St Paul, MN – Dozens of residents rallied March 22 alongside the Climate Justice Committee (CJC) in front of Northern Iron, a metal foundry located in the heart of the highly diverse, working-class East Side neighborhood in Saint Paul. The foundry has earned the ire of residents for its failure to contain toxic pollutants from its operations, as well as its refusal to comply with state government efforts to hold them accountable.

Smokestacks located just across the street from residences emit toxic pollutants such as lead and other heavy metals, as well as hazardous fine particulate matter. The foundry, owned and operated by Lawton Standard, continues to subject the residents to toxic pollutants in defiance of standards set by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). Particulates from the foundry can be seen collecting on cars and houses, and on windows and windowsills. It collects in the lungs of residents and their pets, which can cause long term health effects. It also collects on the surface of the ground, seeping in with the rainfall, rendering soil toxic.

One neighbor reported, “My children are experiencing health problems, including very low hemoglobin, anemia, behavior problems, trouble concentrating, [and] sleep disturbances.” Another neighbor, a young child, expressed frustration that he could not eat the fruit that grows in his yard: “I live four blocks from Northern Iron, and I have an apple and a raspberry tree and I can’t eat them because of Northern Iron. And I have a few questions: why is Northern Iron polluting our neighborhood with toxic metals like lead?”

There was consensus among the people assembled there that families had a right to a safe environment in which to raise their children, and that Northern Iron was violating that right.

In an apparent effort to feign compliance, Northern Iron hastily wrapped its smokestacks in common tarp. Neighbor of the foundry Brittney Bruce remarked: “For them to say that their emission capture is working is literally a joke – we can all see these stacks are not wrapped properly.”

The MPCA recently issued a warning to the foundry, threatening to possibly revoke Northern Iron’s operating permits if they do not provide overdue paperwork by March 27. It is widely expected, however, that the foundry will do nothing to abate its toxic emissions, continuing a pattern of negligence. Furthermore, residents worry that the MPCA will fail to live up to its ultimatum, as the regulators did not fully commit to action.

Considering the foundry’s history of ignoring deadlines set by the MPCA, and the agency’s history of ignoring pollution from the foundry, East Side residents and the Climate Justice Committee are preparing to continue the fight beyond next week’s deadline.

Local resident Mel Lorentz was clear, “I've talked to so many people who live within a few blocks behind this foundry and everybody says they've gotta clean it up or get out and we're not going away until they do that.”

Organizers with the CJC vowed to continue to spread awareness of the mounting campaign and pursue it to a victorious conclusion as was done against the Smith Foundry in the neighboring city of Minneapolis.

#StPaulMN #MN #Environment #CJC

St. Paul, MN – The Climate Justice Committee (CJC) and East Side Environmental Justice hosted a community meeting, March 15, in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood of Saint Paul, raising awareness among community members about the growing campaign against the Northern Iron foundry, a major polluter in the area.

Around 50 people were in attendance, including local residents, neighborhood activists, elected officials such as Saint Paul City Council Member Nelsie Yang and state House Representative Peter Fischer, and other concerned community members.

Neighbors near the foundry have been documenting dark soot on their windows, in their homes and on their cars. Testing confirmed the soot contained the same toxic compounds that can be found inside Northern Iron. Northern Iron has also been found in violation of their emissions permits by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), but it has refused to clean up its act, even taking the MPCA to court to avoid compliance with the agency’s enforcement action.

First, Mel Lorentz, an attorney and Payne-Phalen resident, talked through the details of Northern Iron’s operations and known pollution history, stating, “They’re taking in up to 30 tons per day of scrap metal, and up to 100,000 tons per year of silica sand, they pour molten metal into molds to make equipment for oil and gas drilling, agricultural equipment.”

Lorentz then offered a major update on the status of Northern Iron’s court battle with the MPCA, telling audience members that the agency recently sent Northern Iron a letter setting a deadline of March 27 to submit testing data and detailed plans for how they would get in compliance, or else face potentially having their permits revoked. Lorentz pointed out that this is a major escalation from the MPCA, calling out that “many people in this room know that this kind of thing almost never happens,” and that this was clearly the result of the community’s organizing efforts.

Next, a nursing and public health student, Candis Moore, offered a presentation on the adverse health effects that are commonly associated with the pollutants coming from Northern Iron, primarily lead and PM 2.5 (also known as fine particulate matter).

“Blood lead levels are important because it’s a neurotoxin, so when this is introduced to children, when their brains are growing very fast, it can actually impede that process. This can lead to problems in school, behavioral problems, and this is so important because these are foundational building blocks to kids leading fulfilling lives in their futures,” Moore said., She highlighted the fact that lead pollution is a common factor among many working-class cities and neighborhoods around the country that have high rates of school dropouts and crime among youth, such as many parts of Chicago and Detroit. During the Q&A, Moore underlined that “there is no safe level of lead in the body.”

The audience heard from Minneapolis-based community activist Joe Vital, who played an important role in winning the shutdown of Smith Foundry in East Phillips in 2024. Joe recounted the story of fighting for justice alongside the CJC and other allies in his own neighborhood, emphasizing the lesson that these fights require a diversity of tactics, such as call-ins, putting pressure on elected officials, and community rallies and protests. Vital put it succinctly: “It’s only when people get in the streets that things finally start to move.”

Finally, Britney Bruce, who lives right behind the foundry, shared her story of moving into the neighborhood with high hopes, only to have her dreams dashed when she learned her new home was right next to a major polluter.

“I spent many, many years saving up for my first home. I had plans of having a big backyard to host family barbecues, bonfires, have a garden, a place where my kids can run wild – a place that my boys could always call home,” she said. Bruce moved in almost exactly one year ago and quickly noticed that things were not right. “I noticed that no matter how much I cleaned my windowsills and baseboards, they were always covered in black dust. My oldest, who is diabetic, started having breathing problems. My middle child developed eczema all over his body. I went back to using an inhaler that I hadn’t used since high school.”

Bruce called for everyone in the room to stay in communication with one another, to spread awareness, and to continue to fight so that Northern Iron can’t pollute any longer. She concluded, “It’s easy to mute one voice, but it’s hard to mute many.”

The Climate Justice Committee is organizing a rally outside Northern Iron next week on March 22, and continues to build the struggle against urban pollution and environmental racism in the Twin Cities.

#StPaulMN #MN #Environment #CJC #TwinCities #ClimateJustice

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Communist Party of the Philippines.

The tactical offensive of the New People’s Army (NPA) against the 80th Infantry Battalion (IB) in Antipolo, Rizal yesterday is a bold action that responds to people’s demand to put a stop to destructive quarrying, mining and dam construction in the Rizal province.

The 80th IB is notorious for gross violations of the rights of peasant and indigenous people communities in Antipolo and other towns in Rizal who have resisted the construction of the Wawa-Violago megadam. Several communities have been displaced by these projects.

The military battalion also provides armed security to mining and quarrying operations which have caused grave destruction of the environment. These operations have resulted in devastating floods and landslides that have affected not only the local communities but also neighboring towns in Rizal, as well as low-lying areas in Metro Manila.

