What We Do: The Climate Challenge

The Climate Crisis
Protecting the Planet, Protecting Life

Dirty Fuels Are Cooking the Planet

Our climate is changing. Extreme weather events like severe droughts, floods, hurricanes, and record heat are becoming the new normal. The causes are many but the most important contributor to climate change is our burning of dirty fossil fuels for energy. The longer we wait to wean ourselves off of our high carbon diet, the more we put people and nature at risk.

I’m daily confronted with the alarming changes in the Arctic. Pacific Environment helped us gather data and develop conservation recommendations for the Pacific walrus that we shared with scientists.
Eduard Zdor, Arctic Indigenous Leader
I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.
Thomas A. Edison, Inventor of the Lightbulb
Men argue. Nature acts.
Voltaire, French Philosopher

We and allies achieve a historic win when a federal court calls into question the fundamental legality of the oil and gas leases sold to Shell and other oil companies in the mid-2000s. Following this win, Shell cancels its Arctic drilling plans.
A local partner helped villagers prove ongoing pollution of their water from a nearby coal mine and arranges a meeting with mine operators and environmental officials. As a result, the company agrees to improve its pollution control equipment and the village’s water quality improves.
We called attention to the egregious use of U.S. tax dollars to finance dirty fossil fuel projects around the world. Eventually, President Obama's Climate Action Plan mandates an end to federal financing for most coal projects abroad. As a result, funding for a dirty coal-fired power plant in Vietnam is denied.
Our report “Bay Area Smart Energy 2020” outlined how the San Francisco Bay Area can move to a locally-based, clean energy economy and leave fossil fuels behind. Forbes Magazine calls it “audaciously ambitious.”

Oil Drilling
Coal Mining
Dirty Funding
Clean Energy

Renewable energy creates jobs. There are already more jobs in renewable energy than in oil, gas, and coal combined. (Photo: National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

Catastrophic oil spills threaten wildlife and food security. (Photo: Pacific Environment/P)

Coal is the dirtiest of all fossil fuels. Each year, hundreds of thousands of people die from coal pollution. (Photo: Goldman Environmental Prize)

Mobilizing People to Protect Our Air and Climate

The world still largely relies on dirty fossil fuels to satisfy our voracious energy demand. But we must change our ways now if we want to avert catastrophic climate change. We partner with local leaders to mobilize communities to design community-led solutions that curb carbon pollution and accelerate a just transition to a clean energy economy.

Coal

Coal is the dirtiest of all fossil fuels. We partner with community leaders to clean up life-threatening air and water pollution and promote a clean energy future.

Oil & Gas

Massive oil & gas projects are destroying some of the last pristine areas on earth. We partner with environmental allies and local and indigenous leaders to block fossil fuel projects and preserve unique ecosystems around the Pacific Rim.

Clean Energy Ships

Ships burn an engine fuel that pollutes the air, harms human health, and accelerates climate change. We lead international coalitions pushing for strong emissions controls to curb harmful emissions on the high seas and along Arctic and Southeast Asian coastlines.

Climate Justice

The clean energy revolution must help solve social and economic inequalities. We support a just transition to a clean energy economy that champions local solutions for healthy, prosperous communities.

Health

People pay for fossil fuels with their well-being. We help grassroots leaders expose the true costs of fossil fuels and protect community health.

The renewable energy sector employs more women than the fossil fuel industry.
Rising temperatures can aggravate health problems, particularly for the old, the young and the ill.
Burning fossil fuels is the main cause of air pollution, ocean acidification and climate change.