Our Stories

The Latest by Jared Saylor

Campaign Director

March 31, 2009

Coal Ash Flood Still a Mess 100 Days Later

By Jared Saylor

You can do a lot in 100 days. But apparently if you’re the Tennessee Valley Authority and you spilled a billion gallons of coal ash into the Emory River and surrounding communities, cleaning up your mess isn’t one of them. You’ll recall that just three days before Christmas in 2008, a coal ash dump broke, …

March 13, 2009

Feel Free to Breathe Deeply

By Jared Saylor

The New York Times reports via Greenwire that the Obama administration is making some legal maneuvers that could mean they are reconsidering health standards for smog pollution set by the Bush administration back in 2007. Earthjustice and the 60,000 of you who participated in our Adopt the Sky campaign told Bush that his approach ignored …

March 4, 2009

Moving Mountains by Removing Them

By Jared Saylor

A few years ago, I climbed aboard a small airplane in Charleston, WV, and took off for a bird’s eye view of mountaintop removal. The spectacle left me speechless, mouth agape in awe at the vast and total demolition of one of the world’s oldest mountain ranges. When we took off, I foolishly expected to see …

February 5, 2009

Energy Efficiency Signed Into Life

By Jared Saylor

With a stroke of his pen today, President Obama endorsed a keystone element in Earthjustice’s national push for energy efficiency. Obama signed a presidential memorandum calling upon the Department of Energy to adopt energy efficiency standards for dozens of common household appliances. This marks a huge step towards the energy savings and independence he promised …

October 3, 2008

We Don't Need More of the Same…

By Jared Saylor

The Washington Post editorialized yesterday about the expiration of the congressional ban on offshore drilling. I certainly agree that "we need alternative sources of energy to help cure our addiction to imported oil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions." But I do not believe we have to drill for oil in environmentally sensitive areas. We need …

July 21, 2008

Promises or Pudding?

By Jared Saylor

A few months ago, we told you about the Lafarge cement kiln in Ravena, NY giving itself an environmental award, despite being the largest mercury polluter in the state. Well, it looks like Lafarge may actually reduce mercury emissions according to new plans to update their plant. Construction, however, won’t even start until 2013. Unfortunately, …

May 27, 2008

How Does Lafarge Cement Fight Being Labeled the Biggest Mercury Polluter in New York?

By Jared Saylor

…by giving themselves an environmental award, of course! note that the Lafarge press release touting their environmental award came out, according to the article, 6 months after they received the award. during that time we held two press conferences pounding on Lafarge for their mercury pollution, and this Albany Times Union reporter did a great …