Friend,
We’ve seen and heard some horrific stories on the heels of hurricanes Helene and Milton in the last couple of weeks that have demonstrated the devastation that fossil fuels can bring to communities. Many of us have friends, family and loved ones who were impacted, and the death toll is still tragically rising. The back-to-back devastation to communities across the South is a stark reminder of how far-reaching climate disasters have become. From places like Asheville — over 2,000 feet above sea level and hundreds of miles inland — to the flash flooding that has destroyed small businesses and homes, leaving people trapped with no electricity and no running water across parts of Tennessee, North and South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. Fossil fuels cause community devastation everywhere — and it’s only getting worse. But away from the news coverage of storm damage, there are communities living every single day under the shadow of toxic pollution by the fossil fuel industry. Along the Gulf Coast, Black and Brown communities are facing a daily crisis of survival, where the threat of environmental destruction is layered on top of generations of racial injustice. Frontline communities in the Gulf are facing the devastating consequences of methane export terminals — aka liquefied "natural" gas (LNG) — springing up in their backyards. These terminals pump methane and other harmful chemicals into the air — speeding up the climate crisis and creating a health crisis at the same time. In places like Louisiana’s "Cancer Alley," an 80-mile stretch from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, pollution has been making people sick for decades. Higher cancer rates, chronic respiratory problems, and even issues with reproductive health are part of everyday life. This is environmental racism at its core. Insurance companies are enabling this vicious cycle. They’re providing insurance to polluting methane terminals, AND they’re canceling insurance coverage for homes impacted by the climate crisis — especially along the Gulf Coast — claiming the climate risks are too high. The same climate risks they’re contributing to by insuring dangerous fossil fuel projects! Liberty Mutual, Chubb, and AIG are literally providing coverage for dangerous projects like Cameron LNG, that couldn’t be built without insurance. The polluters behind Cameron LNG have broken the Clean Air Act time and time again, underreporting dangerous toxins like benzene — a chemical known to cause cancer. More than 60 incidents have been documented of hazardous pollutants being released, putting the health and safety of local residents in Hackberry and Lake Charles at even greater risk. Insurance companies are supposed to protect people from loss, but instead they’re threatening the health, lives and livelihoods of entire communities through their actions — and then punishing those same communities for facing climate risks that result from the very projects they insured in the first place. But this isn’t just a Gulf Coast issue — it affects all of us. When we protect the most vulnerable, we protect everyone. It’s time to demand that insurance giants stop insuring these destructive fossil fuel projects. These companies need to be held accountable for the damage they’re causing. The Gulf Coast is not a sacrifice zone, and its residents deserve better. This isn’t just about air quality or flooding; it’s about human rights. The legacy of institutional racism and the dehumanization of Black and Brown communities is playing out in real-time as their voices are silenced, and their health and futures are sacrificed for profit. It’s time to fight for a future free from fossil fuels — a future where everyone has the right to breathe clean air, drink safe water, and live free of fear from the next climate disaster. In solidarity, | 
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