The Marcos regime continues to use the armed forces to serve the interests of these destructive companies, providing them with security and allowing them to continue their operations with impunity.

The NPA’s action is a just response to the people’s clamor for social and environmental justice. It is a testament to the determination of the people to defend their rights and the environment and resist the reactionary government’s policy that favor big business interests.

The NPA tactical offensive is a blow to the claims of the Marcos fascist regime and its armed forces that the country is now “insurgency-free.” This false narrative is a key component of the government’s vain attempt to demoralize the people and discourage them from further resisting fascism and imperialism.

The CPP commends the NPA Red fighters who carried out the military action in defense of the people’s interests and the environment. They are true people’s warriors who are dedicated to serve the people, defend their rights and protect the environment.

#International #Philippines #CPP #NPA #Environment

Santa Ana, CA – Over 100 community members, activists and organizers rallied in Santa Ana to protest the inauguration of Donald Trump on January 20.

Despite cold gusts of wind, the crowd filled the intersection of S Bristol Street and W McFadden Avenue, a location people have rallied at for years, such as on Trump’s first inauguration or during the George Floyd Rebellion.

Erica Gonzalez of Chicanxs Unidxs (CU) said, “I stood on these streets in September 2017 with my four kids, all under the age of 14, to rally against the Trump administration for putting kids in cages and separating families at the border. It was during that rally that I felt the power of community for the first time. Here we are all these years later, except this time we’re much more organized and better prepared.”

Rachael Pozos of TransLatinx spoke on the danger posed to the LGBTQ community by Trump, stating “We are part of this community. They want to segregate and silence us, but we are raising our voices too. We demand that hormone replacement therapy continue to be carried out. We are not going to back down: on the contrary, we are going to fight!”

In his second administration, Trump will likely ramp up police spending and repression of the people’s movements. During his campaign he suggested harsh crackdowns on the Palestine solidarity movement, and in his first administration he responded to the George Floyd Rebellion with heavy repression. Last week Trump’s Department of Justice suggested halting consent decrees requiring reforms of police departments around the country.

Donna Acevedo-Nelson spoke about her son, Joel Acevedo, who was only 21 years old when he was killed by Anaheim Police Department, stating, “My son Joel was dragged, beaten, handcuffed and then shot in the back of the head. The police changed their story a few times. They lie. They go into the media. People believe what they read in the newspaper and there’s always more to the story.”

Protesters visible to passing cars held signs that read, “Indict! Convict! Send these killer cops to jail! The whole damn system is guilty as hell!”

Emma Gottfried from Community Service Organization (CSO) spoke about the killing spree by Anaheim and Santa Ana police over the years. In December, SAPD killed Noe Rodriguez moments after arriving at the scene, giving commands only in English and firing at least 30 bullets even as he collapsed.

Gottfried said, “CSO has launched our ‘24/48’ police accountability campaign. We are fighting for more transparency, demanding the public releasing of officer names when they are involved in misconduct or a shooting within 24 hours, and for releasing unedited footage of the incident within 48 hours. Families deserve to see what happened and know who was involved so we can hold them responsible!” Protesters waved signs saying, “Justice for Noe Martinez Rodriguez.”

Labor activist Manaal Subhani warned of Trump’s legacy of attacking workers, stating, “During his presidency, Donald Trump systematically undermined worker protections and unions. His National Labor Relations Board repeatedly sided with corporations over workers, making it harder to form unions and easier to decertify them.”

Subhani continued, “Workers built this city, workers run this city, and workers will fight back against the Trump administration and the cop administration!”

Abraham Quintana of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) reinforced the importance of the working class struggle, stating, “The billionaires depend on our labor for their profits. It's not Elon Musk on the assembly line building those ugly, explosive trucks. It's not Gavin Newsom out there fighting wildfires. It’s workers!”

Quintana spoke of FRSO’s task of building a political party of the multinational working class, saying, “Instead of living in a world where we live to make profits for the billionaires, we can build a society that meets everyone’s needs and puts the power in the working class's hands instead of the hands of the 1%.”

Sandra de Anda, coordinator of the Orange County Rapid Response Network (OCRRN), encouraged the crowd to call their hotline if ICE is spotted in Santa Ana (714-881-1558). She cautioned people to correctly verify sightings to avoid panic and shared about their participatory defense work to stop and reduce detentions, deportations and incarcerations.

Sandra de Anda said, “We are here as a reminder that everyday people can organize: mothers, hermanos, everybody can learn how to get their loved ones out of cages. Right now is the time for regular people to do courageous things!”

Protesters waved signs that read “No to deportations,” “Protect Immigrants” and “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” The crowd shouted, “Up, up with liberation! Down, down with deportation!”

Vinny Mansoor of the US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) stressed the importance of solidarity across different movements, telling the crowd, “I find myself for the life of me unable to see the difference between a child in a cage in California and a child in a cage in Gaza! Our children are being taken from us and we have to stand united!”

Erick Landeros of Guerrero, a solidarity organization supporting the National Democratic Revolution in the Philippines, connected the struggle between immigrants in Santa Ana with oppressed peoples around the world: “From here in Santa Ana with migrant, working class families, to Palestine, to Mexico, to the Philippines, we all face a common enemy: U.S. imperialism.”

Jensen Walsh of Orange County Democratic Socialists of America (OCDSA) called the audience to action, stating, “Right now, we are mobilized, but what we must do is organize for greater mobilization in the future.”

The crowd marched around the intersection, hoisting signs in the air and shouting over the gusty wind and traffic. Spirits were high as people raged against the Trump administration. The rally highlighted the importance of solidarity between all of the people’s struggles and the importance of joining an organization for long-term organized struggle against this administration.

The event was organized by CSO OC in coalition with CU, OCEJ, USPCN, FRSO, OCDSA, TransLatinx, Guerrero and OCRRN.

#SantaAnaCA #PeoplesStruggles #Immigrantrights #InJusticeSystem #LGBTQ #Palestine #AntiWarMovement #Environment #CSOOC #CU #OCEJ #USPCN #FRSO #TransLatinx #Guerrero #OCRRN

Olympia, WA – Hundreds gathered at Heritage Park in Olympia, on Saturday, January 18, to protest against the second inauguration of Donald Trump. People of all ages, genders and nationalities from dozens of organizations made up the Peoples’ March on a brisk, sunny afternoon.

Protesters put forward demands around the environment, indigenous sovereignty, economic justice , liberation for Black people, liberation for trans people, immigrant justice, reproductive justice, and freeing Palestine.

“We want everyone to be united in our movement to say ‘no’ to cages,” said Rufina Reyes, director of immigrant rights group La Resistencia, “This is the worst time to bow down our heads. We want people to stand up and say, ‘Here we are, and we have the right to fight for ourselves and fight for our families!’“

Immediately after the march to the Capitol, many of the crowd gathered at a community center a few blocks away for the Festival of Resistance. The Festival of Resistance, according to its program, “is a crucial opportunity to build community and solidarity, engage in outreach and education, and prepare to take collective action ahead of what is sure to be a tumultuous time.”

