On the heels of several legal wins for grassroots organizers in Louisiana's "Cancer Alley," ExxonMobil, Chevron and other petrochemical giants are increasingly organizing against grassroots environmental justice activism in Louisiana. Industry is particularly targeting organizations and activists involved in the Beyond Petrochemicals campaign, which Michael Bloomberg recently infused with a large donation. The companies have joined with pro-industry politicians and local Chambers of Commerce to form a “sustainability council,” focused not on environmental sustainability but on the longevity of the petrochemical industry on Louisiana's Gulf Coast.  Jo Banner of The Descendants Project and Shamyra Lavigne of RISE St. James, two key organizers in the area, join us to talk about why the industry is suddenly organizing against them.

Read more in The Guardian and Floodlight News exposé here: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/04/cancer-alley-louisiana-environment-oil-industry-opposition

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices