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Community Science Is Changing How People Can Fight Pollution

Summary

Grassroots groups across the United States are taking pollution monitoring into their own hands to increase accountability and demand environmental justice. In cities like Houston, Texas, the grassroots group Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (TEJAS) has launched a web-based tool called EyeAlerta, allowing residents to easily report pollution incidents and symptoms in real-time. The tool aims to monitor health threats, provide scientific evidence, and raise awareness among community members. In St. Louis, Missouri, the faith-based organization Metropolitan Congregations United (MCU) has installed PM2.5 monitors on church roofs and encourages residents to report qualitative data, helping to identify pollution hotspots and address environmental inequities. Meanwhile, in Chicago, the group Neighbors for Environmental Justice (N4EJ) has installed PurpleAir sensors across the city to monitor particulate matter levels and create awareness about pollution's impacts. These community science initiatives empower residents to collect data, advocate for change, and demand stricter enforcement of environmental protections.

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September 20, 2023
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice

Two new reports highlight the global impact of wildfire smoke on air quality. One study reveals that over two billion people worldwide were exposed to fire-related air pollution.

September 20, 2023
Human Health
Human Health

The article discusses the profound impact of location on health equity and environmental justice. It emphasizes that where people live significantly affects their health.

September 20, 2023

Research from UC Berkeley School of Public Health reveals that despite redlining, a discriminatory lending practice being outlawed since 1968, its legacy continues.

September 21, 2023
Environmental Racism
Environmental Racism

Brazil's supreme court has voted against a proposal to restrict Indigenous land rights, a decision hailed as a historic victory for the country's Indigenous communities.

September 21, 2023
Energy Justice
Energy Justice

The article discusses the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) on community solar programs in the United States one year after its passage.

September 21, 2023
Civil Rights & Human Rights
Civil Rights & Human Rights

The Biden Administration is allocating $1 billion in grants to address "environmental injustice" by planting trees in urban areas predominantly inhabited by minorities .

September 22, 2023
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice

The article discusses the need for President Joe Biden's American Climate Corps (ACC) to prioritize equity, especially for Black youth, drawing parallels .

September 22, 2023
Energy Justice
Energy Justice

In this article by Bill McKibben, published in The New Yorker on September 22, 2023, the author discusses the Biden Administration's upcoming decision.

September 22, 2023
Economic Justice
Economic Justice

The article discusses the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) approval of the expansion of two liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects on the Gulf Coast.

September 15, 2023
Energy Justice
Energy Justice

On September 15, 2023, the state of California filed a significant lawsuit against major oil companies, including Exxon Mobil, Shell, BP, ConocoPhillips, and Chevron.

September 15, 2023
Food & Water Justice
Food & Water Justice

During a City Council candidate forum held on September 15, 2023, in Houston, the Union Pacific rail yard's contamination and its impact on the Fifth Ward.

September 15, 2023
Energy Justice
Energy Justice

An analysis by the independent market monitor revealed that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)'s recent effort to ensure grid reliability.

September 15, 2023
Environmental Racism
Environmental Racism

A Deloitte report has highlighted the issue of "climate racism," which disproportionately impacts marginalized communities in Canada, particularly Indigenous and racialized groups

September 15, 2023
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) opened a civil rights investigation in 2022 into whether the State of Louisiana disproportionately burdened Black communities along.

September 15, 2023
Climate Change
Climate Change

In August 2023, Del Norte County in California faced a power crisis when wildfires threatened its only transmission lines, leaving its 27,000 residents in the dark.