Protect Our Water & Safeguard Our Future!

September 29, 2024 / activist360

Defend Clean Water Act from Project 2025 Threat

Water as a Sacred Force Across Cultures

Many cultures around the world revere water as a sacred and life-giving force, recognizing its profound symbolic and spiritual significance. In Hinduism, water is regarded as the essential sustainer of life, without which most living beings, including humans, would not be able to survive. Indigenous cultures, such as the Lakota Sioux in North America, honor water as a sacred element central to life and ceremonies, often referring to it as “Mni Wiconi,” meaning “Water is Life.” In Buddhism, water symbolizes purity, clarity, and calmness, representing a path to spiritual enlightenment. Across African traditions, water is scarce and precious, reflecting the community’s resilience. This universal reverence for water underscores its critical role in sustaining life and reinforces the need for its preservation across diverse global communities.

Protecting Our Water: The Importance of the Clean Water Act

The Clean Water Act (CWA), enacted in 1972, is a landmark U.S. federal law aimed at regulating water pollution to restore and maintain the integrity of the nation’s water bodies. However, the act is under threat from initiatives like Project 2025, which proposes a conservative restructuring of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), prioritizing industrial and business interests over environmental protections. By undermining the Clean Water Act and reducing federal oversight, Project 2025 endangers access to clean water for vulnerable communities, particularly those near industrial zones.

The History Behind the Clean Water Act

The Clean Water Act was born out of a growing environmental crisis in the mid-20th century. Before its enactment, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948 was the first U.S. law to address water pollution, but it lacked the enforcement mechanisms to make a significant impact. During the 1960s, environmental concerns escalated, particularly following events like the 1969 fire on Ohio’s Cuyahoga River, which was so polluted it ignited when an oil slick caught fire. Public outcry, combined with the environmental movement of the time, fueled the demand for stronger water protection laws. This momentum led to the drafting of the Clean Water Act in 1972, aimed at restoring and maintaining the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters.

Key Provisions of the Clean Water Act

Here are the key provisions of the Clean Water Act, designed to protect our nation’s waters from harmful pollution and ensure long-term environmental sustainability:

Permits and Regulation: Facilities that discharge pollutants into surface waters must obtain permits under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). This system helps monitor and regulate pollutants from industries, municipalities, and certain agricultural activities.
Water Quality Standards: States are required to establish water quality standards for various bodies of water, ensuring pollution levels remain below harmful thresholds. If these standards aren’t met, more stringent pollution control measures are implemented.
Protection of Wetlands and Streams: Wetlands and small streams, vital ecosystems for filtering water and providing habitat, are protected under the CWA. Recent Supreme Court decisions have clarified the types of water bodies covered, emphasizing the importance of maintaining ecological balance.
Pollution Control: The CWA encourages the development of technology to limit pollution. Facilities must adhere to technology-based standards, ensuring that water pollutants are minimized as much as possible.
Non-Point Source Pollution: In addition to direct discharges, non-point source pollution, such as agricultural runoff, is a significant contributor to water pollution. The CWA provides support for research and practices aimed at reducing this type of pollution.
Public Participation: The CWA allows citizens to take legal action against polluters and government agencies that fail to enforce the Act. This provision ensures accountability and gives the public a role in protecting water resources.

Health Implications of Unprotected Water

If water bodies are not adequately protected, water pollution can have severe health consequences for both humans and wildlife. Contaminated water may harbor harmful substances like heavy metals, pesticides, industrial chemicals, and pathogens, leading to various health issues. Exposure to polluted water can cause cancer, gastrointestinal illnesses, reproductive problems, and neurological disorders. For instance, chemicals like lead and mercury can impair brain function and development, while certain pollutants are linked to male fertility issues. Vulnerable populations, including children, pregnant women, and the elderly, are particularly at risk. Long-term exposure to polluted water can result in chronic health problems, overwhelming public health systems and endangering future generations.

Why the Clean Water Act Matters Today

The Clean Water Act has been instrumental in improving water quality across the United States. Since its implementation, many rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water have shown significant improvement. However, challenges remain, particularly with non-point source pollution and groundwater contamination, as well as the latest and most significant threat, Project 2025.