The first half of the gathering was a social hour where patrons ate free food provided by Food Not Bombs and mingled with other festival-goers. The second half of the programming included discussion groups such as “Organizing for Queer and Trans Liberation” and “Neighborhood Organizing” and workshops including “Prison Letter Writing” and “Anti-Repression Workshop,” just to name a few.

“The Festival of Resistance is important because we need to prepare for what’s coming under the Trump administration,” said Arlo Dalton, member of Palestine Action South Sound. “It’s going to be important to build our network to fight against these attacks. And if we want to be ready, we need to get started now!”

#OlympiaWA #WA #ImmigrantsRights #WomensMovement #LGBTQ #PeoplesAction #Environment #PeoplesMarch #Trump

Olympia, WA – Indigenous leaders and environmentalists held a ceremony on January 15, outside Governor Bob Ferguson’s inauguration, to honor the Southern Resident Orca population, which is suffering from environmental collapse.

Nearly 100 people from around the state gathered to share in grief the tremendous loss that occurred at the turn of the new year. On December 21, an orca was born to Tahlequah, who made international headlines in 2018 when her baby passed away and she continued to carry it with her for 17 days and over 1000 miles.

Only ten days after being born, Tahlequah’s newest baby passed away from starvation. Once again, Tahlequah is carrying her deceased baby, day and night, throughout the Salish Sea.

The Salish Sea is unique in its ecology and is home to a population of orcas. They are of sacred significance to the Coast Salish tribes and depend almost entirely upon Chinook salmon for their diet. Members of several Coast Salish tribes spoke, stating that all can unite around the fact that the loss of our salmon is the loss of our future.

As legendary tribal activist, water protector and earth defender of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, Raymond Kingfisher aptly states, “We do this for the children.”

Attendees began the vigil at Tivoli Fountain, then walked up to the Capitol, circled the building, and stood at the front steps, drumming and singing Coast Salish songs the entire way. They passed a gathering of tents and workers quickly putting together the inaugural ball for Washington’s new governor, Bob Ferguson. Supposedly environmentally concerned, and an attorney, he has threatened to “sue the Navy” if they keep polluting the Salish Sea.

The marchers made their presence known outside the Capitol, demanding the governor do everything in his power to stop military and industrial polluters, dams and habitat destruction from killing the last remaining salmon.

Bryce Philips, Unangan of the Aleutian Islands, and member of the National Postal Handlers Union, stated, “Salmon, whales, seals, these are all very interconnected and this legislature ignores that just like they ignore the working-class people, just like they ignore the housing crisis and homelessness, just like they ignore poverty and people lacking food, just like they ignore the problems of our education system. They are never thinking of the future, and indigenous wisdom teaches us to look seven generations ahead as opposed to looking at next year’s profits and loss statement, next years what the lobbyists want to see done. It’s time to listen to working-class people, it's time to listen to indigenous people, who have successfully managed this land for thousands of years.”

Philips continued, “If it looked like a wilderness to people, well it's only because it was a very attractive and well maintained garden. Think of a Japanese garden, well this is a Native American garden. and people effed it up in the name of progress, and now we're seeing this ‘progress’ means we won't have whales anymore, we won't have salmon anymore, it means we won't have trees anymore, and what would Washington, the Northwest, even be without those things? It would be a dead, soulless place. So, I think it's really of interest to all people, whatever color they may be, all who love this place, to fight to remove these dams and do what needs to be done to maintain the ecosystem and look for new ways to have power, electricity, that aren’t so harmful to our fish and our whales.”

At the Capitol steps, there were many powerful songs and testimonies.

Genesis Esponda, of Chiapas Education Project, stated after the ceremony, “To all my relatives, that means the birds, the trees, the plants, the ocean, and the ocean animals, when one of our family members suffers, we all suffer. it seems like a really important situation to bring awareness to, especially here in Olympia.”

#OlympiaWA #WA #Environment

Apenas unos días después del comienzo de 2025, el área de Los Ángeles ha sido envuelta por incendios sin precedentes. Entre una sequía amplia y vientos con fuerza de huracán, algunas áreas que nunca habían tenido que ser evacuadas debido a los incendios han quedado completamente destruidas, con más de 100,000 personas ordenadas a evacuar la zona hasta ahora.

2024 fue, una vez más, el año más caluroso de la historia. Las temperaturas globales promedio cruzaron un umbral importante en 2024: 1.5° C (2.7° F) más cálidas que los niveles preindustriales. Esta fue la temperatura máxima establecida como meta por el Acuerdo de París sobre el cambio climático, el umbral a partir del cual se espera que los efectos peligrosos del cambio climático se vuelvan comunes.

Pero estos incendios no son simplemente un desastre natural, y el cambio climático no es una condición natural – el sistema capitalista tiene toda la culpa. El cambio climático está siendo acelerado por los magnates de los combustibles fósiles, los industriales multimillonarios y los políticos que están en la cama con ellos que controlan la economía de los Estados Unidos, y para quienes la destrucción del medio ambiente no tiene importancia en comparación con sus ganancias. Están cubriendo los Estados Unidos con una red de oleoductos de combustibles fósiles. Un pequeño número de monopolistas utilizan su poder e influencia para bloquear la legislación progresista sobre el clima, sembrar confusión sobre la ciencia climática en los medios, y estrangular la vida de las iniciativas verdes. Mientras tanto, es la gente común de la clase trabajadora – desde Maui hasta Asheville y Los Ángeles – la que está pagando el precio y recogiendo los pedazos.

El presidente electo Trump, un negador del cambio climático, intentó culpar a las políticas ambientales del norte de California por la falta de agua en Los Ángeles. Pero, en realidad, Los Ángeles no recibe agua del norte de California; toda su agua proviene de aguas subterráneas, de fuentes locales o del río Colorado al este. Tanto los republicanos como los demócratas continúan gastando más de $1 billón de dólares al año en guerras pasadas, presentes y futuras a nivel federal, mientras que los gobiernos estatales y municipales no tienen más opción que recortar los servicios vitales, como la lucha contra incendios, debido a la falta de dinero.

Les dicen a los residentes que abandonen su hogar, pero no les ofrecen opciones sobre adónde ir, y tienen pocos recursos para ayudar en su evacuación. Mientras tanto, cientos de personas encarceladas están arriesgando sus vidas en la primera línea de los incendios. Estas personas reciben alrededor de un dólar por hora por este trabajo agotador – y cuando son liberadas, sus antecedentes penales pueden impedirles acceso a carreras en la lucha contra incendios.

Mientras tanto, países socialistas como Cuba y China muestran un mejor modelo para combatir el cambio climático. Desde sus crecientes inversiones en tecnologías renovables y opciones de transporte público verde, hasta la priorización de la gente en la respuesta a los desastres naturales cuando ocurren. Podemos ver que el socialismo, sin la necesidad insaciable de ganancias a cualquier costo del capitalismo, es la única manera de salir de la crisis climática.

