Environmental and Climate Justice Communities Facing Threats
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This document discusses environmental justice issues related to waste and energy production in Region III (Midwest US). It notes that many landfills and incinerators are located in low-income communities of color, exposing these populations to pollution. It also discusses issues with hydraulic fracturing, coal plants, nuclear power, and the impacts of climate change. The document advocates for more progressive energy policies like renewable portfolio standards, energy efficiency standards, and net metering to promote clean energy and reduce pollution in overburdened communities.
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Environmental and Climate Justice Communities Facing Threats
- 1. Environmental and Climate Justice Region III The Path to Transformation for Our Communities
- 2. OVERVIEW What We’re Up Against What Are Our Assets How Do We Eliminate Threats and Optimize Our Strengths Re-envisioning Community
- 4. Waste and Communities Where does American’s waste really go?
- 5. Landfills Clinton Hill Landfill in Dewitt County, IL
- 6. Number of Landfills by State in Region III Kentucky: 31 Illinois: 40 Indiana: 32 Michigan: 54 Ohio: 40 West Virginia: 22 Wisconsin: 46 Indiana and Michigan are the third and fourth respectively largest net importer of solid waste in the United States Ex: Michigan imports about 11.5 million cubic yards or 20% of its solid waste from other states and Canada.
- 7. Incinerators Annual local economic impact on the Detroit economy is $25 million Covanta Michigan Waste Energy Incinerator in Detroit
- 8. Waste Being Dumped in Our Communities
- 9. Biomass Facilities Former E. J. Stoneman Station Coal-Fired Power Plant, now a DTE Energy Stoneman Station Biomass Power Plant in Cassville, Wisconsin
- 10. Waste
- 14. Effects of Fracking Brainbridge, Ohio: home explosion and contaminated drinking water Granger Township, Ohio: explosive levels of natural gas in community’s drinking water (federal level of explosivity is 1% and inside one of the homes tested was an alarming 20%)
- 15. Fracking Accidents Appomattox, Virginia Natural gas pipeline explosion
- 16. Regulations on Fracking? Halliburton Loophole
- 17. Rubbertown in Louisville, Kentucky “Everyone in Rubbertown knows someone with cancer”
- 21. Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in Covert, Michigan Ranked has been ranked by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as one of the four worst nuclear plants in the United States “It's an accident waiting to happen"
- 22. Industry and our Children http://content.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/smokestack/index
- 24. Industry and our Children http://content.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/smokestack/index
- 25. Failing Coal Plants in Region III
- 26. Illinois City Plant Name 3-mile State 3-mile Grade Average Income P.O.C. Income Percentage population Chicago Crawford $11,097 48.0% 83.9% F Chicago Fisk Street $15,076 65.3% 83.1% F Waukegan Waukegan $16,197 70.1% 72.1% F Joliet Joliet 9/Joliet $18,810 81.4% 41.7% F 29 Springfield Dallman/ $19,288 83.5% 29.1% F Lakeside Pekin Powerton $16,614 71.9% 8.2% F
- 27. Crawford Plant
- 28. Illinois cont’d City Plant Name 3-mile State 3-mile Grade Average Income P.O.C. Income Percentage Population Baldwin Baldwin $13,419 58.1% 51.7% F Alton Wood River $16,381 70.9% 12.4% F Romeoville Will County $20,997 90.9% 15.3% F Bartonville E.D. Edwards $18,493 80.0% 2.6% D- Decatur Archer $17,112 74.1% 24.3% D- Daniels Midland Decatur Hennepin Hennepin $15,635 67.7% 42.2% D-
- 30. Indiana City Plant 3-mile State 3-mile Grade Name Average Income population Income Percentage Hammond State Line $14,408 70.6% 78.9% F Energy New Albany R $12,868 63.1% 60.8% F Gallagher Michigan Michigan $16,523 81.0% 29.7% F City City Indianapolis Harding $17,092 83.8% 8.3% F Street Madison Clifty $17,546 86.0% 5.6% F Creek Terre Haute Wabash $15,989 78.4% 5.1% D- River Princeton Gibson $14,604 71.6% 3.1% D
- 32. R. Gallagher Generating Station
