Our Stories

The Latest by Alison Cagle

Writer

Alison Cagle is a writer at Earthjustice. She is based in San Francisco. Alison tells the stories of the earth: the systems that govern it, the ripple effects of those systems, and the people who are fighting to change them — to protect our planet and all its inhabitants.

This house stood on the St. Rosalie Plantation grounds until it was torn down in the 1940s.
October 14, 2022

An Oil Company Planned to Bulldoze Black History. This Community Fought Back.

By Alison Cagle  /  Fossil Fuels Program

A sprawling oil complex could have desecrated the remains of Ironton’s founders and poisoned their living descendants with toxic emissions.

Oil on the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, before an underwater containment system was put in place at the site of the Taylor Energy spill in 2019.
July 15, 2022

Victory – Finally – Against the Longest Oil Spill in U.S. History

By Alison Cagle  /  Oceans Program

After trying various scorched-earth tactics to avoid accountability, Taylor Energy is now liquidating to pay over $400 million in cleanup costs.

Tugboats tow the semi-submersible drilling platform Noble Danny Adkins through the Port Aransas Channel into the Gulf of Mexico in 2020 in Port Aransas, Texas.
June 28, 2022

Biden Has This Little-Known Option for Making Big Climate Impact

By Alison Cagle  /  Fossil Fuels Program & Oceans Program

Our oceans are an asset for saving the planet, not lining Big Oil’s pockets.

Richmond residents rally against coal at the Richmond City Hall in 2019.
May 24, 2022

This Community Fought To Take Their City Back from Big Coal

By Alison Cagle  /  California Office

A people’s movement banned coal from a major shipping terminal in Richmond, California, with legal support from Earthjustice.

Rima Rahmani at a Youth for Climate Tunisia rally in Tunis.
April 7, 2022

Tunisia’s Youth are Demanding Climate Action

By Alison Cagle

“We are all scared about our future, but together, we can support each other and talk about it, not keep it hidden,” says 18-year-old Rima Rahmani.

Sambhav Sankar is Earthjustice's Senior Vice President for Programs.
November 17, 2021

How an Environmental Lawyer Stays Motivated to Fight the Climate Crisis

By Sambhav Sankar & Alison Cagle  /  Washington, D.C. Office

Sambhav Sankar, Earthjustice’s senior VP of programs, shares his perspective on what environmental litigation can achieve.

A fracking drill rig set in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
November 12, 2021

Here’s Why Leasing Public Land to Oil and Gas is a Death Sentence for the Planet

By Alison Cagle  /  Oceans Program & Policy and Legislation Team

Selling public land to companies that carve it up for fossil fuels is a bad deal for people and the environment.

Black equestrians ride through Chicago's Washington Park for a Juneteenth celebration in June 2020.
June 17, 2021

This Summer, We Celebrate Black Resilience

By Alison Cagle

Across the nation, people are reclaiming Black spaces as equally deserving of a healthy environment and protection under the law.

This photo from 2015 shows a vast industrial area that includes numerous logistics facilities near homes in the Rancho Cucamonga and Fontana area of California.
June 10, 2021

Online Shopping Is Poisoning the Air, But Electric Vehicles Can Help

By Alison Cagle  /  California Office

Two recent wins in Southern California show that e-commerce doesn’t have to come at the expense of people’s health if the industry shifts to an electric future.

Mari Rose Taruc
November 19, 2020

Es Hora De Decirle Adiós Al Gas Doméstico

By Alison Cagle

Los aparatos de gas están contaminando nuestros hogares. Las líneas de gas provocan trágicas explosiones. Electrificar nuestra oferta de viviendas puede ayudar.