Necesitamos construir un movimiento contra el cambio climático que pueda combatir directamente las mentiras y el engaño de las industrias de los combustibles fósiles – industrias que todavía reciben subsidios gubernamentales. Necesitamos señalar la conexión entre el cambio climático y un complejo militar-industrial que frecuentemente está exento de la regulación ambiental. Y necesitamos que los pueblos trabajadores y oprimidos se unan y vean la lucha climática como parte de la lucha de la clase trabajadora por el poder en los Estados Unidos. ¡Construyamos un movimiento de lucha por la justicia climática que tome a las calles!

¡No a nuevos oleoductos!

¡La gente y el planeta sobre las ganancias!

#Environment #Climate #Wildfires #FRSO #OSCL #Statement #es

Just days into 2025, the Los Angeles area has been engulfed by record-breaking wildfires. Amidst widespread drought and hurricane-force winds, some areas which have never once needed to evacuate due to fires have been completely destroyed, with over a 100,000 people ordered to evacuate the area so far.

2024 was, yet again, the hottest year in history. Global average temperatures crossed an important threshold in 2024: 1.5° C (2.7° F) warmer than pre-industrial levels. This was the maximum temperature set as goal by the Paris Climate Accords, the threshold after which dangerous effects of climate change are expected to become commonplace.

But these fires are not simply a natural disaster, and climate change is not a natural condition – the capitalist system is to blame. Climate change is being accelerated by fossil fuel tycoons, billionaire industrialists and the politicians in bed with them who command the United States’ economy, and for whom the destruction of the environment is of no importance compared to their profits. They are covering the U.S with a web of fossil fuel pipelines. A tiny number of monopolists use their power and influence to block progressive climate legislation, sow confusion about climate science in the media, and strangle the life out of green initiatives. Meanwhile, it is everyday working-class people – from Maui, to Asheville, to Los Angeles – who are paying the price and picking up the pieces.

President-elect Trump, a climate change denier, tried to blame northern California environmental policies for the lack of water in Los Angeles. But in fact, Los Angeles gets no water from northern California; all of their water is groundwater, local sources, or the Colorado River to their east. Both Republicans and Democrats continue to spend more than $1 trillion a year on past, present, and future wars at the federal level, while state and local governments are forced to cut needed services, such as firefighting, due to lack of money.

Residents are told to leave their home but not given any options on where to go, and few resources to aid their evacuation. All the while, hundreds of incarcerated individuals are risking their lives on the front lines of the fires. These individuals are being paid about a dollar an hour for this grueling work – and when they are released, their criminal records can bar from careers in firefighting

Meanwhile, socialist countries like Cuba and China show a better model for combating climate change. From their increasing investments in renewable technologies and green public transport options, to prioritizing people in responding to natural disasters as they happen. We can see that socialism, without capitalism’s insatiable need for profit at any cost, is the only way out of the climate crisis.

We need to build a movement against climate change that can directly combat the lies and deceit of the fossil fuel industries – industries that still receive government subsidies. We need to point out the connection between climate change and a military industrial complex that is often exempt from environmental regulation. And we need working and oppressed peoples to unite and see the climate struggle as part of the working class struggle for power in the United States. Let’s build a fighting climate justice movement that takes to the streets!

No new pipelines!

People and the planet over profits!

#Environment #LosAngelesCA #CA #Wildfires #Climate #FRSO #Statement

Los Angeles, CA – Major ongoing brush fires have burned land and structures in the Pacific Palisades, Altadena and Sylmar. The wildfires have affected the air quality of Los Angeles County. Some towns and neighborhoods have lost power and internet, and the working people of the city are being impacted as the fires rage on.

As of Tuesday, January 7, brush fires started to appear around Los Angeles County, fanned by the Santa Ana high winds. So far, the fires have burned over 15,000 acres and 1000 structures in the Pacific Palisades. The Eaton fire near Altadena has burned down over 10,000 acres, while the Hurst fire near Sylmar has burned about 500 acres.

Five have been killed in the fires and several have suffered injuries due to the fires. Over 80,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes. The air quality currently has a level of 163 AQI which is considered unhealthy. In Lincoln Heights and in El Sereno, the traffic lights don't work. Interstate Highway 5 heading south and Interstate 110 south are jammed with traffic, making the roads unsafe. Dozens of public schools in the Los Angeles area have also closed due to hazardous smoke and ash.

The fires and the smoke filling out the sky in LA are affecting the working-class people who live in the city and worry about their safety. Hannah Keith, a shop steward and preloader working at the UPS Olympic Hub facility in downtown Los Angeles said, “UPS is forcing inside employees like me to work in terrible conditions in poorly ventilated buildings. The fires fill our work areas so much with smoke we can’t breathe. It highlights how much they really don’t care about our health and safety and how the company will stop at nothing to profit off our lives.”

This sentiment echoes reaction to event five years ago when the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine were in effect while many workers were forced to work with little to no hazard pay.

“I got up this morning and my four-year-old daughter asked me, ‘Papa, why is the sky orange?’” says UPS driver and Teamster Jared Hamil. “I had to break it down for her why fires and smoke affect the sky, without sounding scary. In reality it is scary. As climate change happens, we’re going to see more freak windstorms, wildfires, more frequent and stronger hurricanes, and natural disasters. But who is most affected by these occurrences? The working class. We are the ones who have to work under these hazardous conditions. We go home after spending an overtime shift with ash in our eyes and breathing in smoke all day.”

As of now the fires are 0% contained, the quality of the air is hazardous, and there are currently 1.5 million people who have no power or have been affected by blackouts.

#LosAngelesCA #Environment #Wildfires

Los Angeles, CA – Fires in Los Angeles caught many neighborhoods completely off guard, despite forecasts predicting life threatening winds reaching up to 100 mph in the mountain and valley areas. Late at night on Tuesday, January 7, residents watched flames engulf the Pacific Palisades and Eaton Canyon. Many residents within the city lost power and internet service, and power lines and traffic lights collapsed as wind gusts grew intense.

In the morning of January 8, residents in all of LA awoke to ash covering vehicles, homes, streets and buildings. The intense stench of smoke filled the air and turned the sunrise sky a deep orange. Still, no alert went out to Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) students about school closures. So, the bus drivers picked the students up and took them to school.

“The district was slow to act!” said Luis Sifuentes, an LAUSD school bus driver, “My eyes stung in the morning as I checked out my bus. Students arrived at school in the morning only for them to be in the auditorium until parents came and picked them up. It was a chaotic situation; they should’ve shut down the schools when the fires started.”

It wasn’t until about 10 a.m. that schoolteachers were notified that parents should pick up their students immediately from school. Panic set in and parents rushed to pick up their children.

“I actually didn’t send them to school at all,” says Jazmine Moreno, single mother of two LAUSD students. “I knew since this morning that it was going to end up happening this way. LAUSD is notorious for trying to push for a regular school day and then deciding halfway through the day that they want to dismiss the kids. They have no consideration for the health or wellbeing of the students or single, working parents who would have to leave work to pick kids up at the drop of a dime.”

LAUSD has notified parents that schools will remain closed for all of January 9 and to continue checking the school alerts for when classes will resume.