Project 2025 envisions a conservative restructuring of the EPA that places industrial and business interests over the imperative for clean water and air, potentially endangering communities and paving the way for toxins, chemicals, and oil to enter our waterways. It undermines the EPA’s capacity to safeguard diverse communities and the human right to clean water by favoring the self-interest of corporations over environmental and public health protections. This initiative threatens to reverse the progress made by the Clean Water Act, removing standards that protected all of us across the country and creating a patchwork of state standards that leaves vulnerable populations, such as low-income and Indigenous communities, at greater risk. By limiting the EPA’s authority and diminishing legal recourse for affected individuals, Project 2025 weakens the essential safeguards that protect public health and the environment.

What You Can Do: Reject Project 2025, Reject Trump & Vote Blue

Individuals play an essential role in supporting the goals of the Clean Water Act and protecting water resources. Here are a few ways you can make a difference:

Learn about the threats that pollution and toxins pose to your health and the health of your loved ones.
Support policies and legislation aimed at strengthening water protections.
Participate in local clean-up efforts to protect wetlands, rivers, and other bodies of water.

The Clean Water Act has laid the foundation for a cleaner, healthier environment, and it’s up to all of us to continue building on that legacy. By staying informed and taking action, we can help safeguard water resources for future generations.

Don’t operate out of fear, operate out of hope, because with hope everything is possible.
—Mni Wiconi

Climate Litigation: A Growing Force in the Fight Against Climate Change

September 22, 2024 / activist360

As the world faces increasingly severe climate impacts, governments and corporations are being held accountable through a surge of climate-related lawsuits. A recent study, Research Areas for Climate Litigation, conducted by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) in September 2024, highlights the critical role of climate litigation in driving action where traditional policy-making has often fallen short.

The Rise of Climate Litigation

Since 2015, more than 1,800 climate-related lawsuits have been filed worldwide, with at least 230 new cases in 2023 alone. The United States, United Kingdom, and Australia have become the primary hubs for this legal activity, while other regions, especially parts of Africa, have seen limited litigation.

The UCS study emphasizes that this growing body of legal action requires strong scientific evidence to be effective. To that end, scientists and researchers are increasingly collaborating with legal teams to provide the necessary data, helping courts make informed decisions on climate cases. The study aims to bridge gaps between science and law by identifying key research priorities that can strengthen future litigation efforts.

Key Research Areas for Climate Litigation

The study highlights three priority research areas that are essential for advancing climate lawsuits:

Attribution Science: This field connects specific climate impacts to particular sources of emissions. Courts need this science to establish a clear causal link between climate change and its effects, such as extreme weather events. The study calls for more geographically diverse research, particularly in regions like the Global South, where climate data is scarce.
Climate Change and Human Health: Legal arguments are increasingly focusing on the health impacts of climate change. Vulnerable groups, including older adults, infants, people with disabilities, and those in poverty, are especially at risk from worsening air quality, heatwaves, and water scarcity. The study points to a need for more research linking climate change to health outcomes like asthma, cardiovascular diseases, and heat-related illnesses.
Economic Modeling: Courts rely on economic data to assess the costs of climate change. This includes not only the direct damages caused by extreme weather events but also the costs of adapting to a changing climate and the economic opportunities lost due to inaction. The study calls for robust economic modeling that can predict future costs and benefits under different climate scenarios.

Strategic Research Areas for the Future

Beyond the priority areas, the study identifies five strategic research areas where further scientific evidence is needed to support climate litigation:

Legal and Financial Accountability: Holding corporations accountable for their emissions, particularly in industries like fashion and cement, requires more detailed research on how financial institutions contribute to climate change by funding fossil fuel projects.
Disinformation and Greenwashing: The study stresses the importance of exposing and countering misleading claims made by corporations about their environmental practices, which can mislead consumers and delay meaningful climate action.
Fair Share Analysis and Compliance: Understanding whether corporations and nations are meeting their climate goals is critical. The study highlights the need for standardized emissions metrics and tracking, especially for corporations with complex supply chains.
Environmental and Social Impacts: Research on how climate change affects ecosystems, biodiversity, and human communities—especially in remote regions with limited data—is vital for comprehensive environmental impact assessments.
Emissions Accounting and Reductions: Courts need better methods for tracking and reducing emissions, particularly those related to the indirect effects of products, known as Scope 3 emissions. The study also calls for research into the effectiveness of renewable energy credits and other mitigation strategies.

Losses and Damages: A Cross-Cutting Theme

One of the study’s most important cross-cutting themes is losses and damages—the economic and non-economic harms caused by climate change that can’t be prevented through adaptation or mitigation. The study calls for more research to quantify these losses, especially in terms of intangible cultural heritage, social structures, and ways of life. Understanding these losses is critical for communities seeking reparations for the damage caused by climate change.