- 33. Kentucky City Plant Name 3-mile State 3-mile Grade Average Income P.O.C. Income Percentage population Louisville Cane Run $17,104 94.5% 16.9% D- Louisville Mill Creek $14,766 81.6% 5.9% D West Shawnee $15,618 86.3% 9.2% D+ Paducah
- 34. Michigan City Plant Name 3-mile State 3-mile Grade Average Income P.O.C. Income Percentage population River River Rouge $13,037 58.8% 65.3% F Rouge Lansing Eckert $17,959 81.0% 39.2% F Muskegon B C Cobb $15,161 68.4% 37.6% F Monroe Monroe $19,202 86.6% 15.8% F Trenton Trenton $29,078 131.2% 5.9% F Channel Marquette Presque Isle $16,374 73.9% 5.6% F Essexville Karn/Weadock $20,962 94.6% 6.7% D Lansing Erickson $22,757 102.7% 34.0% D+
- 36. Ohio City Plant 3-mile State 3-mile Grade Name Average Income P.O.C. Income Percentage Population Cleveland Lake Shore $10,866 51.7% 90.6% F Willoughby Eastlake $20,947 99.7% 3.3% F Aberdeen J.M. Stuart $13,094 62.3% 13.7% D- Niles Niles $18,490 88.0% 4.0% D- Shadyside R E Burger $15,910 75.8% 2.3% D
- 37. Lake Shore Plant
- 38. Ohio cont’d City Plant 3-mile State 3-mile Grade Name Average Income P.O.C. Income Percentage population Brilliant Cardinal $16,512 78.6% 2.1% D+ Oregon Bay Shore $19,595 93.9% 13.2% D+ Ashtabula Ashtabula $16,493 78.5% 11.5% D+ Stratton W.H. $16,649 79.3% 2.1% D+ Sammis Avon Lake Avon Lake $25,839 123.0% 4.5% D+
- 39. West Virginia City Plant 3-mile State 3-Mile Grade Name Average Income P.O.C. Income Percentage Population Winfield John Amos $19,473 118.2% 2.3% D+
- 40. Wisconsin City Plant 3-mile State 3-mile Grade Name Average Income P.O.C. Income Percentage Population Milwaukee Valley $12,852 60.4% 66.0% F Green Bay Pulliam $16,275 76.5% 22.5% F Sheboygan Edgewater $18,812 88.4% 15.7% D- Madison Blount $18,281 85.9% 18.0% F Street
- 41. Valley Plant
- 42. Effects of Polluting Waste and Energy Facilities
- 44. Climate Change
- 45. Impacts---Extreme Weather Hurricanes Drought Floods Earthquakes Tropical Cyclones Landslides WildFires Heat or Cold Waves and much more….
- 46. Hurricane Sandy
- 48. Surge in Damaging Tornadoes
- 49. Obliteration of Communities and Erosion of Cultures
- 52. Shifts in Agricultural Yields
- 53. Food Insecurity in the US Corner Store Supermarket
- 54. Feast and Famine in Urban America Corner Store Supermarket
- 55. Sea Level Rise
- 56. Countries Disappearing of the Map?
- 59. Anti-Regulatory Investments Company Total Spent on Lobbying in 2010 Southern Company $13,220,000 Edison International $13,080,000 American Electric Power $10,313,196 Duke Energy $4,800,000 Dominion $2,050,000 First Energy $1,865,000 Xcel Energy $1,720,000 DTE Energy $1,500,000
- 60. Fighting Renewable Energy Southern Company successfully opposed a plan to create a national electricity market in 2004 and has dedicated significant money and effort to fighting the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), which would require utilities to purchase 15% of their power from renewable sources by 2020.
- 61. CNN NEWSROOM-Hurricane Issac MALVEAUX: And Senator, finally, why is it that Plaquemines Parish did not get that support for a levee? LANDRIEU: Because the Corps of Engineers has a formula that they use to determine where they are going to build or reinforce the levees, based on economic impact ….you get less points if there is less of an economic impact……
- 62. CEO Compensation for 2010 at Companies Owning the Top EJ Offenders Company CEO Name CEO Compensation Edison International Theodore F. Craver Jr. $9,536,038 Dominion Thomas F. Farrell II $16,924,385 DTE Energy Gerald M. Anderson $5,601,383 Duke Energy James E. Rogers $8,815,181 Xcel Energy Richard C. Kelly $9,956,433 Southern Company Thomas A. Fanning $6,019,151 First Energy Anthony J. Alexander $11,627,657 [i] AFL-CIO CEO Pay Database, Accessed November 2011 http://www.aflcio.org/corporatewatch/paywatch/ceou/industry_2011.cfm
- 63. Deepening Disparity The average CEO compensation for these companies in 2010 was $9,782,889 while the average worker in these companies made $33,840. On average the CEOs at these companies were compensated at 289 times the rate of compensation for the average worker.
