In 2017, we started working on Halt the Harm Network, a project focused on connecting leaders across the resistance to oil and gas development.
One of the first projects brought together just a few dozen leaders to work on the Fracking Next Door campaign – and now today there are over 5,000 leaders subscribed to hear about upcoming events & meet people within the network. Every week leaders across different time zones share resources and connect in the private online network.
Through thousands of conversations, strategy sessions, and campaigns, we’ve learned what leader’s believe makes our movement powerful, what is missing, and developed some opinions on what’s holding us back.
Our intention is to share and invite dialogue.
What do you think is the heart of our power? What are the challenges we face? Where are we gaining ground and breaking through?
Please reply and share your thoughts on this – or better yet, leave a comment in Halt the Harm Network to spark an important conversation.
The Heart of Our Power
The one insight that remains true today as it was seven years ago (and long back to our days fighting pollution from PA, NY, GA and all over is that: real power grows in town halls, on the street, in a cafe, government hearing, or living room.
We’ve watched local leaders stand up to industry executives, rally their neighbors, and win battles that looked impossible on paper. But when these leaders work in isolation, industry almost always wins. When they are connected with resources, expertise, and each other, everything can change..
Where We Stand Today
Our movement includes staff and volunteers from major nonprofits all the way to local community groups fighting single well pads. You can read member profiles, our survey, or browse the directory.
Through working alongside them, we’ve seen how our strength varies across regions. In too many places, the fight is lopsided in favor of the industry.
The Challenges We Face Together
After thousands of hours supporting local leaders, here’s what we are seeing:
External Barriers
- Chronic shortage of full-time organizers and campaign staff
- Limited access to financial and political resources compared to industry
- Need for more technical expertise to match industry’s army of experts
- Rising burnout among leaders who carry too much alone
- Dirty, useless sell-out politicians trading the health of people and communities for donations
- Harassment and intimidation
Internal Movement Dynamics
- There are too many silos between staff that should know each other across national NGOs, state groups, and local grassroots efforts
- Key researchers, journalists, writers, and others that can use more connections to leaders (and vice versa)
- Messages that sometimes miss what matters most to local communities
- Difficulty translating complex science into stories that move people to action
- Barriers in sorting out how local leaders benefit from the resources and tools created for them.
- Legal battles that drain resources and morale
- Historical gaps in addressing economic fears that industry exploits
Where We’re Breaking Through
Despite these challenges, we’re seeing important shifts that give us hope:
- Fracking is becoming politically toxic in key states like Pennsylvania.
- Public understanding of industry impacts is growing.
- Local resistance strategies are getting more sophisticated – building relationships with other campaigns in different parts of the country and world.
- Communities are increasingly connecting their fights to the bigger picture.
- Every day, new leaders are stepping up and getting involved in campaigns.
Learning From Our Victories
The campaigns that win share common elements:
- Sustained, relentless grassroots leadership and action backed by solid expertise
- Messages that speak to what people care about most – their families, their health, and their right to clean air and water.
- Strong bridges between local leadership, national resources, staff, and experts
- Real plans for economic transition that address community fears and create a vision of the future
- United fronts that bring different groups together
Why We Work Differently
This is why Halt the Harm Network operates the way we do. We’re building network power, not just organizational capacity.
Everything we’ve learned points to three principles:
- No community can match industry resources alone, but connected communities can win.
- We need to “swarm” by moving resources and power quickly to where they’re needed most.
- Local leadership must drive our movement, supported by (not replaced by) national resources.
Next week, we’ll show exactly how we’re putting these lessons and principles into action.
But first, we want to hear from you.
What challenges are you facing in your local resistance? What would help you fight more effectively? What have you noticed about the movement?
Share your story. It helps all of us get stronger together.