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By Leila Waid.

Environmental restoration does not need to be complex. You don’t need to have a bioengineering or chemistry degree to be involved in or even understand this topic of environmental justice. In fact, simple solutions that can be scaled nationally or internationally are just as important because they provide a method that is easy to replicate and implement.

Justdiggit is an example of an organization utilizing a simple restoration technique to help transform thousands of acres of dry, degraded land into a biodiverse haven.

Justdiggit collaborates with local communities in Sub-Saharan African countries to dig bunds to help conserve rainwater and re-green the environment. The method used is simple. Farmers and local stakeholders dig half-circles – which have been branded as “Earth smiles” by the organization (because if you look at them from a bird’s eye view, they look like smiles) – to help capture water in areas where the land is no longer able to soak up the water on its own. Seeds are then added to the dug half-circles, and they are covered with tree branches to help deter animals from eating the seeds. From there, Mother Nature takes over. The newly transformed land is able to capture water, and magic happens. Greenery and biodiversity come back to previously inhospitable lands. Here is a video LINK to a video showcasing just how easy this process is from beginning to end.

Although the technique promoted by Justdiggit is easy to follow and replicate, it still requires considerable physical labor and time to set up. Thus, environmental sustainability programs such as this cannot succeed without buy-in from the community. A peer-reviewed article published in E3S Web of Conferences researched how Justdiggit utilized community involvement to ensure the program’s success. The organization hosted community events, known as the “Raindance Project,” which included dance and music festivities. These events had the effect of bringing the community together and provided Justdiggit with a venue to educate the public about the project and promote buy-in.

Along with the Raindance Project, the Justdiggit project also used a variety of community engagement tools to ensure the program’s success. For example, they hosted community workshops where community members could attend to ask questions, provide feedback, and strengthen collaborative decision-making. They also identified individuals who could act as ambassadors and champions of the program to help unify the communities and disseminate the program’s message. To ensure program success, Justdiggit also utilized the power of social media to help spread the message about its mission.

The effects of this environmental sustainability initiative are many-fold. Because the program partnered with the locals where the re-greening efforts were being undertaken, this approach helped the local economy because community members were hired for the implementation of the program and helped dig the “earth smiles.” Once the re-greening efforts were realized, the local communities were also able to enjoy new farming opportunities and a greater biodiversity.

Along with the economic benefits, re-greening also has climate change mitigation and adaptation benefits. Increased greenery has a cooling effect on the area, which is essential during an intense heatwave. The greenery also provides a new source of carbon uptake, which, in turn, helps slow climate change.

The program has been so successful that its effects can even be seen from space. The screenshot below, taken from a Planet.com article, showcases how much the landscape has changed in just over four years.

By Sharon Franklin.

Amnesty International issued a report in April 2025 which addressed economic and climate injustice and the inter-connectiveness of the growing impact of severe weather events. Additionally, according to another report by First Street. Climate, the Sixth “C” of Credit , it is expected to increase home foreclosures.  The report was released following the latest tornadoes that swept through Missouri and Kentucky, leaving at least 25 people dead and scores injured.  Uninsured damage from flooding, as well as the depreciation of home values and rising insurance premiums from increasingly destructive climate disasters is still being calculated.  These climate events could lead to as much as $1.2 billion in credit losses in 2025, and estimates that mortgages on about 19,000 properties could be repossessed or foreclosed due to climate risk.

Key Points of the Climate, the Sixth “C” of Credit Report:

• Climate Driven Credit Losses Could Cost Banks Billions.
• Insurance Industry Bearing and Shifting Burden.
• Flood Risk Highlights Systemic Fragility.
• Household Absorbing Increased Climate Risk.  
• Floods Are the Leading Driver of Foreclosure Among Perils.
• Wind and Wildfire Damages are Insured, but Rising Premiums Drive Indirect Foreclosure Risk.   
• Macroeconomic Conditions Compound Climate Pressures. 
• Historical Climate Impacts Have Resulted in Hidden Credit Losses. 
• Escalating Flood Risks and Climate Drive Macroeconomic Changes Drive Future Foreclosures. 