- 64. African Americans and Energy $40 Billion 1.1% .01%
- 65. Our Overall Economic Plight While the national rate of unemployment during February 2012, was 8.3% that rate is nearly double of African Americans at 14.1%. A report by the Pew Research Center revealed that the wealth divide between whites and people of color hit a record high in 2009, with the median wealth of white households 20 times higher than black households
- 66. Another Way?
- 67. Diverting Waste Achieving 75% waste diversion in 2030 would: • Create 1.5 million new jobs • Lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 515 million tons (~72 coal plants or 50 million cars) • Significantly reduce pollution impacting human & ecological health
- 68. $8 million for $600 million 1,500 ton- for 1,500 ton- per-day per-day recycling incinerator center Slide courtesy Brenda Platt, ILSR
- 69. Recycling Recology, San Francisco’s primary recycling, composting and waste company, employs more than 1,000 workers who are represented by the Teamsters. Over 118 new employees have been hired in recent years to sort recyclables and monitor the collection routes in order to meet San Francisco’s aggressive recycling goals.
- 70. Diversion from Landfills=JOBS In Seattle 2009, nearly 100,000 tons of organic waste was diverted from landfills by the city of Seattle’s program. The city of Seattle’s waste diversion efforts not only benefit the environment, but also sustain family- supporting jobs for the more than 1,000 solid waste and recycling drivers and transfer station employees in Seattle and King County who are represented by the Teamsters Union.
- 71. California 115,000 jobs in recycling Illinois 40,000 jobs in recycling New York 32,200 jobs in recycling Minnesota 18,000 jobs in reuse North Carolina 15,000 jobs in recycling Massachusetts 13,900 jobs in recycling San Francisco 1,000 union jobs
- 72. Promoting Local Ownership Local ownership programs can create two to three times as many jobs per megawatt produced. And these local jobs keep over three times as much money and wealth in a community compared to big companies.
- 73. Promoting Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy
- 74. Why Progressive Energy Policies? ENERGY EFFICIENCY: The less energy we use, the less we are polluting, the less our communities are exposed to pollution, and the less we are advancing climate change, which also disproportionately harms our communities. CLEAN ENERGY: The more clean energy we use, the less harmful energy we are using saving our community health, property values, and the sustainability of our environment.
- 77. Wind Energy
- 79. Churches Can Become Energy Efficient too!
- 80. Defining Progressive Energy Policies Renewable Portfolio Standards —States commit to a minimum amount of their energy mix that will come from renewable sources Should be mandatory Should be at least 25% by 2025 Energy Efficiency Standards —States commit to reducing their energy consumption Should be mandatory Should be at least 1% annual reduction of previous year retail electricity sales. Net Metering– Utility customers who generate their energy through renewable sources are able to sell excess energy generated back to the grid for the same purchasing price utility companies charge for electricity.
- 81. Progressive Energy Policies in Region III STATE ENERGY RENEWABLE NET EFFICIENCY ENERGY METERING STANDARD STANDARD Illinois District of NO YES YES Yes Yes Yes Columbia Indiana Yes Yes Yes Maryland YES YES YES Kentucky No No Yes Michigan Yes Yes Yes Ohio Yes Yes Yes
- 82. Progressive Energy Policies in Region III cont’d STATE ENERGY RENEWABLE NET EFFICIENCY ENERGY METERING STANDARD STANDARD District of West Virginia NO No YES Yes YES Yes Columbia Wisconsin Yes Yes Yes
- 83. Taking Action!!
- 84. Educating Ourselves in Chicago
- 85. Engaging with the EPA
- 86. Strategy Sessions with HBCUS and Academic Research Institutions
- 87. Support Minority-Owned Clean Energy Businesses
- 88. Makes Allies with Other Community Groups
- 92. Civic Engagement
- 97. Together We CAN!
