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The Latest by Trip Van Noppen

Former President

Trip Van Noppen served as Earthjustice’s president from 2008 until he retired in 2018. A North Carolina native, Trip said of his experience: “Serving as the steward of Earthjustice for the last decade has been the greatest honor of my life.”

November 4, 2012

Sandy Staggers East Coast — And Climate Deniers

By Trip Van Noppen  /  Headquarters Office

Hurricane Sandy delivered a lot of pain when it punched into the East Coast. As I write this, a week later, the sea has retreated but the suffering remains. Half of Manhattan is cold and dark. The New Jersey shore is in bits. Parts of Long Island are knocked out. Having spent most of my …

October 17, 2012

On 40th Anniversary, Clean Water Act Faces Toxic Times

By Trip Van Noppen  /  Headquarters Office

Forty years ago today, against a backdrop of flaming rivers, dying lakes and sewage-choked beaches, our politicians reached across the aisle to pass the Clean Water Act—a law aptly described by the New York Times‘ Robert Semple as “a critical turning point” in rescuing the nation’s waterways from “centuries of industrial, municipal and agricultural pollution.” …

September 21, 2012

House Passes Pro-Coal War On Health Bill

By Trip Van Noppen  /  Washington, D.C. Office

It’s been a long two years with the 112th Congress. In that time, House leadership has often tried to “help the economy” by wiping away our basic public health and environmental protections—in the process putting thousands of Americans at risk of disease and death from exposure to toxic chemicals and carcinogens in our air and …

September 15, 2012

The Earth Needs YOU This Election Season

By Trip Van Noppen  /  Headquarters Office

After the summer we have had, my mind is on climate change, what more Earthjustice can do about it, and what’s at stake in this election. I experienced the effects of climate change this summer during a trip through Colorado. Heat, drought and fire set an almost apocalyptic tone for the trip. There was no …

August 18, 2012

Age Of Extreme Energy Needs Extreme Caution

By Trip Van Noppen  /  Headquarters Office

In April 2010, a national nightmare began with a blowout into the Gulf of Mexico. But the hundreds of millions of gallons of oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill were just the beginning of the disaster. We are still learning about the real damage, which is much more insidious than tar balls and slicked beaches. …

July 13, 2012

Shell's Promise To Protect Arctic Lost At Sea

By Trip Van Noppen  /  Alaska Office

(Trip Van Noppen is President of Earthjustice) Shell Oil’s Arctic drilling plans are premised on a growing legacy of broken promises regarding the company’s ability to protect the fragile Arctic from drilling impacts. And, as in the past, Shell is again asking the federal government to be lenient, accept more empty promises, and let the …

June 18, 2012

Oceans Protection A Top Priority at Rio+20

By Trip Van Noppen  /  Headquarters Office

(Trip Van Noppen is President of Earthjustice) More than 130 heads of state, other leaders, and some 50,000 participants from all over the globe are gathering this week in Rio de Janeiro, the most-visited city in the southern hemisphere, for the Rio+20 Earth Summit. I am here with Martin Wagner, head of the Earthjustice International …

June 16, 2012

Acidification Threatens Oceans' Food Web

By Trip Van Noppen  /  International Program

(Trip Van Noppen is President of Earthjustice) It started in 2005, when baby oysters began dying by the billions in Oregon and Washington. At first, the fishermen weren’t worried, hardened by years of dealing with nature’s fickleness. But, when the die-offs continued year after year, seamen and scientists alike started seeking answers. What they found …

May 18, 2012

The Dirty Truth About "All of The Above" Energy

By Trip Van Noppen  /  Headquarters Office

Sometimes an all-in strategy can tarnish the entire package. Take for example President Obama’s recent decision to tout an “all-of-the-above” approach to achieving energy independence and lowering gas prices. It’s a catchy, feel-good campaign slogan perfect for banners and sound bites, but it’s a hollow energy strategy. Worse yet, it opens America up for destructive …

Methyl iodide is a highly toxic pesticide and known carcinogen that’s used primarily in strawberry fields.
April 13, 2012

Farmworkers Savor Sweet Taste of Victory

By Trip Van Noppen  /  California Office

In March of 2012, the maker of methyl iodide took the chemical off the market, less than a year after Earthjustice sued to protect strawberry field workers from the deadly pesticide. This means that those who labor on our behalf can themselves enjoy the fruits of their labor without fear of crippling or even fatal results.