President Biden: Build Back Fossil Free
Who doesn’t love a good stop motion video and a song so catchy that you’ll be humming it for days? We love creative activism so we worked with talented artist, Chelsea Ritter-Soronen, and talented musician (and Greenpeace’s very own!) Rico Sisney to call on President Joe Biden to protect our climate and communities. We’re thrilled with the action President Biden has taken so far, but the will of the people mandates that he move our country towards a just transition off of fossil fuels. So we created this catchy song to urge him to go even further.
How Plastic Pollution is Creating an Environmental and Health Crisis
Every year, 8 million tons of plastic pollution escapes into the world’s oceans, and the United States alone burns or buries 32 million tons of plastic in landfills. Nearly every piece of plastic begins as a fossil fuel and greenhouse gases are emitted at nearly every stage of the plastic lifecycle. This cost of plastic pollution to human health is enormous, especially in Black, Brown, Indigenous, and low-income communities where the majority of plastic-making facilities and plastic-burning incinerators are located. John Hocevar, our Oceans Campaigns Director, explains the impact of plastic pollution in the Anacostia River, near his home in Washington, D.C., and how recycling is a false solution to combating the plastic crisis.
Fire Drill Friday Rallies and Movie Night
Our virtual Fire Drill Friday rallies continued in 2021 with movement leaders, experts, Indigenous leaders, and community members joining Jane Fonda for insightful conversations on climate change and activism. We had a number of wonderful guests join our monthly Fire Drill Friday shows, including global superstar and activist Demi Lovato, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, and Indigenous leader Tara Houska.
In March, we started Fire Drill Friday Movie Nights, where we come together (virtually) to watch a film with themes of climate change and activism. After watching the movie together, Jane moderates a post-screening Q&A with filmmakers and activists, which have included Spike Lee and Rosario Dawson.
We’re expecting even more exciting guests in 2022 so stay tuned for more details!
Juneteenth
Greenpeace USA’s “What We Need Now” podcast looks at both the history and contemporary implications of the Juneteenth holiday and explores what liberation looks, feels, and sounds like through the music of Angele Anise and poetry of M’Reld Green.
“What We Need Now” is a monthly podcast by Greenpeace USA where you can learn about the work grassroots leaders are doing from the leaders themselves. Each episode, the hosts explore a different topic related to the intersections of climate, racial and environmental justice, and our movement for a green and peaceful future.
Welcome to the Big Oil Cash Grab!
Welcome to the Big Oil Cash Grab Show — the game show where we invite big oil CEOs on stage to grab as much money in fossil fuel subsidies as they can handle! Usually, these cash grabs happen behind closed doors but we’re bringing it to you on stage! While this looks like an old-school show, this is an ongoing problem. The fossil fuel industry receives over $15 billion in direct subsidies every year. Now, the Biden Administration has a historic window of opportunity to turn words into action and stop propping up the fossil fuel industry once and for all. We must demand President Biden take action to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies for good.
Flaming Dumpster Fire
The failure of the Biden Administration to act on plastic pollution is a dumpster fire for the planet. To demand President Biden act on tackling our plastic crisis and endorse a Global Plastics Treaty, we brought a flaming dumpster on a tour of Washington, D.C. As part of the tour, the dumpster fire stopped by the White House, State Department, Department of Energy, and EPA.
Introducing our New co-Executive Director: Ebony Twilley Martin
In September, we announced our new co-Executive Director: Ebony Twilley Martin. Ebony is the first Black woman ED of a national legacy environmental organization in the United States — a historic moment for Greenpeace. Ebony joined Greenpeace USA in 2013 and served most recently as our Chief Operating Officer, championing justice and equity. Ebony will join Annie Leonard as co-Executive Directors to better serve Greenpeace’s employees and supporters, as well as the creation of a greener, more peaceful world.
As a Black woman and a leader, Ebony has had an active role in advancing justice in our organization. One of her goals as ED is to be a bridge between Greenpeace and communities of color. As part of her goal to build a healthier, safer and more just future for all, Ebony and other activists were arrested in November in support of the passage of the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act!
For People, For the Planet
A powerful message from our friend and activist, Jason Momoa: As Greenpeace marks 50 years of working toward the greener, more just, and more peaceful future our founders imagined, we want to thank YOU! You have made our journey possible, and you are blazing our pathway forward. We don’t know what the next 50 years will bring. We don’t even know what tomorrow has in store. But we do know, with your continued support and strength, we’ll be here right alongside you. For people. For the planet. Celebrate 50 years with us!
Joe Manchin
“Senator Manchin: would you, could you, from your yacht?” — Illustration by t. Cashman Avila Beck
Senator Joe Manchin is trying to tank vital climate action in the Build Back Better Act. So Greenpeace USA activists unfurled a banner outside his yacht club in D.C!
Manchin chose to walk away rather than pass a bill that would help millions of families put food on the table, make life-saving medicine affordable, and build a livable future because it threatened the fossil fuel industry that sends him dividend checks.
As Janet Redman, Climate Campaign Director said, “The reasons for which Manchin claims he does not support the Build Back Better Act don’t add up. West Virginians support the legislation.” No matter how Manchin tries to skew the facts, this bill is good for West Virginian families and the country’s economy.
We’re still waiting, Joe. It’s time to close the deal. We also wrote him a poem, Green Jobs and Plans.
Grace & Frankie have an Important Message for YOU about our Planet!
Grace and Frankie’s Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, June Diane Raphael, and Sam Waterston share an important message about our planet’s future, and how you can help Greenpeace USA make a difference. Watch Now! Big thank you to this cast for their support!
2021 End of Year Video
As 2021 comes to close, we look back at another year of courage, activism, challenges and hope as we continue to fight for a greener and more just future for all.
Wishing you all a green and peaceful 2022!
