We are so excited to tell you about a major victory that our supporters helped achieve. Yesterday at the UN Ocean Conference, the Colombian government announced it will create four new official marine reserves, including one expanding the fully protected Malpelo Sanctuary of Fauna and Flora. Colombia will now surpass the goal of protecting 30% of its waters eight years before the 2030 deadline! The initiative to protect 30% of the global ocean by the year 2030, referred to as 30x30, is a target that scientists have indicated is necessary in order to prevent irreversible loss of marine life. A huge thank you to everyone who made their voice heard on the petition to protect the Eastern Tropical Pacific marine corridor. And, of course, this win would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of Colombia’s environmental, fishing, and maritime authorities, along with scientists, the private fishing sector, nonprofits, and the people of Colombia. With this remarkable action, Colombia will strengthen local fisheries, sustainable livelihoods, and the protection of marine biodiversity in its native waters and throughout the Eastern Tropical Pacific marine corridor. If you’d like to move another campaign to create sanctuaries close to victory, consider adding your name to the brand-new petition to expand the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument 🌎 ⛵️
What you need to know
This summer, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will make a decision on its proposal to grant the state of Louisiana special authority — called “primacy” — over the permitting process for industrial projects to capture and store carbon dioxide. Should the state be granted primacy, the state will have full authority over the siting and approval of new carbon capture and storage projects.
This is deeply concerning because heavy industry is looking to make Louisiana a national hub for carbon capture and storage, and the state has shown little regard for the very real concerns about the negative impacts on people and the environment of these massive industrial projects.
Just last month, Louisiana greenlit a dangerous plan to inject carbon dioxide under Lake Maurepas, with an additional 20 proposed carbon capture and storage projects currently moving toward getting approved.
The EPA has opened an official public comment period about this proposal, which will end on July 3, 2023. We must come together to tell the EPA that, because Louisiana has proven unable to adequately assess carbon capture and storage projects, it should not be given this special authority.
We ask that the EPA retains primacy over carbon capture and storage permitting until the state can demonstrate:
that it is capable of properly regulating carbon capture and storage projects in a transparent process with thorough public engagement,
that it is able to provide the necessary resources to address potential disasters caused by carbon capture and storage infrastructure malfunction or failure,
that vulnerable areas such as Lake Maurepas and its surrounding wetlands are protected from industrial development.
