We've made progress against the odds before. We can do it again.

Sam Parry

By Sam Parry
Sam is EDF's Membership Director.
Published July 2, 2020 in Climate

With COVID-19 shutdowns and millions taking to the streets with courage and determination to demand racial justice — the first half of the year has been filled with unprecedented challenges and inspiring acts of courage and advocacy.

We are confronted with an urgent need for reform across a broad range of issues. And we have a lot of work to do.

While this can all feel daunting, we can gather strength and inspiration from the power of the EDF community, which has achieved so much. I’ve had the honor to work here for the last 17 years to engage with members and activists and rally support to make this world cleaner, safer and healthier for all.

Climate change won’t solve itself

But, especially when it comes to the mother of all environmental challenges — climate change — we have so much more work to do — and precious little time to do it.

Three separate global temperature analyses from NASA, NOAA and Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service reported that last month was as hot or hotter than any May on record.

A recent study finds that America’s Southwest is enduring its second worst drought in at least 1,200 years. Wildfires ravaged Australia during their summer season earlier this year. And a few weeks ago, melting permafrost in Siberia ruptured a fuel tank, spilling at least 20,000 tons of diesel fuel into the Ambarnaya River, spreading the contamination up to 7 miles down river.

And just days ago, another small Siberian town north of the Arctic Circle saw record temperatures soar above 100 degree Fahrenheit, setting a new record for the entire Arctic region.

These are indeed very challenging times. And we all need to step up to take action.

That’s why I’m doing my part to make the summer of 2020 a season of progress for my twin priority issues: racial justice and climate action. And I am making two separate $100 donations to EDF and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund — doing what I can right now.

Making progress against the odds

I know there is nothing we can’t accomplish when we stand together — because we’ve already achieved so much.

Thanks to EDF members and activists, we’ve secured important legal victories to lay the foundation for climate action and to hold big polluters accountable. You’ve helped implement tough pollution controls on coal-fired power plants and on our automobiles. And you’ve helped pass and protect landmark legislation to strengthen toxic chemical standards.

Together we’ve restored fisheries and marine ecosystems. We’ve helped develop and deploy hybrid delivery vehicles to reduce fuel use. We’ve exposed the threat of methane pollution and advanced pollution limits on our oil and gas industry.

Thanks to hundreds of thousands of activists, we’ve helped California launch the most comprehensive, economy-wide carbon pollution restrictions in the world. And we’re working with China to develop their national system to limit carbon pollution.

This community has helped protect rainforests in Brazil and are helping restore wetlands in coastal Louisiana. We’ve worked with tribal communities in the Southwest to develop a landmark agreement to conserve precious water resources. And we’re advocating for an infrastructure bill to replace all lead services lines that still deliver drinking water to more than 9 million homes.

And all this just scratches the surface of the progress you and this community of more than 2.5 million members and activists have made possible. It is awe-inspiring and invigorating.

How you can make a difference

We are change agents — and our work is made possible thanks to the donations and actions from our powerful community of members and activists.

And right now is a great time to provide your support because a committed, longtime EDF donor is offering to match all donations $2-for-$1 between now and August 31st, which will triple your impact to help build a cleaner, safer, healthier world.

Together, we’re doing all the good we can. And I can’t thank our members and activists enough.