Long Beach leaders: Reject LNG to protect community health & the climate!
Mayor Rex Richardson, Harbor Commission President Sharon Weissman, Port Executive Director Mario Cordero
Long Beach leaders are currently considering plans that would make it easier to build fossil gas stations at our port (also known as “bunkering”), a decision that would harm our community and exacerbate the climate crisis by increasing fossil fuel pollution and emissions. The Port of Long Beach — one of the largest and busiest ports in the U.S. — is considering updates to its Port Master Plan that would expand permissibility for liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering to fuel LNG ships at the port for decades to come. Join us in telling Long Beach to REJECT LNG BUNKERING AT THE PORT!
The Port of Long Beach claims that LNG is a clean fuel, but the fact is: LNG is a dangerous fossil fuel that poses a high risk to climate, public safety and public health. From extraction to consumption, LNG emits methane, a greenhouse gas that is up to 86 times more potent in its climate-warming effect than carbon dioxide on a shorter timescale (meaning more warming, faster). Southern California has already irreversibly warmed 3 degrees Fahrenheit in the last century, and methane is responsible for half of this rise. We must stop methane emissions now, and that means stopping LNG infrastructure and bunkering in our community!
The Port of Long Beach claims that LNG is crucial to reducing port pollution, but LNG will exacerbate our climate crisis by accelerating warming and worsening the impact of air pollution.
LNG is not only a potent greenhouse gas — it also contributes to air pollution. Methane emissions contribute to more than 200,000 premature deaths and increased respiratory emergency room visits globally every year. LNG facilities are also dangerous — with a risk for explosions and fires. LNG is dangerous for communities and workers, and it has no place in Long Beach’s future.
As a concerned citizen, you can call on Long Beach leaders to REJECT LNG in order to protect our community and the climate.
Sign this petition to take action!
Beyond its public health and climate impact, LNG is bad for business, too. The World Bank has deemed LNG a dead end for economic investments, meaning investing in its development would endanger Southern California’s economy and jeopardize its leadership in a clean energy future. The industry is already moving away from LNG, too: maritime leaders and key Port of Long Beach shipping retailers, including Target, Amazon and IKEA, have all pledged to reject LNG as part of their ocean shipping decarbonization plans. Meanwhile, the Port of Long Beach is considering plans that would further our reliance on fossil fuels — risking stranded assets for our city — all at the expense of public health, our environment and our economy at large.
Due to the adverse climate, public health and economic consequences of LNG for ocean shipping, the World Bank advises against LNG use in the international maritime sector. Nationally, the United States signed onto the Global Methane Pledge, committing to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030 from 2020 levels. And when the U.S. recently issued its National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization, it did NOT include LNG as a sustainable shipping fuel. The Port’s support for LNG runs contrary to international, national, state and local climate goals and guidance and puts our community’s sustainable future at risk.
That’s why we need Long Beach leaders including Mayor Rex Richardson, Harbor Commission President Sharon Weissman and Port Executive Director Mario Cordero to reject LNG by removing it from the Port Master Plan Update — and to put an end to LNG infrastructure and bunkering at the Port.
By signing this petition to urge the Port of Long Beach to reject LNG, you will stand up for community health in the face of a fossil-fueled climate crisis!
Thank you for taking action with us.
Sponsored by
To:
Mayor Rex Richardson, Harbor Commission President Sharon Weissman, Port Executive Director Mario Cordero
From:
[Your Name]
The climate crisis is a serious threat, posing risk of harm to our community health, our environment and our shared future on this planet. That is why we urge Long Beach leaders to protect community health and the climate by rejecting liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure and bunkering at the Port of Long Beach.
The Port of Long Beach claims that LNG is a clean fuel, but the fact is: LNG is a dangerous fossil fuel that poses a high risk to climate, public safety and public health. From extraction to consumption, LNG emits methane, a greenhouse gas that is up to 86 times more potent in its climate-warming effect than carbon dioxide on a shorter timescale (meaning more warming, faster). Southern California has already irreversibly warmed 3 degrees Fahrenheit in the last century, and methane is responsible for half of this rise. To stop methane emissions now, we need to stop LNG infrastructure and bunkering in our community!
The Port of Long Beach claims that LNG is crucial to reducing port pollution, but LNG will only exacerbate our climate crisis by accelerating warming and worsening the impact of air pollution.
LNG is not only a potent greenhouse gas — it also contributes to air pollution. Methane emissions contribute to more than 200,000 premature deaths and increased respiratory emergency room visits globally every year. LNG facilities are also dangerous — with a risk for explosions and fires. LNG is dangerous for communities and workers, and it has no place in Long Beach’s future.
Beyond its public health and climate impact, LNG is bad for business, too. The World Bank has deemed LNG a dead end for economic investments, meaning investing in its development would endanger Southern California’s economy and jeopardize its leadership in a clean energy future. The industry is already moving away from LNG, too: maritime leaders and key Port of Long Beach shipping retailers, including Target, Amazon and IKEA, have all pledged to reject LNG as part of their ocean shipping decarbonization plans. Meanwhile, the Port of Long Beach is considering plans that would further our reliance on fossil fuels — risking stranded assets for our city — all at the expense of public health, our environment and our economy at large.
Due to the adverse climate, public health and economic consequences of LNG for ocean shipping, the World Bank advises against LNG use in the international maritime sector. Nationally, the United States signed onto the Global Methane Pledge, committing to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030 from 2020 levels. And when the U.S. recently issued its National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization, it did NOT include LNG as a sustainable shipping fuel. The Port’s support for LNG runs contrary to international, national, state and local climate goals and guidance and puts our community’s sustainable future at risk.
We call on Long Beach leaders including Mayor Rex Richardson, Harbor Commission President Sharon Weissman and Port Executive Director Mario Cordero to reject LNG by removing it from the Port Master Plan Update — and to put an end to LNG development and bunkering at the Port.
The fossil-fueled climate crisis is a serious threat that requires sustainable and environmentally just solutions that prioritize community safety and health. As a Long Beach community member, I call on Long Beach City and port leaders to advance sustainable and environmentally just solutions — not exacerbate the problem through continued fossil fuel use and development.
Please remove LNG as an expanded permissible use at Pier S from the Port of Long Beach Port Master Plan Update and take the steps necessary to transition our Port to a zero-emission future.
Thank you.