The fires have caused over 27,000 acres of devastation, over 70,000 to vacate and abandon their homes, and five known casualties. Fire departments from all over California and other states have trekked to southern California, in an attempt to help contain the wildfires. Unfortunately, 0% have been contained.

#LosAngelesLA #LA #PeoplesStruggles #Environment #Wildfires #Feature

Grand Rapids, MI – On December 14, 30 people gathered at Fountain Street Church, a non-denominational church and event space in downtown Grand Rapids, for a teach-in about the role greenwashing plays in the ethnic cleansing of Palestine.

Hosted by the Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids (PSGR), the event educated community members on the struggle for environmental sovereignty and national liberation in Palestine. The teach-in also connected this struggle to similar struggles around the world, including here in the U.S.

Greenwashing is a term used to describe a deceptive strategy employed by companies and politicians that uses the environment to sell products and projects.

“The environment and economy of Israel and Palestine are inseparable,” says Tony O’Hegarty, who has a background in science and a longtime political interest in the environment. “Israel’s weaponization of the environment is just one tool used to justify its existence and to displace Palestinians from their homes.”

O’Hegarty connected the plight of migrant farm workers and day laborers in California to the experiences of Palestinian farm workers under Israeli occupation.

“Human beings are treated as commodities,” O’Hegarty said. “When the bombs stop falling, Palestinians will be forced to clear the rubble, and Israel will take no responsibility for its crimes.”

Teach-in attendees viewed clips of interactions between the Israeli occupation forces and Palestinian farm workers in the West Bank. The clips showcased the tactics of intimidation and violence used by settlers to forcefully remove Palestinians from their farmland.

Attendees also discussed greenwashing as a public relations strategy for Israel and the Jewish National Fund dating as far back as the 1940s. Pre-Nakba and post-Nakba Zionist propaganda was compared to similar propaganda used by colonizers during westward expansion in the U.S.

“Imperial violence generates ecological waste,” says O’Hegarty.

The best thing for the environment in Palestine is a free Palestine.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #Environment #AntiWarMovement #Palestine

Tacoma, WA – Dozens of community members gathered at the Tacoma City Council chambers on Tuesday, December 17, in preparation for the city of Tacoma’s vote to pass the city’s first Climate and Sustainability Commission into law.

“It’s great that the city council is planning to pass an ordinance enshrining the Climate Commission into law, but as it stands there are some serious problems with it,” said Haze Bender, a rank-and-file member of Teamsters Local 174. “As written, the commission is only advisory, has no real power, and all members are appointed, rather than elected.”

“We’ve been here many weeks, and a lot of our members never miss council meetings,” said Catelynn Henion, a local activist with Climate Alliance of the South Sound (CASS). “I strongly believe that this Climate Commission wouldn’t even be an ordinance here tonight if there weren't so many people that organized for it.”

The city’s public comment section of the meeting opened with a statement calling to delay the vote on the Climate Commission until the language could be updated to match community demands. The comment was met with resounding applause and cheers from the audience. After the applause, Mayor Victoria Woodards said: “During public comment we ask that in these chambers you refrain from cheering after a speaker has spoken.”

One attendee, a letter carrier with the NALC Local 79, Bryce Phillips shouted from his seat: “It’s our constitutional right!”

Mayor Woodards responded, “This is not a back-and-forth. If you want to be respected, then you must respect the rules of this council. If we can’t abide by the rules of the council, then we won’t have public comment tonight.”

Dozens of community members testified in favor of a strong commission and implored the council to delay the vote until the language could be changed. Despite the mayor’s threats, indigenous community members in the audience continued to beat hand drums at the end of supportive comments.

“I have been an educator in Tacoma for over ten years, and the youth are experiencing the worst of pollution, especially in the South End,” said Phil Harty. “The commission must have the ability to veto permits and projects based on consultation with local tribes and preservation of native ecosystems.”

“By empowering a stronger climate commission, Tacoma can address its urgent environmental challenges and improve public health outcomes. Instead of mega warehouses, we should be planting more trees” said Stephanie Reasor. “Tacoma has the lowest tree coverage of any city in western Washington.”

“The climate commission needs to actually be able to protect the environment, but right now it’s just a little band-aid,” said Zipporah Jarmon.

“Systems are designed to produce the outcome that they get, and we are in a climate catastrophe because our system was designed to create it,” said Rachel Ostheller. “Your commission leaves the power in the hands of that very same system, unchecked. Essentially your commission is politely asking the system to do better, but we don’t have the luxury to be polite anymore.”

Despite earlier threats from the mayor, Phillips gave a powerful testimony that resulted in resounding applause from the audience, “There’s a lot of things I like about Tacoma, but let’s be real: this city is known as a toxic waste dump, as the place where the most exploitive, extractive, pollutive garbage goes. It’s treated as a garbage dump by the capitalist class. The toadies on city council say ‘oh hey, put your toxic waste dump here, put your big warehouse here, put your big polluting thing here, our people are poor, are people won’t say anything, this isn’t Seattle, this is Tacoma.’ So I’d like to ask: what kind of legacy do you want to leave? Do you want your legacy to be that we made some feel-good statements?”

Phillips continued, “Or you want your legacy to be that you turned Tacoma around, started to make this into a world-class city, started to make this the beautiful city that it can be, and that you started listening to the residents, to Indigenous people, to labor, and to our communities that are demanding that you put some actually teeth in this legislation and stop playing games.”

After public comment ended and dozens of activists, scientists, indigenous people, and union members testified in favor of a strong climate commission and delaying the vote, the council blazed through the rest of the agenda.

When they reached the vote to adopt the Climate Commission ordinance, it became clear there would be no amendments. Before the city clerk could call the vote, an organizer with CASS, Aife Pasquale, rose from their seat and chanted “Liberate the people!” Dozens more rose from their seats and responded, “Liberate the planet!” The chanting continued as activists moved to the front of city council chambers and linked arms in an attempt to block the vote.

In an unprecedented move, Mayor Woodards insisted the clerk call the vote despite the disruption. Council members had to shout into their microphones in order for their votes to be heard above the chanting community members gathering at the front. The ordinance passed with eight voting yes and a single council member, Jamika Scott of District 3, abstaining. After the vote, Woodards immediately moved to adjourn the meeting.

As council members shuffled out the back door and police lingered at the periphery, the community continued to rally, producing a megaphone and sharing speeches, songs and poems on a variety of issues.

“City council chose to end the meeting early and cancel community forum, so we held our own community forum,” said Gemini Gnull, member of the Osage Nation and organizer with CASS.

Community forum is the section at the end of council meetings where constituents can talk about anything, even if the subject of their comment is not on the agenda.

Addressing the crowd in chambers, Pasquale said, “Our actions are not drawn from thin air, and our demands are not drawn from thin air. We use historic examples from successful movements to guide our actions. We work with elder activists who have put everything on the line to make a better world. We synthesize ideas from the community and represent their felt needs. And then the council silences us! This is repression! The council is too comfortable taking away our rights. When the council ignores us and silences us, we are forced to escalate.”

