April 2024: April is Earth Day Month
Brynne GormanThis Earth Day month of April, we focus on Environmental Justice and show how you can work toward positive change in this area. As defined by the MA Department of Energy and Environmental Affairs, “environmental justice is the equal protection and meaningful involvement of all people with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies and the equitable distribution of environmental benefits.”
(Above, a screen shot from the environmental justice map viewer: an interactive map that displays the 2020 Environmental Justice block groups, based upon demographic criteria developed by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. It can include residents of color (above), income, and language isolation, as well as combinations of these. The map uses data from: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massgis-data-2020-environmental-justice-populations)
On a July afternoon, one of the hottest of the summer, residents of Pittsfield saw clouds of black smoke emanating from nearby smokestacks. The source of the smoke? A power plant, known as a “peaker plant.” Peakers are stand-by plants, used only on extremely hot or cold days (peak days) when there is additional demand for energy. They run on fossil fuels, and although they operate for only a short time, they are old and inefficient, and emit a disproportionate amount of polluting gasses. Moreover, peaker plants throughout the state and the nation tend to be located near low-income communities, where large numbers of people of color reside. The health outcomes of those living near a peaker plant can be devastating, and the polluting gasses, which have been linked to a wide range of diseases, significantly lower life expectancies. Communities that are victim to conditions like this and other environmental hazards are at the heart of the Environmental Justice (EJ) movement.
In Pittsfield, a broad coalition of community organizations and individuals came together to share information and educate the public about the peaker plants. Local legislators were also active participants. The coalition held open meetings, circulated petitions, and simultaneously reached out to the power plant owners to encourage them to move toward cleaner energy alternatives. Their efforts paid off. One of the plant owners has committed to converting its plants to cleaner energy in Pittsfield, and it is exploring options for alternative energy sources for its plants across the state. READ MORE
The Environmental Justice movement in Pittsfield underlines the importance of including the voices of local officials and legislators in grassroots activism. Are the people who represent you knowledgeable about environmental inequities among their constituents? Are they actively working to reverse inequities? You can find out. As a starting point, we suggest some questions to begin the conversation with the people who represent you at the local and state level:
Questions for Candidates
• Tell us how environmental justice fits into the vision you have for your constituency, especially the communities that already face historical burdens.
• Help us understand how you intend to address environmental justice issues in our community.
• How will you see that funding is available to safeguard communities from environmental hazards?
• What issues do you see arising about environmental justice in the coming term of office? What legislation is currently under consideration?
• What do you believe is potentially the most severe environmental issue facing vulnerable communities in your constituency? How do you plan to address it?
• What will you do to protect the people in your constituency who are most vulnerable to climate extremes, such as excessive heat/drought/cold and/or natural disasters, such as floods and hurricanes?
• What will you do to ensure that everyone you represent has equal access to clean air and water?
• How will you ensure that there will be an equitable response for everyone in your constituency when natural disasters hit?
• Are all the children who live, go to school, and play in your constituency safe from environmental hazards, such as air pollution, lead exposure, and contaminated water? If not, what will you do to improve conditions for these children?
Want to know more? Here are some resources:
YouTube videos
Very basic, clear explanation of EJ
Environmental Justice, explained (3.5 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dREtXUij6_c
Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC)
What is Environmental Justice (2 minutes) – has a transcript https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIu-AfQ0cBM
Center for Earth Energy and Democracy (4 min)
No text, no talking heads, animation makes visual points carefully; touches on activism https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hOJ-VosFI0
ProPublica
A history of EJ (3.5 minutes) approaches during the administrations from G.W. Bush to Donald Trump. Even when Democrats were in control, no environmental justice legislation was passed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30xLg2HHg8Q
Web pages
For youth and teaches of youth:
https://youthcivilrights.org/resources/do-we-have-a-right-to-a-clean-environment
Has discussion questions, uses Flint water issue for case study, many resources for teachers. Other parts of the website deal with other civil rights issues focused on youths.
US Government, Department of Energy (DOE); Office of Legacy management (OLM) is the arm of the DOE that oversees the long-term decommissioning and detoxifying of waste areas.
https://www.energy.gov/lm/environmental-justice-links
Mission statement of OLM: Mission statement: Fulfill the Department of Energy’s post-closure responsibilities and ensure the future protection of human health and the environment.
US government: DOE/OLM definition of Environmental justice:
“Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws regulations, and policies. Fair treatment means that no population bears a disproportionate share of negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, municipal, and commercial operations or from the execution of federal, state, and local laws; regulations; and policies. Meaningful involvement requires effective access to decision makers for all, and the ability in all communities to make informed decisions and take positive actions to produce environmental justice for themselves.”
This office (OLM) also has a page devoted to the history of environmental justice
https://www.energy.gov/lm/history-environmental-justice-department-energy
“Environmental justice is actually a principal of American democracy that combines civil rights with environmental protection. It demands that those who have historically been excluded from environmental decision making, traditionally minority, low-income, and American Indian and Alaska Native communities, have the same access to environmental decision makers, decision-making processes, and the ability to make reasoned contributions to decision-making processes as any other individuals.”
Massachusetts Government
Office of Environmental Justice & Equity
https://www.mass.gov/orgs/office-of-environmental-justice-equity-oeje
Has links for state strategy (2024; summary online, can download a 171-page pdf), interactive population maps, policy (2021), and community engagement.
How segregation creates communities of color in MA
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/how-segregation-creates-communities-of-color-in-ma
Clean Choice Energy – A solar/wind farm company generated 20 questions for candidates geared to the 2022 election.
https://cleanchoiceenergy.com/news/questions-to-ask-candidates-about-the-environment
Peaker Plants – “Massachusetts Community Advocates for Clean Alternatives to Peaker plants”, such as the one proposed for Peabody, MA.
PDF: Massachusetts Peaker Power Plants (2020), includes map with locations.
Environmental Health News
Good source for podcasts about current environmental health issues
https://www.ehn.org/amp/environmental-justice-2646185608#
Much information on air pollution, chemical waste, lead poisoning, water contamination, extreme weather and the disproportionate effects on low income and minority communities.
DO NOT download the ‘free manuals’ as this seems to be a link to Malware via pdfixers.
Environmental Racism in Greater Boston (an interactive web site)
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/niehs/environmental-racism-project
Includes a segment on environmental racism in personal care products in both English and Spanish)
Interview with Robert Bullard, father of EJ movement in The Guardian
For more on Robert Bullard, see this article and video in Scientific American
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Photo by Dave Brenner
Robert Bullard
Professor and Former Dean of the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland
School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University
“America is still segregated and so is pollution.”
…Robert Bullard
Next month we will highlight Indigenous peoples’ perspectives on Environmental Justice.
