All along the Texas Gulf Coast, a cabal of corporate polluters are racing to strike it rich by proposing to build massive new facilities to export Texas fossil fuels to the highest international bidder.
Some are pursuing construction of colossal offshore crude oil export terminals to service ‘supertanker’ carrier ships. Others are planning to build new or expanded fracked methane gas (LNG) export facilities to cash in on demand from Europe and Asia.
But all of their stories are the same: A handful of fossil fuel executives and their enablers in relentless pursuit of a giant payday, willfully blind to the consequences for everyone else. But the consequences are very real, and deadly serious – and not just for the coastal communities under assault by air and water pollution.
There is no more debate. The continuing release of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane from burning fossil fuels is leading to disastrous changes in the climate that will threaten the lives of millions. This includes a rapid acceleration of natural catastrophes, from deadly hurricanes and floods to devastating wildfires and droughts.
Cruelly, the victims of these disasters are often the same coastal communities already under siege by the fossil fuel industry’s polluting pipelines and processing facilities. Studies have shown that people who live near oil and gas facilities suffer from a range of negative impacts, including elevated rates of asthma, lung and cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
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But none of it seems to matter to Big Oil and Gas. With the 2015 reversal of a decades-long ban on U.S. crude oil exports, and the advent of fracking technology that has enabled a massive expansion of “natural” gas production in the Permian Basin and elsewhere, Texas fossil fuel profiteers are pulling out every stop to hit the jackpot – no matter what.
Texas oil and gas exporters want you to believe they’re creating jobs and helping the economy. But the truth is that most of their profits go to top executives and shareholders, and the number of jobs in the fossil fuel industry has steadily declined for more than 30 years.
Here's something else they don’t want you to know: the rapid growth of U.S. LNG exports is helping to drive a steep increase in monthly gas bills for U.S. consumers. In fact, "natural" gas prices in the U.S. have almost tripled since their most recent low, and are expected to continue to climb. If that’s helping, we’d rather they didn’t.
Meanwhile, some oil and gas exporters are the same companies who made billions in profits during the 2021 Texas winter storm blackouts by dramatically increasing prices for natural gas during the crisis. A few months later, one of them (hello Kelcy Warren) made a million-dollar campaign contribution to the Texas politician who let it all happen.
Texas has had all we can take, and then some. That’s why from Port Arthur to Brazoria County to Corpus Christi to Brownsville, hundreds of local activists are pushing back, fighting to protect the health and safety of their communities, and standing up for the future our planet.
They know that it’s time to phase out fossil fuels and transition to clean energy sources to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions and stop climate change. They also know that reducing the world’s reliance on fossil fuels is the best way to end wars financed by oil and gas exports.
But with the fossil fuel industry’s vast resources and cadre of well-compensated cronies in high places, they can’t do it alone. That’s where YOU come in.
Save Texas is a project of Texas Campaign for the Environment, a statewide advocacy group working closely with frontline community leaders and allies from across the country to organize opposition to fossil fuel exports, hold oil and gas companies and executives accountable, and press elected leaders and regulators to support a clean energy future.
Nothing less than the future of our communities, our state, and our planet is at stake.
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There is strength in numbers. Together with you, we can make real change. If you agree that our future should NOT be put at risk so fossil fuel executives can line their pockets selling Texas oil and gas to Europe and Asia, please sign up today to be part of our campaign.