“It’s incredibly disappointing that despite months of calls, emails, meeting requests and testimony at council, the city pushed through this ordinance unamended,” said Gnull. “But the road to victory is paved with losses, and tonight we showed the power of our community, of the alliance between labor and Black and indigenous people. We showed that the people of Tacoma are ready to fight.”

“I love Tacoma. I was born and raised here. I love the people of Tacoma” said Pasquale. “This is a climate emergency, and we need to act like it. There is no future unless we start fighting.”

#TacomaWA #WA #Environment #ClimateJustice #CASS

St. Paul, MN – Members of the Minnesota Climate Justice Committee (CJC) held a bannering, December 15, in opposition to Lawton Standard (formerly known as Northern Iron) in Eastside neighborhood of Saint Paul on Sunday.

Lawton Standard is a foundry that has violated the Clean Air Act according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). Members of the CJC bannered to inform and emphasize the harm caused by this foundry in an oppressed nationality, working-class neighborhood.

Kay Lerohl, a member of the Climate Justice Committee, said, “When industrial polluters fight to legally refuse to get up to code because of cost, the message is clear – they value profits over the planet’s health and our health.”

Previously, the MPCA placed restrictions on Lawton Standard’s operations, but a July 12 court order revoked those restrictions. As litigation pends, this court order allows Lawton Standard to resume its normal operations, including melting up to 30 tons of leaded material per day that pollutes the Eastside neighborhood.

The Climate Justice Committee held a banner on Arcade Street that read “Hold polluters accountable! Foundries poison St. Paul!” Members also displayed signs that said, “Northern Iron pollutes!” A year before, Lawton Standard was fined $41,500 after violating its air permit in October 2023. The company has also been cited for failing to notify regulators of updates to its equipment and operations over the past 15 years.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #Environment #CJC

The attendees of COP, which stands for “Conference of the Parties”, as in, members of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), are a wide mix, ranging from climate scientists to NGO delegates, to government bureaucrats, to heads of state. Some take an active role in negotiations while others are just observers. Like at the U.N. more broadly, countries of all types are represented at COP conferences, but it is an open secret that the U.S., Canada and the EU members are the ones who really run the show – and the problems manifested by this unfair arrangement are what took center stage at COP29, especially around the issue of “climate finance.”

When you boil it down, the recurring problem of the COP conferences are as follows:

First, the dominance of North America and Europe in climate negotiations is at odds with the fact that these are the nations who are most responsible for climate change.

Second, the effects of climate change are projected to be most severe in the Global South – not just as an accident of geography, but because those countries have been subject to systematic plundering and deliberate maldevelopment by the so-called “First World,” and now have the least resources to invest in green development or even damage control.

And third, these wealthy nations that have spent centuries rigging the world economy in their favor, and who are increasingly divided amongst themselves, have the least interest in implementing any changes that could further jeopardize their slipping foothold.

The struggle over climate finance

The big subject at COP29 was around the issue of climate finance, meaning, how the world is going to pay for one, the shift towards sustainable economies, and two, fixing the destruction we’re already starting to see from climate change, both in terms of building preventative infrastructure and financing “loss and damage funds” to replace things destroyed by wildfires, floods, and so on.

Throughout the conference, delegates from developing countries – particularly from those in Africa and South America – insisted that the scale of the crisis is going to require investment by wealthier nations on a massive scale, something in the order of $3-plus trillion per year. North America and Europe on the other hand, complained that there was simply no budget for this, that these numbers put forward by other countries were based on bad data, and that more of the burden should fall on the private sector rather than government money.

By the end of the nearly two-week conference, the goal was set that by 2035 the world would be allocating just $300 billion annually, with a sizable portion of that coming from private banks. Panama's climate envoy Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez captured the mood felt by many representatives as they prepared to head home: “I’m so mad. It's ridiculous. Just ridiculous,” adding, “It feels that the developed world wants the planet to burn.”

The specter of Trump

Just days before COP29 began, Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election. In the past, Trump has called climate change a “hoax.” He used his powers during his first term to cut back environmental regulations and enforcement and has campaigned on doing more of the same. According to several reports, there was a general atmosphere of anxiety at COP29 that many of these negotiations wouldn’t even matter in a few months, since Trump is even less likely than Harris would’ve been to honor U.S. commitments pledged at the conference.

The other side of this, though, is that the election of Donald Trump signals to many countries that they can no longer expect any good to come from hitching themselves to the United States’ wagon, and that forging new alliances outside of U.S. dominion, such as with the BRICS nations, is going to be a major part of the road ahead when it comes to fighting climate change.

The need for a new system

As outlined above, the COP conferences lay bare a core problem with the world as it currently exists. Everyday people in every part of the world are starting to see the effects of climate change already; scientists in every part of the world agree that our current trajectory is towards catastrophe; but government officials in wealthy Western nations are bound by the intractable laws of monopoly capitalism -“increase profits forever, or die” – and thus are unable to right the ship.

There are few issues like climate change that expose this contradiction so plainly, where right in front of our eyes we see nothing but excuses, half measures, and false promises from the people who, in theory, should have the power to avert this global catastrophe. They instead use their resources to perpetrate genocide in Palestine, wage a proxy war in Ukraine, and prepare for all-out war on China and possibly Iran.

China, on the other hand, whose economy is not bound by the dog-eat-dog logic of the “free market” and aimless capital accumulation, is leading the world in the development and export of green technology. It is poised to become the main player in the world that nations can turn to for development aid. More importantly, that nation's economy is materially governed by a party of the working class, and thus is run in service of the working class, and that means popular policies like fighting pollution and climate change can be pursued for their own sake, not just as secondary measures when it’s politically convenient.

For the sake of our planetary future, those who care about the environment should look to countries like China as a model of what we ought to be fighting for – not just a seat at the table in failing institutions like COP29, but for an entirely different society where power is in the hands of the people, whose interests lie in actually stopping climate change at the source.

Charlie Berg is a member of the Climate Justice Committee – Minneapolis, MN

#MinneapolisMN #MN #Environment #ClimateChange #COP #UN

Minneapolis, MN – On Wednesday November 21, 50 members of the newly formed Coalition for a Nuclear-free Mississippi River and their supporters rallied in front of Xcel Energy headquarters on Nicollet Mall in the heart of downtown. They demanded the energy company keep to its 2030 shutdown date for the Monticello Nuclear Reactor, because of the serious threats posed to public health, the Mississippi River, and drinking water for millions.

As rush hour traffic passed by, motorists and pedestrians saw protesters holding signs reading, “Don’t nuke our river.” Chants like “Xcel let’s be clear, Monticello Reactor’s not wanted here” were loudly amplified by the surrounding buildings.

After chanting for a half hour, demonstrators heard from several speakers.

George Crocker, executive director of the North America Water Office and longtime anti-nuke activist, said, “We’re here today because Xcel Energy wants to continue nuclear operations at Monticello until 2050, and that is a really bad idea for a long list of reasons. There’s equipment failure issues, like what’s going on now after a pipe corroded to pieces and almost a million gallons of [water contaminated with] radioactive tritium leaked into the environment, some of which is now contaminating Minneapolis drinking water. The potential for cataclysmic equipment failure is not diminutive, and it is mounting as reactor components age. There’s nuclear waste issues, as there is no known technology or location capable of isolating irradiated fuel and other radioactively contaminated material from Earth’s biosphere for the required geological periods of time.”

