February is Black History Month and what better way to talk about environmental justice than to do in month where we celebrate the contributions of African Americans to our great nation.
Environmental justice has become a regular part of the sustainability conversation. That might sound crazy, since groups have been working on environmental racism and injustice for years. However, when we started Southeast Green, we didn't hear much about it but over the last couple of years environmental justice is part of almost every conversation I have now. Add to this that the Sierra Club has its first African American board chair, Aaron Muir, there seems to be a new focus on this important reason working on sustainability and climate change is so important. Environmentalists have long been accused of talking more about the planet than people. Environmental justice joins that conversation so that all people can see their part in our changing planet and how to solve issues around the unjust things we have done to the communities and the planet.
Here are links to some of the articles discussed in this episode of Full of Useless Information:
- Tweet Diary - Pure Cities Environmental Justice Town Hall
- Alabama Leader travels to Washington DC to testify on on Environmental Justice: Toxic Materials, Poor Economies, and the Impact on the Environment of Low-Income, Minority Communities
- Hip Hop Caucus Releases "HOME" a Documentary Film On Communities of Color Disproportionately Affected by Climate Change
- Campaign Delivers 150,000 Petition Signatures to Dollar General Calling for Nontoxic Products, But Executives Will Not Commit to Protecting Their Customers by Taking Toxics Off Their Shelves
- Tweet Diary - Environmental Justice panel hosted by Georgia Chapter of Sierra Club
- Ninety-One Organizations Challenge EPA to Consider Prisoner Populations in Environmental Justice Action Plan
- Minorities, Poor, and Language-Isolated More Likely in the Shadow of Pollution than Others in Metro Atlanta
