As some of us were packing our bags with plans to go to Washington D.C. and join our allies for a sit-in at the Department of Energy to demand an end to the expansion of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, we received some very welcomed and powerful news for the movement.

In fact, it is one of the most significant actions ever taken by a U.S. President to stop the expansion of fossil fuels and protect our shared environment.

Our movement pushed President Biden to stand up to Big Oil and pause the largest fossil fuel buildout in United States history: over 20 new LNG export facilities, including the controversial CP2 project. But this is just the beginning. Across the country, communities are still grappling with the devastating impacts of climate change wrought by fossil fuels.

This decision is obviously a move in the right direction, that would not have happened without a growing movement demanding environmental justice. We celebrate the historic win, while recognizing that this decision falls short of stopping the harm from fossil fuel projects already built or underway, and it doesn't guarantee that new projects will be rejected.

We need to continue to organize to end corporate destruction of the Earth for-profit and to create alternatives for a truly livable world.

Natural gas contributes to environmental damage in several ways¹:

• Global warming emissions: Natural gas is a fossil fuel that contributes to global warming and climate change by releasing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases when burned¹²³.
• Air pollution: The combustion of natural gas produces nitrogen oxides (NOx), which are precursors to smog, and small amounts of sulfur, mercury, and particulates¹.
• Land use and wildlife: The extraction of natural gas can lead to habitat destruction and fragmentation, which can harm wildlife¹.
• Water use and pollution: The extraction and processing of natural gas requires large amounts of water, which can lead to water pollution¹.
• Earthquakes: The injection of wastewater from natural gas production into deep wells can cause earthquakes¹.

Click image below to view an Animated map of the major oil and gas pipelines in the US