John Laforge, longtime activist with Nukewatch, spoke about the dangerous radioactive leaks at the reactor and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and media misinformation, stating, “Over and over, Xcel and the NRC told the press that the radioactive tritium did not and could not reach drinking water. They lied, but the media dutifully repeated this lie many times on the radio, in the papers, on television. Any of the reporters could have found out that all the groundwater under the reactor moves toward the Mississippi – drinking water for 20 million people.”

Laforge continued, “The record is clear, but Xcel’s and the NRC’s public statements have been lies. Nothing they say to the press should be believed. As a coalition, we must see to it that the reactor’s 2030 expiration date be enforced, and that this leaky, dangerous, accident-prone nuclear jalopy be permanently shut.”

Whitney Wildman of the Climate Justice Committee stated, “We stand with groups organizing to shut down the Monticello Nuclear plant because we know that we can’t trust giant corporations to operate with the people’s health and safety in mind because that’s not their priority. We know that under capitalism these companies plan to exploit the land and its people to the breaking point, all in the name of profits.”

The program concluded with a lively, creative street theater piece depicting the cozy and alarming relationship between the NRC and the officials at the Monticello nuclear power reactor.

The coalition will be holding a teach-in on the dangers of the Monticello reactor and nuclear power on December 4 at the New City Center in Minneapolis.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #Environment #CJC #NuclearPower #Nukewatch

The Freedom Road Socialist Organization – Wisconsin District denounces the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) decision to reroute Enbridge’s Line 5 Pipeline through the lands of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. We call on all progressives and revolutionaries to oppose this move and demand the immediate shutdown of Line 5. Motivated by profit, this decision infringes on the sovereignty of the Bad River Tribe and puts the ecosystems of the Great Lakes region as a whole in danger. The DNR, state, and federal government have made it clear that they are only paying lip service to indigenous people while upholding the interests of the ruling monopoly-capitalist class.

The U.S. government and those seeking to make a profit have continuously trampled on the sovereignty of indigenous peoples. Today, the DNR did this on behalf of Enbridge Inc., the company with the largest oil export pipeline network in the world. This decision by the DNR shows exactly what the U.S. ruling class thinks about indigenous peoples and their lands – they see nothing but dollars signs and markets.

In 2019, Wisconsin’s Democratic Governor Tony Evers passed a repressive law meant to prevent protests at property owned by “energy providers”. This was primarily in response to the mass protests against Enbridge Inc. Today, Evers’ policies of upholding private interests and ignoring the will of working and oppressed people remains the same. Evers and the Democratic Party at large have doubled down on their support for extractive industries, especially fossil fuels. Along with support of Israel’s genocide of Palestinians, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz ran on a platform of support for fracking in their failed campaign. At best, the Biden administration has a dubious track record with environmental issues the last four years. October 2024 was the hottest October ever recorded, with temperatures being nearly 60 degrees Fahrenheit, 5 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than averages in the 20th century.

The U.S. empire’s involvement in Israel’s genocide in Palestine has resulted in CO2 emissions greater than that of dozens of countries put together. As the rest of us deal with the consequences, the DNR is upholding the interests of those who are driving the world further into the climate crisis. The incoming Trump administration only plans to exacerbate all these issues and make life harder for everyone except for the rich. Every day, it becomes more obvious that the capitalist parties do not take the needs of the masses of people into account.

FRSO supports the struggle for full sovereignty and national development for indigenous peoples. The Bad River Tribe and all oppressed nationalities in the U.S. have a proud history of fighting for liberation. We see the struggle against Line 5 as connected to a wider process of imperialist struggle and national liberation. Imperialism is the highest and final stage of capitalism, and the movement to take it down is growing. It's becoming more clear that the U.S. is an empire in decline and is grasping at straws as its worldwide dominance dwindles. We need to continue building up the movement to bring this backward system to an end. Those exploiting natural resources and casting oppressed people aside won’t be defeated unless we organize and fight back.

We encourage our friends and allies to call demonstrations in solidarity, organize protests in their city, or join upcoming protests called on by the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

Full sovereignty for indigenous peoples now! Down with the black snake! Fight capitalism, build socialism!

#WI #Environment #OppressedNationalities #IndigenousPeoples #Line5

Minneapolis, MN – On Sunday, November 17, around 100 people gathered in Uptown Minneapolis’ Painter Park as Families Against Military Madness (FAMM) and the Climate Justice Committee (CJC) led a protest focused on bringing families into the climate and anti-war movements. Speakers discussed the post-election struggle and the need for young people to learn and practice organizing skills for the long struggles ahead.

The crowd chanted “Money for climate, not for war!” as community members decorated musical instruments, signs and colored beautiful kites from Mizna with pro-Palestine messages. Liz McLister of FAMM began the program by speaking to the child attendees, “It's hard to see but can anyone read the message on my earrings? They say ‘Land Back.’ Raise your hand if you know what ‘Land Back’ means?”

McLister explained: “Land back means that we organize to put indigenous lands back into indigenous hands. This land we're standing on was violently stolen from the Dakhóta Oyáte, the Dakota people, many generations ago, and our indigenous siblings and friends continue to suffer from lack of access to it.”

Audrey Keirstead, a tenth grader at Kennedy High School, spoke for the MN Anti-War Committee, “I remember how [in his first term, Trump] appointed people to the EPA who didn’t believe that climate change was real, and even as an elementary school student it was easy to understand how ridiculous this was. Now, in Trump’s second term, he wants to increase oil production and has referred to global warming as a scam. But FAMM and the CJC called for this protest before Trump was even elected. We need to be here because regardless of who was elected, we need to organize for environmental justice and a free Palestine since it has been made clear that neither candidate was offering us what we deserved.”

Charlie Berg of the CJC spoke next, “To any parents out there who are struggling with how to talk to kids about the world and the future when it all feels so bleak, I think what’s most important is to empower them with this knowledge that through solidarity all things are possible, and to show them with your own actions that you’re prepared to fight for their future, right alongside them.”

Jaci Simonet of FAMM and Joe Vital of the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute also spoke. Gary Hoover detailed his experience in the Hawaii-based Save Red Hill movement, and Roger Cuthbertson informed the crowd about the fight to close Minnesota’s Monticello Nuclear Power Plant.

The event ended with a picket march around Uptown Minneapolis’ Painter Park – enjoyed by the neighbors and the skaters in the skatepark – and kids played with a giant flower shooting anti-war tank display.

#MinneapolisMN #Environment #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #FAMM #CJC

Tampa, FL – El miércoles 10 de octubre, alrededor de las 8:30 p.m., Milton impactó aproximadamente 40 millas al sur de la Bahía de Tampa como un huracán de categoría tres. Ni siquiera han pasado dos semanas desde el huracán Helene, y los daños causados por Milton han sido devastadores.

