FUELING THE FIRE

Why Any Fossil Fuel Industry Bailout Will Be Disastrous for Communities of Color

Contrary to initial claims by politicians and the media that
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was a “great equalizer,” data overwhelmingly shows that the virus is amplifying existing inequalities and harming poor and marginalized communities most. The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that Black, Brown, and Indigenous people are suffering hospitalization rates up to 5.3 times higher and death rates up to 2.1 times higher than other Americans.
 
The fossil fuel industry receives billions of dollars in indirect and direct public subsidies every year. For decades, Wall Street has played a key role in sustaining the industry through its investments, financing and profiting from investing in polluting oil and gas projects and pipelines. This report finds that the fossil fuel industry not only drives climate change, but has also exposed Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities to concentrated levels of toxic pollution for generations that has made our communities highly vulnerable to severe illness and death from COVID-19.

FUELING THE FIRE: Report Launch Event 10/15/20

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In this virtual launch event, a group of environmental justice advocates, policy experts, and a U.S. Congressional member held a briefing on the report and shared stories from the frontlines of fights against fossil fuel companies. The panelists include: 

U.S. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, representing the 13th District of Michigan
Felicia Griffin, Deputy Director, Partnership for Working Families
Judith LeBlanc, Director, Native Organizers Alliance
Rabbi Julie Greenberg, Climate Justice Organizer, POWER
Erika Thi Patterson, Deputy Campaigns Director, Action Center on Race and the Economy
Diego Mayen, Member, East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice
Zolboo Namkhaidorj, Community Organizer, Communities for a Better Environment

STORIES FROM THE FRONTLINES

Click through the images below to read about environmental justice fights from community organizers on the ground.

Follow our step by step guide to find some of the big bucks behind the top publicly traded, fossil fuel corporations. The list below is a checklist you can use to quickly move through the research. There is also a step by step guide, using Exxon Mobil so that you can follow along as you dig!

The Fueling the Fire: Why Any Fossil Fuel Industry Bailout Would be Disastrous for Communities of Color report exposes the role of the financial sector and government subsidies in propping up the fossil fuel sector. This FAQ and the Financing Behind Fossil Fuels Beginners Guide are supplementary tools intended to help strengthen local fights against corporate polluters by helping community activists identify the financial actors behind the polluters.

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The fossil fuel industry has been bailed out enough. It's time to stand up for communities hardest hit by COVID-19 and environmental racism!
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