In honor of our 35th anniversary, we’ve been sharing our historic victories over the years and highlighting how these wins are still making waves today.
This month, we were going to tell you a Halloween-themed tale about the federal government’s Ghost Fleet ships, which leached tons of heavy metals and chemicals into San Francisco Bay. Then, share the frightening story of the Cosco Busan, which dumped 53,000 gallons of oil into the Bay, closed beaches, and killed thousands of birds.
However, the timing just didn’t feel right. Election day is looming, and the stakes are too serious.
The scary reality is, if there’s a new administration implementing the Project 2025 agenda, it’s going to be bad for the Bay. We won’t need to tell you horror stories from the past, because we’ll all be living a nightmare. Project 2025 lays out explicit plans to gut environmental laws, turn federal science decisions over to polluting industry, expand fossil fuel extraction, remove climate change considerations from federal decision making, and more.
That means some of our wins—like using the Clean Water Act to compel the federal government to clean up derelict ships or passing laws to prevent the risk of oil spills around the Bay—might no longer be possible.
It’s terrifying to think of what Project 2025 could do to our communities, our Bay, and our planet.
So, my message today is simple: If polluted waters, corrupt science, and the climate crisis are issues that scare you too, please vote by November 5. Voter turnout in California may directly affect the makeup of congress and its ability to pass or block policies that support climate and the environment.
Please also urge your friends and family outside of California to vote. If you’ve got time, please volunteer to serve as a poll worker or to help cure ballots. And if there’s a problem at your voting place, you can report it to the non-partisan election protection hotline: 1-866-OUR-VOTE.
It will take all of us to help stop Project 2025 from becoming a scary reality.
Thank you.
Pictured, above: a closed beach following the Cosco Busan oil spill