As many of Americans already know the insurance industry is gradually shifting the costs of climate disasters onto homeowners, causing the financial stability of borrowers and the performance of their mortgages to be increasingly at risk.  In the most severe cases, this escalating burden can ultimately lead to foreclosure.

Why It Matters?  Studies have concluded that global warming and extreme natural disasters has immediate consequences on housing when it comes to home insurance and rebuilding destroyed properties.

What To Know   If 2025 turn out to be a particularly natural disaster year. Lenders could lose up to $1.2 billion this year.  It is estimated that Florida, Louisiana, and California alone are projected to account for 53 percent of all climate-related mortgage losses in 2025.  The main culprit would likely be flooding, and according to the report, foreclosures spike 40 percent among damaged homes following flood events.  Dr. Jeremy Porter, Head of Climate Implications Research, First Street Foundation stated “Flooding leads to higher foreclosure rates because many properties are uninsured, especially those outside FEMA’s [the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s] Special Flood Hazard Areas”.

Resources for Blog:

• The 12th National Risk Assessment  Property Prices in Peril
  https://assets.riskfactor.com/media/The%2012th%20National%20Risk%20Assessment.pdf
• Disasters Will Escalate Foreclosures and Create Systemic Financial Risk in Mortgage Markets, Study Climate, the Sixth “C” of Credit  
  https://firststreet.org/research-library/climate-the-sixth-c-of-credit  and   https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/climate-risk-foreclosures-report-first-street/
• Economic and Climate Injustice in Amnesty International’s 2025 Annual Report
  https://unipd-centrodirittiumani.it/en/news/economic-and-climate-injustice-in-amnesty-internationals-2025-annual-report
• US Housing Market Warned of Mortgage Rate Hikes, Foreclosures
  https://www.newsweek.com/us-housing-market-warned-mortgage-rate-hikes-foreclosures-2074671
• Climate Disasters Are Raising The Risk Of US Home Repossessions, Warns Research Group
  https://www.ft.com/content/c1d1ee7f-f34a-490d-bbd6-95b895ffd33e
• Tornadoes, storms kill more than 30: See photos from Kentucky, Missouri, other states https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/05/17/tornadoes-st-louis-kentucky-indiana/83691932007/

By Juliet Porter.

In 2025, about half of the U.S. population, or 156.1 million Americans, were proven to reside in communities with unhealthy levels of air pollution, marking a significant increase from 2024 (EcoWatch). This warning came from the American Lung Association’s State of the Air report, emphasizing the growing urgency of addressing air quality in American communities (ALA). Although air pollution is often invisible and therefore often overlooked, its effects are very real, impacting physical health, environmental stability, and community well-being. In this blog, we’ll explore the disproportionate burden of air pollution, the power of community-led monitoring, and the importance of supporting grassroots environmental justice.

As you may imagine, air pollution doesn’t impact everyone equally. Through an environmental justice lens, it becomes clear that low-income communities and communities of color bear the brunt of pollution due to their proximity to industrial sites and a lack of adequate regulatory enforcement (ShunWaste). These communities are often overlooked, yet they face the highest health risks. Long-term exposure to polluted air is linked to serious conditions like lung cancer, asthma, cardiovascular disease, and even early death. Even short-term exposure can trigger harmful effects, including hospital visits due to respiratory flare-ups and worsening allergies.

One of the most powerful tools in the fight for environmental justice is community-led air quality monitoring. When residents lead monitoring efforts, they take control of the narrative, gathering data that empowers them to advocate for meaningful change. Alarmingly, over 50 million Americans live in areas without air quality monitoring infrastructure (EcoWatch), making grassroots efforts even more critical.

A leading example of community monitoring is the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League (BREDL), which recently launched the B.E.A.S.T.—the BREDL Environmental Air Sampling Trailer. This mobile unit is equipped with advanced air monitoring tools and travels across the Southeast to collect and share real-time pollution data. By putting scientific tools in the hands of the people, BREDL, funded by a grant from the EPA, is helping communities document local air quality and use that information to hold polluters accountable.

