ON THE GROUND Emily Wurth: 19 Years of Fighting for Our Future
Emily joined Food & Water Watch as a research- er passionate about protecting communities from harmful factory farms. Nearly two decades later, as the Managing Director of Organizing, she leads our team of organizers across the country. Emily has been at the forefront of some of our biggest wins — including banning frack- ing in four states. Growing up an activist Emily's path to environmentalism started early. Both her parents were politically engaged and working to make the world a more just place. "I was lucky to grow up in a household that emphasized the importance of finding a career that lets you give back," Emily says. "And I saw my parents volunteering in their free time to advocate for issues they cared about, like public education and protecting the environment." This upbringing shaped Emily's values and led to her career in organizing. Achieving big wins and finding community For 19 years, Emily has poured her energy into working with volunteers and leaders across the country to build the power needed to protect our food, water, and climate. Her proudest memories are from the successful campaigns to
Photo by Abby Greenawalt
ban fracking in New York and Maryland, where communities came together, demanded trans- formational change, and won. "So many people told us it was impossible," she recalls. "But we showed that with a strong polit- ical strategy, resources, and people power, we can take on the fossil fuel industry and win." She remembers working alongside staff and volunteers from Food & Water Watch and allied organizations who were fully committed to stopping fracking, many of whom eventually became her lifelong friends. Organizing into the next twenty years We are currently facing tremendous challenges with the Trump administration threatening our climate, environment, civil rights, and our democracy. But it’s more critical than ever that we stand up and fight back. And Emily knows that our approach to working for change is what makes Food & Water Watch special, saying, "Our success comes from our strategic organiz- ing model that underpins all of our work." And she wants all of our incredible supporters to know: We are the ones who have the power to force our elected officials to create the world we want. It's going to take all of us working together. Thanks to you, Emily can keep leading powerful campaigns for our food, water, and climate as we enter our third decade.
Emily and Wenonah at 2014's People’s Climate March in New York City. Photo by Simon Russell Photography
5 | SPECIAL 20TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE: WINTER 2025
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