As the plane rose into the sky, I looked out my window eagerly anticipating the beautiful sparkling Bay views. But instead, the water was murky and reddish-brown.
It was the end of July, and Baykeeper had just received the summer's first hotline reports of a suspected algae bloom along the East Bay shoreline. But flying out of SFO, I could also see discolored water along the Bay's western shore.
Oakland, CA—The music video release of Grammy-nominated artist RyanNicole’s “Small but Mighty” is the result of an innovative collaboration between two Bay Area nonprofits. SF Baykeeper, the Oakland-based non-profit legal watchdog organization that confronts corporate polluters, and the Oakland-based social justice–infused arts education org Hip Hop for Change, Inc (HH4C).
Baykeeper drone shot of the Chevron spill in February, 2021
In early 2021, Richmond residents called Baykeeper’s pollution hotline to report a strange sheen on the Bay and a noxious smell in the air. Turns out, they had discovered an oil spill at Chevron’s loading dock. Unfortunately, Chevron itself was unaware that its oil was polluting the Bay until locals reported it.
This July has registered as the hottest month on Earth, ever. That statistic has appeared in the news a lot lately. It gives me chills every time I hear it, which is somewhat ironic given the triple-digit temperatures we’ve been experiencing here in the East Bay.
It’s a cruel irony that the process of recycling plastic, cardboard, metals, and other materials can be harmful to the environment.
Recycling facilities are often covered in contaminants—everything from fuel to solvents—and sometimes the recyclable materials themselves contain toxic metals or chemicals. When not handled and stored with care, these materials release pollution into the surrounding water, soil, and air.
Two Idaho property owners were dumping sand and gravel into wetlands—just 300 feet from a lake—when the EPA told them they had to apply for a permit before filling and building on wetlands. Instead of complying, a right-wing think tank stepped in to support the owners, and they sued all the way to the Supreme Court. Real estate developers and polluters across the country cheered them on.
The United States Supreme Court today ruled that the Clean Water Act does not allow the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate some wetlands near bodies of protected waters. The court determined that the law covers only wetlands “with a continuous surface connection” to protected waters, even though they may be part of the same greater ecosystem or have been artificially separated by human-made barriers.
