protect a sacred Native American landscape and local wildlife.

Thankfully, on March 21, 2023, President Biden announced that the area the monument was designated! In that same announcement, he designated Castner Range near El Paso, Texas a national monument. Over 23,000 FOE members got involved in this campaign because, not only does the area have cultural and historical significance , the now-monument honors our veterans, as a former training site during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.  President Biden’s announcement declared that altogether, half a million acres of Texas and Nevada were protected! This is huge in our fight against energy extraction.

We’re glad to see President Biden hear the demands made by so many and establish these designations. But there’s still work to do to protect America’s pristine lands and waters. For example, Northern Chumash Tribal Council has been advocating for Chumash Heritage Sanctuary to become protected as a national marine sanctuary. This marked the first time a Tribal organization has nominated a national marine sanctuary designation in the U.S. What’s more, the protection of the sanctuary would be critical in protecting the San Luis Obispo Bay’s marine biodiversity and to prevent oil and gas extraction in the area. When we join forces with Indigenous groups, conservation organizations, and other activists who care about the preservation of America’s public lands team up, we’ll be sure to secure another victory! 

The post Preserving Our Public Lands appeared first on Friends of the Earth.

And on top of wiping out nearly 100 miles of salmon streams, Pebble Mine was expected to generate 10 billion tons of dangerous waste and pollute 5,000 acres of waterways. Secret recordings also revealed company executives contradicting official figures they had submitted for approval, showing that corruption ran deep within this project.

Time and time again, polluting industries get away with projects like Pebble Mine — projects that sacrifice local ecosystems, economies, and Indigenous peoples without batting an eye. 

That’s why local groups and environmental activists stepped up against the project. Friends of the Earth members sent petitions to the US Army Corps of Engineers, with more than 80,500 of our members calling on various federal agencies to stop this industrial mine.

Initially, our demands were met! The US Army Corps of Engineers denied the Pebble Mine permit to operate in Bristol Bay. But unfortunately, Pebble LP appealed the decision, and the fight continued.

We could not allow for the permanent loss of miles of critical salmon streams and more than 2,000 acres of wetlands in the region. So we doubled down on our pressure on the EPA to veto Pebble Mine. And once again, our members took action — we collected 23,289 signatures petitioning the EPA to stand up against the mine! 

Finally, in January 2023, the EPA used its veto power, citing the Clean Water Act to block Pebble Mine! This was a huge decision, especially considering this was only the fourteenth time the EPA has vetoed a project, despite the millions of permits the agency has reviewed.

This fight has shown the gravity of how important protecting Bristol Bay really is — and the win is a cause for celebration for grassroots activism, local communities, and Alaskan wildlife. This is another notch in the belt of environmental justice that proves the power of our collective voices.

The post Stopping Pebble Mine and Saving Alaska’s Wild Salmon appeared first on Friends of the Earth.

Manchin teamed up with Democratic leadership to try and add his bill into must-pass legislation to force Congress to pass it. And, in a stunning series of environmental victories by frontline communities, it was blocked three times from becoming law.

Initially, Manchin tried to add his so-called “permitting reform” legislation to a funding bill aimed to avoid a government shutdown — and we stopped him. Two months later, Manchin tried to tie his bill to the Senate National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) — and we stopped him. A week later, he tried yet again to sneak his bill as an NDAA amendment — and he was swiftly voted down in the Senate.

Over and over again, environmental groups and frontline communities thwarted Manchin’s attempts to gut Environmental Justice. Our staff tirelessly lobbied Congressional offices to keep this deal off any must-pass legislation, our members called and emailed their representatives, and we took to the streets to rally with Jane Fonda and other climate activists to highlight our concerns.

Blocking Manchin’s bill is a massive win for people and the planet. It means that we can protect community engagement in the energy development decision-making process, block fast-tracked permitting for the Mountain Valley Pipeline, and invest in renewable energy instead of fossil fuels. 

Friends of the Earth emphasizes the magnitude of this victory, and we are grateful for the support of the members of Congress who led the charge against Manchin and his Dirty Deal. We are eager to continue working with these climate champions to keep protecting our communities and environment from corporate polluters and the politicians in their pockets.

We are sure Manchin will continue to try and sneak this bill into legislation — but we’re not backing down from this fight. We will not rest until this bill gets a separate vote in Congress and dies for good. 

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We found about eighteen global brands that were linked to land grabbing in Sulawesi. But we knew Procter & Gamble (P&G) would be a key target since the brand was so well known for its everyday products like Charmin toilet paper, Crest toothpaste or Head & Shoulders shampoo. Less well known is the fact that Charmin is made from virgin tree pulp from Canada’s boreal forests and many of P&G’s cosmetic products contain palm oil grown on land cleared of biodiverse rainforest in Indonesia. Along with many of the other brands we found linked to the Sulawesi land grab, P&G greenwashes its image through membership in the Consumer Goods Forum — a consortium of the world’s largest consumer brands, which had promised (but failed) to end deforestation in its members’ supply chains by 2020.

We got to work by putting pressure on P&G’s shareholders, like BlackRock and State Street, demanding they use shareholder power to stop deforestation. Then we teamed up with the Natural Resources Defense Council to urge big investors to vote for P&G to deal with deforestation. The effort resulted in the largest ever shareholder vote in favor of halting deforestation — and put P&G’s palm oil problem squarely in sight of its largest shareholders!

We also reached out to our members to inform them of human rights and environmental violations that were linked to palm oil sourcing in Indonesia. And they joined the fight to pressure P&G and its investors to stop fueling deforestation with over 50,000 petition signatures!  