- 98. !! JOIN US !! Start an Environmental and Climate Justice Committee Conduct a Community Assessment and Develop an Action Plan Start a Coal Blooded Campaign Start a Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard Campaign Start an Energy Efficiency Standard Campaign Start a Net Metering Campaign Initiate a Clean Energy or Energy Efficiency Demonstration Project Develop a Disaster Plan Start an Eco-District in Your Municipality Launch a Youth and College 10,000 Steps Campaign
- 99. Our Resources 2010 Climate Justice Toolkit Coal Blooded: Putting Profits Before People—National Report Coal Blooded Action Toolkit 10,000 Steps Youth and College Toolkit Coming Soon Just Energy Policies State By State Compendium ECJ Comprehensive Toolkit Black Church ECJ Toolkit Beasts of the Southern Wild Discussion Guide
- 100. What Will Your Branch Do?
- 101. Thank You Jacqui Patterson Director, Environmental and Climate Justice Program 443-465-9809 jpatterson@naacpnet.org
Editor's Notes
- Our natural resources are being sold at top dollar with no regard for impact on people or the environment
- A landfill: burying trash through a structure built into or on top of the groundA bottom liner and daily covering of soil protects the contaminants from the trash leaking into the groundwater and air. In 2008, proposal and application for a permit by a landfill company to dump thousands of tons of Polychlorinated Bipheyls (PCBS) contaminated soil in the Clinton Landfill which is already located above the Mahomet Aquifer which supplies water to about 750, 000 central Illinois residents. The town fought back and as of 2011, EPA decided to suspend the permit application until more research could be doneTie into Warren County protests – with PCB contaminated landfill A sanitary landfill uses a clay liner to isolate the trash from the environment. A municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill uses a plastic liner to isolate the trash from the environment’.
- a waste treatment technology that involves burning commercial, residential and hazardous waste. Incineration converts discarded materials, including paper, plastics, metals and food scraps into ash, combustion gases, wastewater treatment sludge and heat.The surrounding community has suffered increased asthma attacks, cardiovascular disease, cancer, hypertension and diabetes.
- Every community that received waste from the BP oil spill had a POC population that was higher than the national average. The one white county that was going to receive the waste put up such a protest that they ended up not sending the waste there.
- Biomass co-firing at existing coal power plants is often proposed to keep coal plants alive that would otherwise close due to the expense of pollution control upgrades. Thisis encouraged by renewable energy policies and by regulatory loopholes that ignore biomass CO2 emissions.Burning biomass emits, carbonmonoxide, carbondioxide, sulfur oxides (SOX), toxic heavy metals (such as arsenic,mercury, lead, other hazardous airpollutants (HAPs), and even radioactive pollutants. These are all tied to respiratory illnesses, cancers, birth defects, etc.
- Just bit of grim humor
- become a major environmental justice issue within rural communities in recent years. Fracking is a means of retrieving natural gas through drilling deep into the groundOne of the world's richest areas of natural gas is known as the Marcellus Shale formation,theMarcellus shale:A black shale formation extending deep underground from Ohio and West Virginia northeast into Pennsylvania and southern New York.the entire Marcellus Shale formation may contain up to 489 trillion cubic feet of natural gas throughout its entire extent
- Once a well is drilled, millions of gallons of water, sand and other chemicals often called fracking fluid are injected into the ground under high pressure into the well. The pressure fractures the shale (sedimentary rock that can be easily split) and creates a narrow opening through which the natural gas flows through to the top of the well and is then transported away via trucks.Areas with heavy drilling are expecting 1. 5million heavy truck trips annually to come through their communities. A memo by the New York Department of Transportation revealed that “pavement structural damage done by the passage of a single large truck is equivalent to that done by about 9, 000 cars.” These heavy trucks and equipment entering these small rural towns have caused extensive damage to the roads as well as lead to increased air pollution caused by the truck emissions, as well as increased traffic. After the natural gas is extracted, there is about 20% to 40% leftover fracking fluid to be discarded. Common disposal options include: recycling for additional fracking, treatment and discharge to surface waters, underground injection and storage in open air pits. All of these means of disposal have possible ways of contamination. In addition, many waste treatment facilities are not capable of treating the highly toxic chemicals involved in fracking, and therefore the contaminated water is placed right back into the bodies of water surrounding the community. Furthermore, fracking companies have a history of improper disposal of waste and dumping into nearby bodies of water. 3.5Even more recently, there have been an increase in “fracking pipelines” proposals to be built or are currently under construction. Companies like the William Transco, or Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Corporation delivers gas to customers through its 10, 200 mile pipeline system extending from South Texas to New York City. These pipelines have a history of negative impacts due to the transportation of possible contaminated and often toxic chemicals into pipes 3.6: In September 2008, a natural gas pipeline exploded along Route 26 in Appomattox, Virginia and destroyed two homes, damaged dozens others and caused multiple injuries. Williams Transco was named responsible for the incident by the U.S. Department of Transportation Source: Pipeline Safety Trustto consumer’s homes. Another source of risk is pipeline explosion that can cause massive damage to already stressed communities, as shown in Figure 3.6.