Despite the promise of community-led monitoring, there are significant barriers. In states like Louisiana, recent legislation, such as the Community Air Monitoring Reliability Act, has made it increasingly difficult for grassroots groups to monitor air quality, threatening them with fines and legal complications (AP News). At the federal level, proposed rollbacks to greenhouse gas regulations by the EPA could further erode national protections (Reuters). These developments are especially troubling in light of ongoing budget cuts to the EPA, which jeopardize not only enforcement but also the funding and support that make projects like BREDL’s B.E.A.S.T possible. Without robust federal support and environmental oversight, innovative community-led initiatives like the B.E.A.S.T., which empower residents with real-time data to hold polluters accountable, could become obsolete. This convergence of weakened policy, limited resources, and increasing pollution events paints a troubling picture for the future of environmental justice.

The Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ) plays a vital role in advocating for and empowering community efforts. By providing resources, training, and organizing support, CHEJ helps local groups respond to pollution threats and resistance to anti-environmental policies. Moving forward, CHEJ will continue to amplify the voices of frontline communities and the  need for community-led action in addressing the harmful effects of breathing polluted air.

To ensure that every person in this country can breathe clean air, we must uplift community-led air quality monitoring and challenge policies that silence grassroots action. Environmental non-profits like CHEJ are uniquely positioned to bridge science, policy, and community engagement, paving the way for healthier, more just communities. Together, we can envision a future where clean air is not a privilege, but a guaranteed right.

The Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ) has a long history of championing environmental health, from its roots in the Love Canal fight to national campaigns against toxic chemicals. From the beginning, CHEJ focused on everyday threats to children’s health – including dangerous cleaning chemicals in schools and toxic plastics in consumer products. For young people passionate about environmental justice, CHEJ’s story shows how community activism can spur big changes. Two signature initiatives – the Green Cleaning and PVC-Free campaigns – stand out for their hopeful victories in reducing pollution and protecting vulnerable communities.

Green Cleaning Campaign: Safer Schools for Healthy Kids

CHEJ’s Green Cleaning campaign set out to make schools healthier by replacing harsh chemical cleaners with non-toxic alternatives. This effort grew in the early 2000s alongside CHEJ’s Green Flag Schools Program, which began in 2002 as a framework for students to lead environmental improvements in their schools. Students and parents learned that “clean” doesn’t have to mean dousing classrooms in industrial chemicals. In fact, CHEJ emphasized that many conventional cleaners (with strong fragrances and antibacterial agents) can do more harm than good, contributing to asthma and other health problems. By working with schools and daycare centers across the country, CHEJ helped introduce green cleaning – using products designed to eliminate hazardous ingredients – so that classrooms could be kept sanitary without putting kids and staff at risk. As awareness grew, green cleaning products became widely available and even cost-saving for schools, debunking the myth that safer cleaners are ineffective or expensive.

The Green Cleaning campaign achieved several inspiring victories. CHEJ provided resources and training to help school districts switch to certified green products, improving indoor air quality for students. Some forward-thinking states and cities adopted policies to require safer cleaning in schools – for example, in 2005 New York City passed an “environmentally preferable purchasing” law with CHEJ’s support, setting standards for energy efficiency and green cleaning products in all city agencies. This law also mandated phasing out certain toxic materials and was hailed as a huge victory for children’s health. By proving that schools can clean effectively without toxic chemicals, the campaign reduced countless daily exposures for children. It also empowered custodial workers (often in disadvantaged communities) with safer working conditions. CHEJ even took the fight to corporate giants: in 2009, activists with CHEJ’s “Disney Go Green” campaign rallied at Walt Disney’s shareholder meeting to urge the company to adopt a comprehensive green cleaning policy. Under public pressure, Disney did begin introducing greener cleaning practices, showing that even the “Magic Kingdom” could clean up its act for the sake of kids, families, and employees ecochildsplay.com. The Green Cleaning campaign not only made schools less toxic but also demonstrated the power of grassroots advocacy – from PTA groups to student Green Teams – in driving institutions to protect health.