And with WALHI, our partner on the ground in Indonesia, we published a comprehensive report detailing the abuses, packed with photos of Indonesian farmers demanding action from P&G.

All of this evidence became difficult to ignore and thankfully, companies began to take action. First, Danone by ending its business ties to AAL. But P&G chose to commission an independent investigation which later affirmed what we’d been saying all along – AAL had illegal operations and were tearing down protected forests and waterways. Not to mention, AAL repeatedly sought to have dissenting farmers jailed for demanding their land back.

Yet, P&G failed to act. So we disrupted a meeting of the Consumer Goods Forum in New York City to hand-deliver a letter from over 50 indigenous and frontline land defenders to executives at two dozen companies. At the same time we filed paperwork with the Securities & Exchange Commission urging shareholders to vote against P&G’s board of directors.

And just a few days later, Nestlé announced a decision to suspend business with AAL. When Bloomberg broke the news of this, P&G promptly followed Nestlé’s lead. And by the end of that week, Hershey’s, Colgate-Palmolive, and L’Oreal had all suspended business with AAL! Two weeks later, ten percent of P&G’s shareholders cast protest votes against the company’s new CEO — sending a clear message that the company still has a long way to go.

This has been an incredible win for preserving Indonesia’s rainforest and all its biodiversity. Endangered animals in Indonesia’s Sulawesi, like the crested black macaque and the bear cuscus, have long been threatened by deforestation. And farmers and Indigenous peoples who have fought back have been subject to retaliation for standing up to AAL can celebrate as well!

Getting six major multinationals to stand up and take action is no small thing, but there is still work to be done. Neither P&G nor the other companies have taken the necessary steps to support the affected farmers to get their rights restored and their land back. We will continue our fight until our goal of justice for those affected communities is met. 

The post Holding Multinational Corporations Accountable appeared first on Friends of the Earth.

That’s why when oil and gas lease sales on the refuge began taking place in January 2021, environmentalist and Indigenous groups were alarmed. The fossil fuel industry has been advocating to drill on the 19 million acres on Alaska’s North Slope.

Friends of the Earth has long worked with Indigenous groups to empower their voices and advocate for the protection of their lands. And we put intense pressure on Wall Street investment firms which led to all major banks having policies against funding drilling in the Arctic Refuge. We also protested at Chevron’s shareholder meeting to tell them to keep their drilling out of the pristine Arctic Refuge!

On the legislative side, we encouraged Members of Congress to pass the Arctic Cultural and Coastal Plain Protection Act  — a bill to block oil and gas drilling in ANWR — and supported House reconciliation language that would repeal the Arctic Refuge drilling program. 

We also took the fight to court. Friends of the Earth joined Earthjustice, Greenpeace and Sierra Club to file a lawsuit challenging the Bureau of Land Management’s approval of exploratory drilling in the Western Arctic. 

And thankfully, our demands have been met with success with two drillers dropping their leases! This is yet another blow to efforts to drill in the protected wilderness that means so much to local communities and creatures. Those celebrating the news include the local Gwich’in nation and countless environmental groups. And because the Wildlife Refuge is also home to federally protected polar bears and the Porcupine caribou herd, the threat of oil and gas drilling in the area would be devastating. 

After the two drillers — Knik Arm Services and Regenerate Alaska — backed out of the project, the only remaining lease holder in the refuge is the state of Alaska. Which means there is still work to be done. We will continue our fight to protect public lands that mean so much to communities and wildlife.

The post Protecting Arctic Communities & Wildlife appeared first on Friends of the Earth.

Unfortunately, with the fossil fuel industry pouring millions into spreading climate disinformation, narratives meant to create distrust around climate science have also made their way to social media.

It’s hard enough to make strides when it comes to climate action. Green-lighting blatant lies about the scale of the climate crisis cannot continue — social media companies must be held accountable for their role in worsening our planet’s fate. Our case study on the Texas power outage in 2021–where wind turbines were falsely blamed– found that 99% of the disinformation was not even fact checked. This had real world consequences. In just 4 days the false image of a frozen wind turbine rocketed across social media, and became a talking point for the Republican Governor.

As corporate polluters gain more influence over our communications systems, we have launched a campaign to pressure social media companies and Congress to tackle climate disinformation.  We have focused on the major platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Google/Youtube, along with TikTok, and Pinterest. In October 2021, ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), we co-authored a letter with 16 other environmental groups, calling on all big tech companies to take action in order to eliminate climate disinformation.

We also conducted an analysis to outline which social media platforms are best moderating the spread of climate disinformation. In April 2022, we released a scorecard highlighting how companies like Pinterest have adopted policies to eradicate disinformation in paid content. What’s more, Pinterest is the only platform to  provide a robust definition for climate dis/misinformation that applies to both organic and ads.

We also celebrated news that Twitter adopted a policy to promote credible information on climate science. The policy also prohibited ads that contradict climate science. This announcement came just days after our scorecard placed Twitter last on our ranking of social media companies on their climate disinformation

Our efforts have helped shape the policies that these companies have to regulate the spread of false and misleading information.  And just as we called out Facebook for allowing posts with false claims, we will continue pressuring other tech companies to realize their role in combating false and harmful narratives regarding climate change. Every other industry — from food production to car manufacturers to airlines — has to report about the safety of its products. Why should tech companies be any different? Together, we can promote truthful information and inspire robust action to protect our planet!

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