For a Better Bayou (FABB) is a community-based organization fighting for a healthier world in Southwest Louisiana, where air quality and local waterways are heavily polluted by oil and gas refineries, Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) terminals, and other industrial facilities. Founded in 2023 in Lake Charles, home to the largest LNG terminal in Southwest Louisiana, FABB believes that people have power in numbers and that the fossil fuel-based status quo is not the only choice. Working to build a movement for a transition away from fossil fuels and toward a renewable energy future, they educate the public about the environmental and health risks posed by these industries and advocate for policies that protect communities. In 2023 they joined six other Gulf-based organizations in petitioning the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to investigate and correct systematic abuse of Clean Air Act permitting standards violations in Louisiana and Texas, believing everyone deserves to live and thrive in a healthy and sustainable community, free from the harmful impacts of fossil fuel pollution.
Community preparing to enjoy Zydeco, gumbo, and a boat parade to the LNG Summit where Shrimpers gathered to say “Enough is Enough.: Photo courtesy of For a Better Bayou.
Led by former local refinery worker James Hiatt, FABB works alongside fishers, shrimpers, and residents who share concerns about current pollution levels, potential near-term increases, and long-term climate impacts – rejecting industry claims that LNG is “the cleanest of the fossil fuels.” While LNG produces less CO2 than coal or oil during power generation, it consists of extremely cold methane from fracking – a substance 84 times more damaging to the climate than CO2 in the short term. Power production using LNG releases twice the greenhouse gas of ordinary natural gas, 14 times more than solar, and 50 times more than wind power. FABB joined numerous advocates to successfully lobby President Biden to pause consideration of LNG export expansion in January 2024, celebrating the decision as “a major victory toward protecting our communities, our families, our economy, and our climate.”