PVC-Free Campaign: Tackling “The Poison Plastic”

Around the same time, CHEJ launched its PVC-Free campaign to eliminate another hidden danger in schools and homes: polyvinyl chloride plastic (PVC), dubbed the “poison plastic.” In the early 2000s, CHEJ identified PVC – commonly found in school supplies like binders, lunchboxes, and art materials – as a significant health risk for children. PVC contains toxic additives (like phthalates and lead) that can leach out and cause cancers or hormone disruption. Mike Schade of CHEJ led a nationwide PVC-Free Schools initiative to raise awareness among parents, teachers, and school administrators about these dangers and to promote safer alternatives. Much like the green cleaning effort, this program combined education and advocacy to empower communities to take action. CHEJ offered free guides and tools – for instance, Back-to-School Guides to PVC-Free School Supplies – helping families and schools identify PVC items and replace them with PVC-free options. Students and parents were encouraged to ask questions: Where is PVC hiding in our school? Often the answers ranged from flooring and carpeting to playground equipment and even cleaning supplies. By shining a light on this “invisible” threat, the PVC-Free campaign motivated many communities to demand change.

The PVC-Free campaign scored remarkable victories that ripple far beyond individual schools. CHEJ helped build a large grassroots network of concerned parents, educators, and health advocates united in phasing out PVC. Through consumer pressure and corporate engagement, this network successfully pushed several major companies to reduce or eliminate PVC in their products. In fact, some of the world’s biggest corporations responded to the movement – companies like Wal-Mart, Nike, Apple, Microsoft, Target, Sears, and Kmart all adopted policies to phase out PVC, recognizing the hazards of its lifecycle. This represents a huge shift in the market, driven by people power and persistent campaigning. On the policy front, CHEJ and coalition partners convinced New York City to include PVC in its purchasing reforms: the city set a deadline to halt buying materials that create dioxin (one of the most toxic chemicals) when burned, effectively aiming to phase out PVC in city schools and agencies. This proactive stance – reducing PVC to prevent dioxin pollution – was a pioneering step that protected not only students but also fenceline communities near waste incinerators. Thanks to the PVC-Free campaign, today many students attend schools that have eliminated PVC materials, and parents are far more aware of toxic plastics in everyday products. The campaign even inspired individuals to make safer choices at home, proving that awareness can lead to healthier habits. Perhaps most importantly, this initiative showed marginalized communities that their voice matters: CHEJ’s work on PVC, like all its projects, focused on protecting vulnerable neighborhoods disproportionately burdened by pollution. By replacing “poison plastic” with safer materials, the PVC-Free campaign contributed to a broader environmental health movement that demands industry accountability and justice for all communities.

Empowerment and Environmental Health

Looking back at CHEJ’s Green Cleaning and PVC-Free campaigns, it’s clear that real progress is possible when people unite for change. These initiatives were historically significant in shifting how schools and corporations think about chemicals. Decades ago, few imagined that a school district would question its cleaning supplies or a retail giant would drop a type of plastic – but grassroots advocacy made the unthinkable a reality. Each victory, from a toxic-free classroom to a Fortune 500 company’s policy change, has helped protect children and other vulnerable groups from harm. Moreover, the campaigns have left a legacy of hope and empowerment. They trained a generation of young environmental leaders – from students who led Green Flag audits to parents who organized PVC-free school drives – demonstrating that anyone can have a voice in creating a healthier world. In the larger environmental health movement, CHEJ’s work has been a catalyst, proving that community-led efforts can influence policy and corporate practices on a national scale chej.org. For today’s young environmental justice advocates, the story of these campaigns is an inspiring reminder: when ordinary people band together to demand healthier products and practices, even the mightiest institutions will listen. The journey isn’t over, but the Green Cleaning and PVC-Free campaigns show that step by step, we are building a safer, more just environment for all. chej.org

Sources: The Center for Health, Environment & Justice archives and publications; Environmental Law Institute; EcoChild’s Play blog; New York City Council records; CHEJ Everyone’s Backyard newsletters.