- Brainbridge, Ohio - a home exploded in the small town of Bainbridge, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. Methane entered nearby water wells and the basement of Richard and Thelma Payne's home where it was ignited by a spark.It was found that fracking of a nearby well had pushed methane into a the groundwater. In the area are contaminated by methane gas that leaked from an Ohio Valley Gas Company well into the aquifer. In total, 46 water wells.Many homes now use bottled water.Granger Township, Ohio:January, 2012: Two homes in Granger County have been deemed a public health threat by a federal health agency because of potentially explosive levels of natural gas in their drinking water. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry stated that the problems with the wells originated from the nearby drilling of two gas wells. Levels of “explosivity” are considered hazardous when they exceed 10%: the wells of the two homes were at 34.7% and 47.4%. The high gas levels inside and nearby the house led Columbia Gas to shut off services for a period of time because of the likelihood of an explosion. The federal level of explosivity is 1%, and inside one of the houses measured an alarming 20%.
- In September 2008, a natural gas pipeline exploded along Route 26 in Appomattox, Virginia and destroyed two homes, damaged dozens others and caused multiple injuries. Williams Transco was named responsible for the incident by the U.S. Department of Transportation
- Fracking companies have gotten away with using these unknown chemicals due to President George Bush passing an Energy Bill in 1995 that exempted natural gas drilling from the Safe Drinking Water Act (explained in section VII). It also exempted companies from disclosing the chemicals used during hydraulic fracturing. It essentially allowed fracking companies to operate without any provisions forced upon then by the EPA. This is now commonly referred to as the Halliburton Loophole. Other effects of fracking include groundwater contamination, which effects to the drinking water of the surrounding community, toxic air emissions like methane, volatile organic compounds and other greenhouse gassesstress on the existing water supply, large scale withdrawal of freshwater has negative impacts on the ecosystems within the surrounding bodies of watermis-management of wastewater, which contains fracturing fluid additives, metals and radon which are then often times inappropriately disposed of.
- Is located along the Ohio River. During World War II it became the home of many industrial plants which remained after the war and lead to its name. The Rubbertown complex now consists of 11 large chemical plants and waste treatment plant. Its largest businesses include American Synthetic Rubber, Borden Chemical, DuPont Dow Elastomers, Noveon, Rohm and Haas, & Zeon Chemicals.- People in Rubbertown are nearly 35% more likely to develop lung cancer than those in the other areas of Louisville.Reports of continuing fatal acidents of workers, large-scale violations of air emissions, groundwater contamination and release of untreated wastewater
- BP Oil Drilling Disaster which impacted the culture, livelihood, and health of communities across the gulf
- BP Oil Drilling Disaster which impacted the culture, livelihood, and health of communities across the gulf
- Or wall murals
- Nuclear facilities are disproportionately located in our communities. Nuclear energy is converted into electricity at a nuclear power plant from uranium that is mined and extracted from the earthThe Palisades Power Plant is a nuclear power plant located on Lake Michigan, in Van Buren County’s Covert Township, Michigan, on a site of 432 acres (2 km²) 5 miles south of South Haven, Michigan, USA. Palisades is owned and operated by Entergy. It was operated by the Nuclear Management Company and owned by CMS Energy Corporation prior to the sale completed on April 11, 2007. It was built at a cost of $149 million.It has been cited for numerous violations over the years, and even with local efforts to shut down the plant they won a 20 year extension from the state.
- Cesar Chavez High School in Houston Texas. African American and Latino school. That oil refinery is one of 5 within a 10 mile radius of that school which concentrates the level of pollution to which these kids are being exposed. There are no zoning laws in Houston, which is why facilities like these can be on top of our communities.