Why This Study Matters

As climate litigation accelerates globally, the need for solid scientific research to support these cases becomes more urgent. The UCS study provides a roadmap for scientists looking to contribute to the legal battle against climate change by focusing on areas where their work can have the greatest impact. This research will not only improve the effectiveness of climate lawsuits but also push governments and corporations to take more meaningful climate action.

Summing Up

Climate litigation is emerging as a powerful tool in the fight against climate change. With over 1,800 lawsuits filed since 2015, the legal community is increasingly relying on science to prove the connections between climate change, its impacts, and the entities responsible. The Union of Concerned Scientists’ 2024 study highlights the critical research areas—such as attribution science, health impacts, and economic modeling—that will strengthen these legal efforts.

For those interested in how climate change is being addressed through legal channels, this study underscores the vital role that science plays in holding governments and corporations accountable. As the impacts of climate change worsen, the importance of this intersection between science and law will only grow.

Source: Merner, L. D., Phillips, C. A., & Mulvey, K. (2024). Research areas for climate litigation: 2024 report. Union of Concerned Scientists.

New Study Shows West Antarctic Ice Sheet Might Be Safer from Collapse This Century

August 25, 2024 / activist360

Glacier breaking edge in the Lemaire Canal. The Lemaire Canal is a narrow ship passage. It separates the island of Booth from the Antarctic Peninsula. Credit: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, December 8, 2005.

Some Climate Threats May Be Less Urgent, But Action Is Still Needed to Protect Ice Sheets

A recent study led by researchers at Dartmouth College brings some good news about the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, particularly Thwaites Glacier. Scientists have found that this massive ice sheet might be less likely to collapse during the 21st century than we previously feared. This discovery could mean that the threat of rapidly rising sea levels is not as immediate as some had thought.

What Is MICI and Why Does It Matter?

MICI stands for Marine Ice Cliff Instability. It’s a big concern in the world of climate science. The idea is that if the floating ice shelves around Antarctica collapse, they could expose tall ice cliffs. These cliffs might break apart quickly, leading to more ice melting and causing sea levels to rise around the world. Previous studies suggested that MICI could cause the West Antarctic Ice Sheet to collapse, leading to significant sea level rise by the end of this century.

How This Study Was Done

Scientists from several universities used advanced computer models to simulate what might happen to Thwaites Glacier if its ice shelf collapses. They applied new methods to gain a clearer understanding of the ice sheet’s stability. These models are more detailed and realistic than the ones used in older studies.

The new methods took into account how the ice both bends and breaks. This made the models more realistic in showing how the ice sheet might behave if the ice shelves collapse and tall cliffs are exposed.

The study also used more advanced and detailed models. By using three different models (ISSM, STREAMICE, and Úa), the researchers made sure their results were not limited to just one type of model. This approach gave a clearer picture of how stable the West Antarctic Ice Sheet might be, especially concerning MICI.

Key Findings: Less Risk of Collapse

The study’s results are reassuring. Even in the worst-case scenarios, where the ice shelf collapses completely, the models show that the glacier would likely remain stable throughout the 21st century. The exposed ice cliffs wouldn’t be tall enough to cause the runaway collapse that was previously feared.

Two important factors help keep the glacier stable:

Faster Ice Movement: If the ice shelf collapses, the ice behind it would begin moving faster, which surprisingly helps prevent the cliffs from breaking apart.
Thinning Ice: The ice near the front would become thinner, making the cliffs less likely to reach dangerous heights.

Why This Matters for Sea Levels

This study suggests that the scenarios where sea levels rise quickly due to the collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet might not happen as soon as we thought. However, the scientists warn that other processes could still cause the ice to melt over the long term. We shouldn’t assume everything is fine, but it’s a relief to know that we might have more time to address these challenges.

Call to Action

This study is a reminder that while some climate threats may be less urgent than we feared, we still need to take action. Ice sheets like the West Antarctic are still at risk in the long run.

Morlighem, M., Goldberg, D., Barnes, J. M., Bassis, J. N., Benn, D. I., Crawford, A. J., Gudmundsson, G. H., & Seroussi, H. (2024). The West Antarctic Ice Sheet may not be vulnerable to marine ice cliff instability during the 21st century. Science Advances, 10(eado7794).