By Leila Waid.

Without water, there is no life. It is a human right to have access to safe drinking water, free from harmful chemicals. However, not everyone gets access to the same safe drinking water. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SWDA), signed into law in 1974, helped bridge some of the inequities around drinking water by setting standards regarding water quality.

However, many chemicals are not being enforced by SWDA. Environmental justice advocates worry that certain communities are being harmed more than others by these unregulated chemicals than others. A study published in the Environmental Health Perspectives quantified these socioeconomic disparities regarding four unregulated classes of chemicals: Dioxane, HCFC, 1,1-dichloroethane, and PFAS.

The researchers conducted a national and US-territories analysis to find whether specific communities were more impacted by these harmful chemicals than others. Alarmingly, of the 4,815 public water systems included in the study, dioxane was found in 22% of the samples, HCFC in 5.8%, 1,1-dichloroethane in 4.7%, and PFAS in 4%. The concentration of these chemicals was also not equal throughout the entire country or all populations. Instead, the study found that Hispanic residents were more likely to be exposed to these unregulated chemicals. Public water systems that didn’t have any of the unregulated contaminants had a 13% Hispanic population. Meanwhile, public water systems that did have unregulated contaminants had a 17% Hispanic population. The researchers estimate that “a 1 standard deviation increase in the percentage of Hispanic residents (15.5 percentage points) was associated with a 5 percentage point increase in the likelihood of target contaminant detection.”

The study also found that residents living in urban areas are more likely to have unregulated contaminants in their water, at 71% versus 56%. The study also included public water systems in U.S. territories and Tribal areas and found that they also had disproportionately higher levels of unregulated chemicals.

How will these unequal exposures impact the health of the communities exposed to this contaminated water?

PFAS has become one of the most studied chemicals in the literature due to its status as a forever chemical. New studies are being published rapidly about the health effects of PFAS. For example, researchers are currently studying how PFAS may disrupt circadian rhythms and impact sleep cycles. As for dioxane, the Environmental Protection Agency has classified this chemical as a “likely human carcinogen.” 1,1-DCA also poses health risks, as it can affect the function of the nervous system.

Water is a necessity for all life on earth. And no human being should ever have to worry that the water they are drinking contains harmful chemicals that are not even being regulated at the national level. Thus, we must constantly advocate for regulations that will fully protect our drinking water sources.

By Sharon Franklin.

As climate change drastically increases the frequency and severity of wildfires, utility companies say they’re facing growing risk for payouts that could bankrupt them or require massive rate hikes on customers.  Across the West, electrical utilities are pushing state lawmakers to grant them legal immunity or limit damage payouts if their equipment sparks a blaze.  State legislators in at least eight states over the past few years have passed legislation or have proposed legislation, that would require the utility companies to follow plans to limit their risks of causing a fire.  In exchange, lawmakers would give utilities protection from lawsuits that could expose them to billions of dollars in damage claims   

What Are Wildfire Victims Saying?  Wildfire victims say these bills don’t do enough to protect residents from dangerous electrical infrastructure issues.

What Are Energy Consumer Advocates Saying?  Michele Beck, Utah Office of Consumer Services, who advocates for Utah energy customers, says it’s difficult to protect electrical customers and wildfire victims at the same time. “The costs for ratepayers are substantial, and it’s reasonable to try and find a balance between these extremely high jury awards  “I admit, it’s a devastating loss for people who are impacted [by wildfires], but somebody is also paying on the other side.” 

In Oregon, consumer advocates are similarly torn.  Bob Jenks, Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board, stated “It is a difficult place to be, having utilities close to bankruptcy and unable to make investments that are necessary to provide service,” “At the same time, the principle that customers shouldn’t be bailing out utilities for bad practices is a critical standard.”

