In the time since last year’s Project for Awesome a lot has changed.
Trump says he's going to pull the US out of the Paris climate accords, a chunk of antarctica
fell off and we’ve seen storms and wildfires around the globe.
But what hasn’t changed, Earthjustice commitment to fighting for our planet.
Since Earthjustice was founded in 1971, they’ve had a hand in nearly every landmark climate
and environmental litigation in the US.
From Sierra Club vs Morten to Massachusetts vs the EPA.
And they aren’t stopping now.
Just recently Earthjustice announced their lawyers are representing 9 conservation groups
in suing the Trump administration to protect Bears Ears national monument.
This year I got to go to their headquarters in New York City to talk to one of the actual
lawyer defending thats defending our earth and our health.
This is Lisa Garcia.
Lisa: I’m Lisa Garcia, Vice President for litigations here at Earthjustice.
So I like to say: Why Earthjustice?
Our tag line is "Because the Earth needs a Good Lawyer," but of course the earth or the
environment really means protecting wildlife, like wolves, from making sure that we're pushing
forward alternatives like clean energy.
And also, of course, really making sure that we're protecting communities that are on the
fencelines.
That live right there at the fenceline of refineries, or chemical plants or powerplants.
And so when we say "The Earth" we're including the earth, the planet and all of its inhabitants.
Miriam: And Earthjustice is able to fight for all this because the US actually has some
really strong environmental statutes.
Lisa: They were all put in place basically in the late 70s and early 80s, under a Republican
president, bipartisan support.
So things like the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, that really say: When an agency
acts, they have to do it in the best interests, they have to act to protect human health and
the environment.
And earthjustice relies heavily on that to protect our rights, but they're also doing
a lot of work outside of the courtroom.
Lisa: There's a pesticide, you don't have to say it, but it's Chlorpyrifos.
And the Trump administration came in and said, we're not going to ban this pesticide, even
though there is science and data at EPA saying that it causes brain damage in kids, pesticides
have been found, traces of it, in breast milk.
I mean there's just a host of detrimental impacts and the federal government said that
they aren't going to act right now.
So we're suing in court, federal court, but at the same time, we're working with some
states that are really interested in saying: "Okay, well we recognize the detrimental health
impacts and we're gonna consider banning the pesticide."
So I think there's hope in the work that we're doing and the future is really dependent on
some of the states stepping up and really securing those health protections into the
future.
Miriam: And if we get states to secure protections, it makes it so much easier to get other states
to work toward that and eventually, hopefully the federal government to start implementing
those same protections.
So If all that sounds like something you'd be interested in supporting remember Earthjustice
is basically a not for profit law firm, which means they rely heavily on donations - this
lets them choose the clients that need their help most, not just those who can pay.
So if you want to help out, head on over to their website, check out some of the actions
they're involved in and hit that donate button.
But fear not, if you don’t have the cash to pay right now, there are still tons of
other ways you can help.
Lisa: We really depend on the support of many people, not only who help with fundraising,
but who also sign on to letters, file comments, and show up at public hearings.
Because really the voice of the people is becoming more and more important for this
administration and for others to understand that people are really concerned about climate
change.
People really do care about clean water.
People really do care about clean air.
Its funny to say it, but its essential that we all go out and participate in any way that
we can to make sure our voices are being heard.
And of course, the most important thing is to remember to vote.
So go out and register to vote, get a friend to register to vote.
Miriam: And this is a project for awesome video – so go to project for awesome dot
com or click the link in the description to vote for Earthjustice, so a portion of the
funds raised can once again go to giving the earth a good lawyer.