It often seems like big business is allowed to pollute with impunity. However, many communities are trying to ensure that companies don't get away with irresponsible actions.
Locals all around the U.S. are fighting back against corporate infringement in small ways that, together, add up to a major movement.
Sometimes that means using the court system; other times, it simply means not bowing down to the dollar.
Whatever it looks like, these people have refused to remain quiet as polluters invaded their lives.
1. An unprecedented lawsuit against Big Oil
Two homeowners in Washington state filed a class action lawsuit against Big Oil companies over decades of lies about the harmful impact that burning oil and gas has on the climate.
Extreme weather events have become more severe and frequent, driving up home insurance costs across the country. For example, premiums in Washington have gone up by more than 50% since 2019.
Although the suit was filed in Washington, it covers all homeowners nationwide who have purchased insurance after 2017 or plan to.
2. Taking local action against chemicals
Yayoi Koizumi from Ithaca, New York, became more conscious of chemicals in the environment after her son was diagnosed with autism.
Koizumi eventually organized a group that would become Zero Waste Ithaca, which fights for sustainability and against pollution — in some cases resorting to the court system.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
3. Money can't buy happiness
A Kentucky farmer, Dr. Tim Grosser, said no to "one of the largest AI companies in the world" when it tried to buy his land to build a massive data center.
|
Which of these savings plans for rooftop solar panels would be most appealing for you?
Click your choice to see results and earn rewards to spend on home upgrades. |
Save $1,000 this year 💸 Even when the company doubled its offer, Grosser wouldn't budge, saying, "That money can't buy happiness."
In turning down the offer, Grosser was doing his community a big favor. Data centers use massive amounts of energy, driving up local energy prices, and they require millions of gallons of water to cool servers.
4. Stopping multiple kinds of pollution
Three individuals and four churches joined together to take the operators of a limestone quarry to court in northern Alabama, causing operations to temporarily cease until certain conditions were met.
According to one of the plaintiffs, dust, light, and noise have polluted the community since operations began. The air got so bad that pollution coated toys, furniture, and cars, with one nearby couple no longer letting their daughter, who has asthma, play outside.
5. Protesting Elon Musk's xAI plant
Residents in a predominantly Black neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee, are fighting back after Elon Musk's xAI data center wreaked havoc on the already polluted local environment.
A hearing in April drew hundreds of Boxtown residents who protested the facility. The center consumes enough energy to power 100,000 homes, straining the grid and increasing the risk of outages.
To make matters worse, the facility's methane gas turbines have increased smog in the area by up to 60%.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices — and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.
Cool Picks