Antes de que el huracán Milton impactara, la demanda de gasolina en Tampa ya había vaciado muchas estaciones de servicio. Días después, la gasolina es difícil de conseguir, con el 77% de las estaciones sin combustible el viernes. Las pocas estaciones con suministro tienen filas de una hora, vigiladas por policías estatales.

“La fila era tan larga que literalmente daba la vuelta a la calle un par de cuadras. La gente estaba peleando por la gasolina, daba miedo”, dijo Valentina Beron, una residente de Tampa que esperó en la fila para obtener gasolina.

La noche del miércoles también comenzaron los cortes de electricidad en la zona de la Bahía. En su punto máximo, 2,5 millones de hogares perdieron electricidad. Desde el viernes, más de 200.000 casas han recuperado el servicio, pero se desconoce cuánto tiempo más tendrán que esperar millones más.

El huracán Milton también afectará el mercado de seguros en Florida. En 1992, el huracán Andrew provocó una serie de altibajos que expulsaron a muchas aseguradoras del estado. Una de las pocas que quedan es Citizens Property Insurance, que cubre 1,2 millones de pólizas. El 20% de estas pólizas están en los condados de la Bahía.

Aunque Citizens afirma tener suficientes fondos para pagar todas las reclamaciones, la pregunta es cuántos de sus propietarios tendrán sus reclamaciones aprobadas y por qué monto. Durante el huracán Ian en 2022, investigaciones independientes encontraron que casi la mitad de todas las reclamaciones de seguros fueron rechazadas. Incluso las reclamaciones aprobadas podrían ser ajustadas a un pago menor del que fue solicitado.

Si empresas como Citizens rechazan una reclamación, un propietario en Florida tiene pocas opciones, gracias al gobernador Ron DeSantis. La única opción es demandar, pero en 2022, DeSantis redujo el tiempo para presentar una reclamación y estableció que los titulares de pólizas tendrían que demandar de su propio bolsillo, sin importar el resultado del caso. Coincidentemente, el comité político de DeSantis aceptó millones en donaciones de profesionales de la industria de seguros.

Las reacciones al huracán Milton pintan un panorama alarmante sobre el futuro de Florida. Necesidades como la gasolina, la electricidad y los hogares pueden volverse fácilmente inalcanzables.

#TampaFL #FL #Environment #PeoplesStruggles #NaturalDisasters #ClimateChange

Tampa, FL – On Wednesday, October 9, Hurricane Milton made landfall in Siesta Key, Florida as a Category 3 hurricane that devastated the state. Five days later, Tampa Bay residents are still experiencing power outages, gas shortages and widespread damage to their homes.

According to PowerOutage.us, 400,000 customers in Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee and Sarasota counties still do not have power. The largest number of outages are in Hillsborough County, where over 150,000 Tampa Electric (TECO) customers remain without power. The CEO of TECO promised the county that 100% of customers will have their power restored by Thursday, October 17.

In the past year, TECO has been under fire, with customers protesting their unprecedented rate hikes. With residents already struggling to pay rent and get food on the table, TECO promised that the rate hikes would mean shorter power outages for customers. By Thursday it will be over a week since the devastation of Milton caused millions to lose power.

Most of those living in the Tampa Bay region without power are those who live in working class and largely immigrant communities. These communities have been forced to go back to work despite the loss of power to their homes. While residents are left in the dark, the city quickly restored power to Central Command’s MacDill Airforce Base and tourist attractions like Busch Gardens.

The shortage of gasoline remains an issue felt by all those living in Tampa. Even before Milton hit, the demand for gas had emptied gas stations across Tampa Bay. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis did not step in to provide gas for Florida residents until the Saturday after the hurricane. Even then, the state only provided three distribution sites – Plant City, Saint Petersburg and Bradenton – leaving many still without the means to get fuel.

Had the governor taken precautions before the hurricane hit the state, Tampa residents would not have gone to lengths to hoard gas or had to wait in hours-long lines just to fill up their cars. As of Monday afternoon, 50.4% of Tampa and Sarasota area gas stations are without fuel.

Throughout the region, large trees and downed power lines still block off many streets. On Sunday, Governor DeSantis announced that he would be using the Florida Department of Transportation, the Florida State Guard, the National Guard, and the Florida Highway Patrol to help with city and county debris removal. Of the at least 23 people who died from the hurricane, one woman in Tampa, one man in Orlando, and one man in Polk County died while clearing the debris in their yards post-Milton.

Residents impacted by Milton can now apply for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Last month, all 11 Florida Republicans in Congress voted down a resolution that would have provided billions in additional disaster relief funding.

Donald Trump and Republicans across the country have been spreading misinformation that FEMA is refusing to help people in Republican areas and is instead using funds to house immigrants. This propaganda has led to individuals threatening FEMA personnel in North Carolina who were providing aid after Hurricane Helene. As a result, these emergency personnel were forced to evacuate and pause their relief efforts in the area.

The state of Florida and Governor DeSantis had time to prepare for the devastation that Milton was projected to bring. Instead, Florida residents were left to fend for themselves in the midst of destruction, flooding, power outages and gas shortages.

#TampaFL #FL #PeoplesStruggles #NaturalDisasters #Environment #ClimateChange #FEMA #Feature

Tampa, FL – On Wednesday, October 10, at around 8:30 p.m., Milton hit about 40 miles south of Tampa Bay as a category three hurricane. Not even two weeks after Hurricane Helene, Milton's damage has been staggering.

Before hurricane Milton hit, demand for gasoline in Tampa had already emptied many stations. Days later, gas is hard to obtain, with 77% of gas stations without fuel as of Friday. The few gas stations with supplies have hour-long lines guarded by state troopers.

“The line was so long it literally wrapped around the street a couple blocks down. People were legitimately fighting for gas, it was scary,” said Valentina Beron, a Tampa resident who waited in line for gas.

Wednesday night the power outages also began in the Bay area. At its peak, 2.5 million households lost electricity. Since Friday, over 200,000 homes have had service restored, but it is unknown how long millions more will have to wait.

Hurricane Milton will also affect Florida's insurance market. In 1992, Hurricane Andrew led to a series of booms and busts that pushed out many insurers from the state. One of the few remaining is Citizens Property Insurance, which covers 1.2 million policies. 20% of these policies are in Bay area counties.

While Citizens says it has enough funds to pay out all claims, the question is how many of its homeowners will have their claims approved and for what amount. During Hurricane Ian in 2022, independent research found almost half of all insurance claims were outright denied. Even approved claims can be adjusted to a smaller payout than requested.

If companies like Citizens deny a claim, there is not much a Florida homeowner can do, thanks to Governor Ron DeSantis. The only option is to sue, but in 2022, DeSantis reduced the time for filing a claim and made it so policyholders would have to sue out of pocket regardless of the case outcome. Coincidentally, DeSantis' political committee accepted millions in donations from insurance industry professionals.

The reactions to Hurricane Milton paint an alarming picture of Florida's future. Necessities like gas, power and homes can easily become unavailable.

#TampaFL #Environment