For too long, fossil fuel companies have profited while our communities pay the price for climate disasters. The Make Polluters campaign is about shifting that cost back where it belongs — onto the corporations that knowingly caused the damage.
The people of Illinois have already paid billions of dollars of our own money to clean up climate disasters. Our energy costs are soaring, basements are flooding, home and renters insurance is getting more expensive, and healthcare is unaffordable – all while fossil fuel megacorporations rake in record profits.
That’s why we’ve joined the Make Polluters Pay campaign to establish a Climate Superfund in Illinois. This legislation (which has already been passed in New York and Vermont) would tax the largest fossil fuel companies in our state for their part in causing climate change. That money would then be put into a public fund to be used for climate adaptation and mitigation projects; think air filtration for schools, flood abatement in low-laying neighborhoods, fortifying Lake Michigan’s coastline, solar panels for low-income housing, etc. This legislation is sponsored by Majority Leader Robyn Gabel in the House, and Senator Graciela Guzman in the Senate.
This work is a continuation of our fight for environmental justice in Illinois. We demand that those who experience the greatest burden from climate disasters and climate change (rural communities, communities of color, poor communities) receive the greatest investment and resources. As it’s written, at least 40% of the funds raised would be invested directly back in EJ communities.
It is also central to our fight against megacorporations and their influence on our vulnerable democracy. When fossil fuel giants rake in trillions of dollars over decades and turn around to bankroll Trump’s election campaign, they know what they’re doing. This legislation could raise billions of dollars from these corporations that would be distributed back into our state’s budget. New York’s Climate Superfund bill alone will raise $75 billion for their state.
The Make Polluters Pay movement is nation-wide and gaining ground. Community leaders and activists in 14 states across the country participated in the Make Polluters Pay National Week of Action (Jan. 25-31) with 37 events running from public demonstrations to teach-ins, petition deliveries, trainings, and speak-outs.
Here in Illinois, our statewide Make Polluters Pay coalition gathered a crowd of 50 on a frigid Thursday morning in front of the BP Oil Headquarters in downtown Chicago to publicly launch our call. We heard from elders, union members, policy experts, and climate disaster survivors who spoke powerfully about the need to end fossil fuel’s exploitation of our communities.
Later that evening, we held a virtual teach-in and listening session with our EJ Task Force and broader TPL membership. We learned that our communities are suffering from the affordability crisis, and ready to take on the corporations responsible.
In order to take on the oil and gas lobby, we’ll need to build lots (like, LOTS) of regional people power. We’re planning town halls and teach-ins, lobbying trips to Springfield, public art activations, and lots of one-to-one conversations between community members.
If you’d like to get involved in the campaign, reach out to Annelise Rittberg, EJ Organizer, at annelise@thepeopleslobbyusa.org.