- Cesar Chavez High School in Houston Texas. African American and Latino school. That oil refinery is one of 5 within a 10 mile radius of that school which concentrates the level of pollution to which these kids are being exposed. There are no zoning laws in Houston, which is why facilities like these can be on top of our communities.
- The NAACP with help of the Indigenous Environmental Network and the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization released a report titled Coal Blooded: Putting Profits Before People –hich documents the health, economic and environmental impacts of coal pollution on those who can least afford it – low income communities and communities of color.Coal Blooded ranks 378 coal-fired power plants in the nation based on their Environmental Justice Performance”. The score is based on both toxic emissions and demographic factors – including race, income, and population density. The six million Americans living near coal plants have an average income of $18,400, compared with $21,857 nationwide, and 39% are people of color.Found herehttp://www.naacp.org/pages/coal-blooded1
- Is it possible to shut down these plants – have achieved victoriesImportant to do analysis on jobs affected, contributed by tax base, community affected by electricity given to the communityEven tho people working in the plants, many workers there were not workers who didn’t live in the local areaGetting all of the negative benefits – but getting not getting jobs, revenues, Illnois – gets majority of power from nuclear
- What makes coal fired power plants in our communities all the scarier is that these facilities are built next to water ways because they use the water to generate steam which is part of the electricity generation process. What’s unfortunate, is that while it takes from the water, it also pollutes the water. Our communities are disproportionately subsistence fisherfolks. So we fish to put food on the table, just like this fellow fishing out of the greenish-brown muck that is polluted by a neighboring plant. One NAACP executive tells the story of fishing out of the Hudson river when rent time was coming up and money was low. He said he stopped when he pulled a fish out of the water and all of the scales fell off.
- You can point out that this is a picture of a mother feeding her three headed bird, a grim reference to the birth defects that result from exposure to toxic waste.After – say animals are not the only organisms affected, there are also human health effects of pollution
- As we know, there are three impacts of climate change. Superstorms like Katrina and Sandy are going to become commonplace. Aerial view of 101 burned to the foundation homes in the Breezy Point section of Queens, NY after a fire erupted and the winds during Hurricane Sandy swept through the neighborhoodAerial view of 101 burned to the foundation homes in the Breezy Point section of Queens, NY after a fire erupted and the winds during Hurricane Sandy swept through the neighborhood.
- Devastation wrought by katrinaSubmerged New Orleans and massive damage to several other states including Mississippi and Alambama
- We’ve also seen a surge in damaging torndadosLike most recently in January with tornadoes going through Mississippi and and in Solsberry, Indiana
- A community that no longer exists in Pratt City Alabama after the tornados of 2011…
- A dream home destroyed…now the Clark Family has to move back to the city because the insurance and FEMA money was insufficient to cover the damage
- A flooded home in Mississippi in Port Gibson, a majority black community, in frightening proximity to the Grand Gulf Nuclear station. With only one escape route for the town, disasters are a double-threat.Mississippi State Conference and Jacqui went there – in front of city hall there were two red cross volunteers During flooding – instead of having a full on recovery center – only has two volunteersWerent paying for shelters for themRed Cross cant have operations within 7 miles of a nuclear facility They cant even get help?Lack of zoning and infrastructure planning – residents are living in places where even the Red Cross wont establish operations in.
- This is what once fertile ground looks like now…..
- Our communities are disproportionately food deserts which means we are less likely to have a supermarkets offering nutritious foods within 3 miles of our homes. So the picture on the left is more our reality than the one on the right.
- The result is that, coupled with the fact that we are also less mobile so not even as able to drive to a supermarket, we have more access to life sapping foods than life lengthening foods. Our supply includes foods high in additives, preservatives, sugar, and sodium rather than the rich anti-oxidant, immune boosting fresh fruits and vegetables.
- CabinetMeeting held underwater in the Maldives Islands because the President wanted to send a clear message, both to his own country and the world that the Maldives is facing imminent displacement within 20 years, due to rising sea level.
- The imminent displacement isn’t limited to the Maldives. Kivalina Island in Alaska and Thibodaux in Louisiana are also preparing to have to move whole communities as they are losing large degrees of land mass daily!
- The companies that run the industries that are polluting our communities and advancing climate change are fighting hard to hold on to their profits. They are investing millions of dollars in lobbying against regulations that protect public health and the environment. They are also investing heavily in keeping officials in office that support their industries while fighting against the re-election of President Obama and others who want to preserve communities and the environment.
