Activity 10 - Environmental Justice - Patricia Fraser

I did not attend the class trip to Fresh Kills because of a conflict with another class. Instead I researched three environmental justice organizations in New York. From the name I thought I knew what environmental justice entailed, but I was wrong. There is alot of work in this field that I never realized. Environmental justice is about changing existing policies to better reflect awareness of how pollution, factory placement, transportation and other factors affect our local communities. WE ACT (West Harlem environmental Action Inc)was the first environrmntal justice organization in New York, started in 1988. It is also the first to be run by people of color. Its focus is on educating Northern Manhattan communities about prejudiced practices that are detrimental to the African American and Latino communities. For example, placing all but one of the bus depots run by the MTA in Harlem neighborhoods has a negative effect on the air quality, which in turn can affect respiratory function, especially in children who are most vunerable. Other issues related to having a community say in what is built and maintained in Harlem has led to a better quality of life for the community. The organization was also recognized by the Rockefeller Foundation with the Jane Jacobs Award a few years ago for collectively working for the betterment of their own neighborhoods.

The New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund (NYLCVEF) is an organization based in New York state but has local offices in different urban and suburban areas, all with a focus on environmental justice; it was started in 1991. The office in NYC is currently working on making the five boroughs greener. This entails making local communities aware of what steps they can take to press elected officials to change policies that benefit all New Yorkers. For example, using alternate energy sources that decrease the carbon footprint of residential and commercial buildings.

The Sierra Club is a national organization with chapters in every state. The organization focuses on teaching individuals in local communities about the environment, threats to it and solutions to combat those threats. The members work at the local, state and federal level to effect change. In NYC, the Sierra Club works with local organizations and schools to expose children to the natural world. Through nature walks, hikes through parks, and visits to farms and state parks, children go bird watching, camping and learn about endangered species through these activities. These activities expose children to how pollution, global warming, drilling and neglect affect plants, animals, humans and the environment. Working with adults, the Sierra Club continues these activities, but also informs local communities and city governments about ways to live greener, healthier and with respect of the natural world around them. One project going on in NY is the painting of tar roofs white. Black tar roofs make buildings hotter in the summer by drawing more heat from the sun. This increases peoples' reliance on fans and air conditioners in their apartments which dominoes into a greater reliance on electricity, a limited and focused resource. Painting the roofs white deflects some of the heat and keeps the indoor spaces cooler. The Sierra Club has been working with local officials to address this issue; also organizing groups of people to work with the city to get their building roofs painted. I need to give them a call and organize to get my roof painted!