Together, we’ve experienced incredible ups and downs in 2023. We endured devastating floods in the Northeast and record-high temperatures nationwide. Choking air pollution from the smoke of wildfires in Canada kept many of us indoors. And the deadly fires in Maui broke our hearts.

On the flip side, we celebrated many incredible victories that will protect communities and our planet far into the future. We banned gas hook-ups in new buildings in New York State, forced Easterday Dairy to cancel plans for a mega-dairy in Oregon, and defeated a proposed liquefied natural gas plant in Port St. Joe, Florida, to name a few. 

Through thick and thin, we’re so grateful for you and our wonderful Food & Water Watch community.

Our wins were that much sweeter because we celebrated them together. And our pain was that much easier to bear because we processed it together. This year has shown us again and again how essential community is in our fight for change — and how grateful we are to have a community full of supporters like you.

We thank you for the incredible difference you made this year in our fight for a livable future. And we’re so happy to share our 2023 in review,¹Information included in this article is from activities dated January 1 to October 31, 2023. made possible by people who love our planet — like you!

You are strengthening our Food & Water Watch community!

Big, systemic change requires people power. This allows us to connect with communities across the country to push for the bold action we all need to stop the worsening of the climate crisis and to protect our food and water.

Because of you, our grassroots movement and our capacity to create change have both grown. This year, together we:

• Engaged 2 million+ supporters
• Mobilized nearly 2,300 volunteers
• Held 250+ organizing events and volunteer activities such as rallies, protests, volunteer meetings, phone banks, canvassing days, and more

You are holding those in power accountable!

Protecting our food, water, and climate requires action from our elected leaders. Our groundbreaking research, bold policy recommendations, and targeted legal actions are some of our best tools to do just that.

Your generosity is the force behind all of our research, policy, and legal work. With you, we’re demanding those in power stay accountable to communities, not corporations.

This year, together we:

• Released 21 new research reports and fact sheets
• Won 7 lawsuits and have 20+ more ongoing
• Held 260+ meetings with Congressional leaders to educate and push for policies

You are powering our outreach and education!

A critical part of our work together is spreading the word about threats to our environment and how each of us can help protect our food, water, and climate.

Because of you, we boosted critical information about the health of our planet publicly and widely, empowering people with information.

This year, together we:

• Attracted 1.1 million+ visits to our website, foodandwaterwatch.org
• Earned 5,800 media hits, including in The New York Times, Washington Post, and CNN
• Engaged 2,029 attendees at 9 Livable Future LIVE events, our monthly educational series
• Sent 431,000+ digital petition signatures and letters

You are making incredible victories possible!

Your commitment to building a brighter future for all has not only strengthened our movement; it has led to many meaningful protections for our food, water, and climate. 

Your generosity sparked too many victories to list them all here. Below are some highlights to be proud of and to build upon next year! 

This year, together we:

• Made progress reining in and stopping factory farms in Oregon.
  
  We won the passage of SB 85 — the first legislation in decades to reform factory farm regulations in the state. This bill will require a more intensive water permitting process and increased oversight on the practice of spreading factory farm waste on fields. It will also allow local governments to require setbacks between factory farms and communities. 
  
  Additionally, we forced the notorious industrial agriculture giant Easterday to cancel its proposed mega-dairy in Boardman, Oregon. In doing so, we helped protect this community on the Columbia River, which already struggles with nitrate-contaminated water due to mega-dairies’ irresponsible waste management practices. 

• Stopped dirty energy projects from coast to coast,
  
  including a gas-fired power plant in Woodbridge, New Jersey, a liquified natural gas plant in Port St. Joe, Florida, a blue hydrogen power plant in West Whiteland, Pennsylvania, and a carbon pipeline that would have spanned parts of South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois.

• Secured a win against fossil fuels and a win for renewables in New York. 
  
  We passed the All-Electric Building Act, which bans gas hookups in new buildings in New York State. It made New York the first state in the country to ban gas in new construction by law. 
  
  We also helped pass the Build Public Renewables Act. This law will require the New York Power Authority (NYPA), the state’s publicly owned power utility, to provide only renewable energy to customers and be the only energy provider to all state-owned and municipal properties. It also allows NYPA to build renewable energy production to meet the state’s goals of achieving 70% renewable energy by 2030 and 100% by 2040.

• Won important measures to protect our water. 
  
  Working with community groups, we successfully pressured the Environmental Protection Agency to propose the first federal, enforceable limits on six types of PFAS. PFAS are a widespread contaminant in our water that poses severe health threats, including immune and reproductive system harm and cancer. 
  
  We also saved the Hudson River from radioactive waste dumping by passing the Save the Hudson Bill in New York. 

• Powered the March to End Fossil Fuels — the largest demonstration to stop fossil fuels in U.S. history.
  
  On September 17, more than 75,000 people joined us in the streets of New York City for the March to End Fossil Fuels. Together, we demanded the Biden administration do more to curb climate change by ending fossil fuel use.

This short list of wins shows just how much you have strengthened our community and shines a light on the power you have to protect our planet. Thank you for fighting like you live here!

You can build on these wins in the coming year!

Big change happens step by step. And because of you, we have taken great strides toward a livable future in 2023 that we can build upon in the coming year. 

Next year is a presidential election year — a big one. Amid so much climate denialism and candidates under the influence of corporate cash, 2024 will no doubt present huge challenges. With your continued commitment to sustainable food, clean water, and a livable climate, we can take on these challenges and protect what we love.