Environmental justice requires reversing and repairing the impacts of decades of environmental racism. Residents of environmental justice communities are the most likely to bear the burdens polluting industries and infrastructure, while having to fight for their share of resources we all need — healthy homes, schools, transit, food, and open space.
For decades, low income, immigrant, and communities of color across the Commonwealth have disproportionately born the burdens of air pollution from power plants, congested freeways, and industrial activity. After generations of disenfranchisement, what would having strong environmental justice protections mean for these communities?
The leaders that we select in this year’s elections – up and down the ticket – will fundamentally shape our lives, not just for the next four years, but for decades to come. As a nonpartisan organization that wields the law to protect New England communities and that challenges broken systems and discriminatory policies, CLF cannot be a passive witness to any attempt to undermine our election process. Neither can our supporters.
The Green New Deal may be stalled on the federal level, but it’s always been local governments that move the needle on progress and have immediate, concrete impacts on our lives. Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu’s proposal – Planning for a Green New Deal & Just Recovery – is a great example of local action in the face of federal inertia, and offers an ambitious vision for Boston’s future.
Regional transit authorities provide a lifeline to millions of riders across the state. Our legislators must commit to funding these crucial pieces of infrastructure so they can continue to deliver necessary services for essential workers in Greater Worcester and throughout Massachusetts.
“Wastewater pollution is one of the greatest issues facing Cape Cod,” said CLF President Bradley Campbell. “We’ve known for decades that this pollution is destroying the Cape’s bays and ponds and threatening to drag property values and the economy down with it. Residents clearly understand the urgency of this crisis, and it’s about time our officials to end the pattern of do-little and delay and commit to solving the problem. ”
New England is extremely vulnerable to climate change. It’s a crisis not only for the environment, but also for the health of our communities. It will take systemic change in the way we do business, the way we govern, and the way we guide people to solve climate change and move into the next century.
Covid-19 has laid bare the profound impact that your neighborhood has on your health. People in low-income communities of color with higher levels of pollution and overcrowded housing are being sickened and killed by the virus at much higher rates.
Massachusetts regulated six dangerous PFAS chemicals. It’s a good start but, like its New England neighbors, more can be done to safeguard our drinking water.
Too many of Eastie’s residents don’t have access to Boston Harbor despite it being the longest stretch of waterfront in the city and having the most striking views. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us both the need for better open spaces and recreation areas for communities of color and the hurdles they face when it comes to actually using that space. Nowhere is that clearer than in East Boston.