How Are Utility Companies Responding: Shawn Taylor, Wyoming Rural Electric Association, said “We’re only one wildfire away from bankruptcy,” “Even if we avoid bankruptcy, we’d have huge rate increases to cover the cost of a lawsuit.  He and other industry leaders argue that power companies should be granted relief if they take actions to limit their risk, becauseutilities are also facing soaring insurance premiums due to the increasing magnitude of claims they would face if they caused a fire.He cites examples to support their claim, stating that Pacific Gas and Electric Company declared bankruptcy in 2019 because of the $30 billion liability from a series of wildfires caused by its equipment, and Oregon, PacifiCorp is facing billions of dollars in damage claims due to its role in the state’s 2020 Labor Day fires. As reported by the Oregon Capitol Chronicle, PacifiCorp has been a key player backing immunity liability bills in five states.  

How Are Insurance Companies Responding:   Insurers are saying their own customers could pay the price if lawmakers protect utilities.  Greg Van Horssen, State Farm Insurance, testified before the Montana House Judiciary Committee in February, 2025, stating “If we have a problem with recovering costs for burnt-down houses in Montana, from an insurance company’s perspective, we only have one option, and that’s to raise the rate of homeowners’ insurance.” “When you push in one side of the balloon, it comes out somewhere else,”

Brandon Vick, National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, a trade group noted that more and more residents in fire-prone areas are going without insurance coverage, leaving them with no recourse if they can’t seek damages from a utility. “Utilities are rightfully concerned that they’re gonna do something that causes a catastrophic wildfire.”  He went on to say “The question we’ve been posing is, who should be responsible when that ultimately happens? [These bills] are really pushing that liability onto the people who can least afford it.”

Resources for this Blog

https://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/dr20250423-as-wildfires-intensify-utilities-want-liability-protections-but-then-who-pays

https://stateline.org/2025/04/22/as-wildfires-intensify-utilities-want-liability-protections-but-then-who-pays/wildfires intensify, utilities want liability protections. But then who pays? • Stateline

https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/power-grid/outage-management/as-wildfires-intensify-utilities-want-liability-protections-but-then-who-pays/

https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2025/03/31/pacificorp-involved-in-bills-in-oregon-western-states-limiting-utility-wildfire-liability-damages/

https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2025/04/16/proposal-to-impose-penalties-on-private-utilities-delaying-wildfire-lawsuits-quietly-moves-forward/

Every day, people facing threats to their health and environment call CHEJ for help. They are looking for proof that all landfills leak, health studies linking incinerators to cancer, or the environmental record of a company that wants to build a plant in their community. CHEJ tries to provide those facts. But we also help people through the terrible realization that simply speaking the truth about landfills, incinerators, or previous violations won’t stop the poisoning.

The truth is only a start. In order for things to change, the truth has to be understood by a large group of people who then use this knowledge to fuel their efforts to win justice. The truth won’t stop the poisoning, but organizing will.

According to Webster’s dictionary, organizing is “uniting in a body or becoming systematically arranged.” Organizing to protect our communities from environmental harm means pulling together a large enough, diverse enough, active enough group of people to convince corporations and the government that they have to stop making people sick.

Organizing is how we restore the balance between the rights of the people to safe food and healthy communities, and the rights of corporations to profit and pollute. We will never have as much money as the corporate polluters. We will never be able to afford their Madison Avenue media campaigns or their 24-hour access to elected officials. But we can build our own power to overcome their influence. We can do this by organizing to demonstrate the strength of our numbers and the righteousness of our demands.

Successful organizing happens when a group of people finds visible ways to use the truth to wake up the conscience of a larger group. In an era when politics is defined by sound-bites, organizing can remind the American people that political life is supposed to be about self-government, justice and the common good.

After years of doing it, we’ve come to the conclusion that organizing is more of an art than a science. It’s more important to be in touch with what is happening in your community and to respect and include your friends and neighbors than to follow a set of rules.

At the same time, there are some basic rules for organizing that usually hold true. These rules aren’t always applicable, but they are right often enough that you should consider them as you start to get organized around an environmental issue in your community.  Some of those rules are:

Power determines the outcome. If two or more groups care about an issue, and one of them has a lot more power, that group will get what it wants, no matter what the facts are or who will be hurt.