- They fight against regulations that safeguard public health AND they fight against any attempt to shift to policies supporting clean energy and energy efficiency that don’t harm people.
- I was in Louisiana following Hurricane Isaac and saw a CNN commercial which featured the above dialogue which demonstrates the policy making that prioritize preserving investments over protecting people.
- Companies are driven by protecting profits and they pay top dollar to their executives for decision making that protects the bottom line
- Self explanatory….
- 40b---amount African Americans spent on energy in 20091.1%--percentage of energy jobs held by African Americans (compared to our 12% proportion of the population).01%--revenue African Americans reaped from the multibillion dollar energy sector which takes so much of our spending….
- While we continue to suffer from double-digit unemployment and extreme wealth disaparity
- It doesn’t have to be this way…..there are many things we can do to seize the new energy economy and build financial stability while protecting the health and wellbeing of our communities and our environment!!
- Case study--Self explanatory
- Another Self explanatory case study
- We can do the same thing in Region VI!!!
- Zero waste initiatives, by definition, are local which keeps jobs in the community and cuts down on monopolies that concentrate wealth at “the top” with CEOs and other executives.
- Wind is a form of solar energy. Winds are caused by the uneven heating of the atmosphere by the sun, the irregularities of the earth’s surface and rotation of the earth. Through wind turbines, wind is used to generate electricity and thus is called wind energy. From there the electricity generated can be used to power homes, schools, and businesses. There are two types of wind turbines that are used, horizontal and vertical axis turbines. Most commonly, the horizontal axis wind turbines are used;these turbines resemble old- fashioned wind mills. Typically, wind turbines are often grouped together into a single wind power plant, often called a wind farm, which generates bulk electrical power.
- A friend who is completely self-sustaining on clean energy. He gets all of his electricity through solar energy and he generates so much that he can sell the excess back to the grid for the same rate that he would have purchased it. He also heats his house through geothermal system….Solar energy is a renewable energy source that is continuously supplied to the Earth by the sun. There are two main ways that we can change solar energy into electricity. The first and most commonly known is Solar PV or Photovoltaic (photovoltaic cells) systems that are placed on existing structures like a roof of a house or building. This solar technology uses PV to convert sunlight directly into electricity "Non-Hydroelectric Renewable Energy
- A church in Alabama gets its energy from solar panels and stores the energy when they aren’t using it, in these batteries in the church utility closet!
- Self Explanatory
- Which states have which policies in Region III
- Which states have which policies in Region VII
- We are hosting education sessions in local communities
- We are organizing NAACP member delegations to testify at EPA
- We are hosting strategy sessions like this one with HBCUs and government agencies in Louisiana to connect our institutions with the resources we need to advance justice for our communities.
- We are uplifting African American entrepreneurs like Robert Wallace who owns BithEnergy, a clean energy company that operates throughout the US and globally!
- We are joining with allies like this group in South Africa who is taking it to the streets to call for corporate social responsibility!
- In South Africa, calling out the ending profits over people.
- We are linking with partners who are targeting cutting off financing of industries that are harming our communities.
- In Chicago, community activism was successful in shutting down two polluting coal plants that were in the ids of African American and Latino communities, providing no jobs to those communities but providing pollution at the expense to especially the children and aging populations of those communities.
- Civic engagement is critical to make sure we have folks in office who represent our interests.
- The NAACP has entered into a legal intervention against the coal industry which is suing EPA as they fight for their “right” to continue polluting communities with mercury, arsenic, lead and other toxins as they fight for the repeal of the Mercury and Air Toxics Regulation that limits the amount of toxins coal plants can spew into the air.
- Youth leadership is key to mobilization and to bring new ideas and new energy to the movement.
- In Berkeley, this community grows its own food including a garden and chicken coop. They also have a tool library and transportation collective.
- It’s not just the hippy Californians. In Pittsburgh, the Landslide community grows their own food, has a chicken coop and feeds indigent persons on Wednesdays from the bounty of their community garden.
- Linking with partners like the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization has been the key to success. Pictured here is Reverend Theresa Dear, NAACP National Board Member, who led a prayer vigil in front of the now-closed Crawford Coal Plant in Chicago.
- What do you want to do? Will you commit today to launching a campaign/project in your community? If you commit, we will commit to support you!!!