• Our power comes from people, while corporations and government’s power comes from money. Communities need to use strategies that depend on people’s creativity, courage and caring. The corporations and government will use strategies that depend on things which can be paid for, like experts and lawyers.

• Polluters and government agencies write the rules so they can win using experts and lawyers which is their strength. You can assume going in that if you play exactly according to the rules of their game, you will lose most of the time, whether you are at the slot machines in Atlantic City or the hearing process of your state environmental agency. Create your own rules instead.

• To win, communities have to work harder than polluters and government agencies do. Polluters and agencies are doing what they do because they are paid to. They’ve done it before, and they know most of the facts before the fight even starts. You are opposing them because you believe your health and your community are at risk. This gives you an unmatched motivation for working harder than they do.

These rules may seem harsh and they are. Sometimes things turn out to be easier than these rules would lead you to expect. But when your community is at stake, it’s important to start out vigilant, alert and ready to face the challenges that lie ahead.  

Experience has taught us that organizing isn’t easy. Recognizing this should help you be forgiving of others and ourselves. Together we are trying to build a democratic society without adequate blueprints and models, so it’s important to leave room for experimentation and mistakes. And recognizing how necessary organizing is should help us to be inclusive and persistent. There are no magic facts. There are no perfect heroes to give perfect speeches that will convince the polluters to stop polluting. There is only the dogged determination of people working together to protect their own health, their families’ health and the health of their communities. This is why we organize. 

Originally published in Organizing Toolbox in CHEJ’s Everyone’s Backyard.

By Leila Waid.

A recently published systematic review article analyzed effective methods for increasing heat literacy. A systematic review summarizes the current scientific literature by synthesizing multiple studies and providing the lessons learned. In this case, the authors focused on analyzing community-based health adaptation programs – defined as “interventions focus[ed] on local engagement, offering culturally tailored resources and information designed to enhance individual knowledge and adaptive behaviors related to heat-related illness prevention.” Instead of utilizing a top-down approach to address climate change, these programs focus on empowering communities by affecting local change via education initiatives and behavior change theories.

One study found that educational outreach efforts for older adults were an effective method when utilizing community spaces they are already familiar with and go to regularly. The participants were also taught how to measure Wet Bulb Globe Temperature. Another study, also focusing on delivering an education curriculum, found that Community Health Worker-led curriculums were associated with a 38% reduction in hospital visits. Also, a successful education program needs to increase not only the participants’ knowledge but also their attitude and practice (KAP) to induce desired behavior change.

Addressing heat risk among the elderly population is especially important due to their increased vulnerability. One study in the review focused on the importance of working with elderly individuals to draft a list of emergency contacts to call during heat waves. Another study evaluated the importance of addressing social isolation among older adults by strengthening their social networks and increasing their ties to the local community. The study found that elderly individuals participating in the program had lower mortality rates than non-participants.

Public health communication campaigns—such as handing out informational flyers and newspaper ads, installing an automated phone warning system, and conducting media outreach via radio, television, and newspaper ads—were also found to be effective. Another mass communication technique that was found to be effective included handing out water bottles with PSAs about heat safety to senior citizens at their place of residence.

These studies showcase that climate change adaptation techniques do not always need to utilize top-down approaches, focus on policy changes, or require a lot of resources. In many cases, outreach to communities and individuals to increase their knowledge levels via educational campaigns can be effective tools in the fight against climate change.

By Juliet Porter.

At the start of April, devastating storms swept across parts of the Midwest and Southeastern United States, bringing tornadoes, violent winds, and catastrophic flooding. Millions of Americans were affected as rivers overflowed, homes were damaged or destroyed, and lives were lost. The National Weather Service warned early on that this would be a “multi-day catastrophic and potentially historic” event, with a “barrage of life-threatening” conditions, including powerful tornadoes and widespread flash flooding.

The Kentucky, Ohio, and Mississippi Rivers rose to historic levels, inundating communities and dismantling local economies. In Frankfort, Kentucky, the Buffalo Trace Distillery, America’s oldest operating distillery, was forced to shut down as the Kentucky River crested at nearly 48.5 feet. Floodwaters swallowed traffic signs, submerged cars, and damaged buildings, pausing operations at a cornerstone of the region’s economy. The long-term clean-up ahead reflects the broader challenges that communities across the region are now facing.

This incident is not isolated, nor is it simply the result of bad luck. It’s a powerful example of how climate change-fueled weather events collide with existing social inequalities, often with devastating consequences. The communities hit hardest by storms like these are frequently those with the fewest resources to recover.

Looking ahead, experts are warning of an especially intense Atlantic hurricane season. A recent report from Colorado State University estimates there could be 17 named storms and 9 hurricanes, roughly 125% higher than the average season from 1991 to 2020.

This pattern of increasingly frequent and extreme weather is a direct result of global warming. But while the threat is real, so are the solutions. Action can and must be taken now to protect vulnerable communities and build long-term climate resilience.

First, infrastructure investment is essential. Maintaining and upgrading levees and flood control systems can prevent or reduce the worst impacts of future flooding.

Second, community engagement must be prioritized. At the heart of environmental justice is the principle that those most affected must have a say in the decisions that impact their lives. Involving residents in planning, preparedness, and recovery efforts ensures that policies are shaped by those who know their communities best.

Finally, policy reform is needed at every level of government to address the systemic inequalities that make marginalized communities more susceptible to climate disasters.

As we approach Earth Day on April 22, this moment serves as a sobering reminder of the work ahead. But it also underscores why organizations like the Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ) exist. For over four decades, CHEJ has supported grassroots efforts to build healthier, more resilient communities in the face of environmental threats. Through advocacy, organizing, and education, CHEJ continues to empower those on the frontlines of the environmental justice movement, especially when the waters rise.

Sources: 

NPR- https://www.npr.org/2025/04/02/nx-s1-5349304/storms-tornadoes-flooding-midwest-south 

Associated Press- https://apnews.com/article/kentucky-whiskey-bourbon-buffalo-trace-2a386bc74dfbcde223cfa157d8d6da1b 

CBS- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/2025-atlantic-hurricane-season-forecast/ 

Urban Lab Systems- https://urbansystemslab.com/urbanfloodrisk#:~:text=climate%2Ddriven%20events.-,The%20Environmental%20Justice%20of%20Urban%20Flood%20Risk%20and%20Green%20Infrastructure,communities%20across%204%20U.S.%20cities. 

By Ken Grossinger.

Strongmen all want the same thing. They want us to feel powerless. When we feel we don’t make a difference, that’s when they win.

But long before Trump, Musk, and their sycophants began to demean and attack environmental justice activists in order to chill our protest, and long before they acted to shred anything that runs counter to their toxic environmental policies, the EJ community – along with many others – was re-evaluating its strategies and tactics for building power. Our often hide-bound approach to social change needed new shots of creative thinking because it remained insufficient to challenge corporate and government policy and practices that harmed our communities.

Even today, while the nation’s courts offer legal advocates a vehicle to fight back, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the courts may not restore or advance the policies we’ve long fought for. To the contrary, the latest legal assault on Greenpeace by corporate giant Energy Transfer makes it abundantly clear how the court may be weaponized to destroy our organizations and silence our voice.

Community organizing and public protest remain essential to win. And elevating art to amplify and deepen our campaigns for environmental justice is crucial to shifting false narratives and to enriching our fight. That might sound thin in the context of the onslaught against our work, but an upsurge of new alliances – fusing politics and culture – is altering how we think about and approach our campaigns.

When people are not emotionally primed to accept new ideas, they often don’t. Think about the graphs, charts, and data that environmental organizations have used over the decades to make our policy cases. While necessary, quantitative data is rarely sufficient to move people into the streets or even in the halls of Congress. For that, passions need to be ignited, and our emotions and sensibilities brought into play. 

Art has a unique capacity to penetrate popular culture in ways organizing never will. It’s why movement leaders over the years led with so many forms of art that give rise to and support organizing. Just look at a few historical and contemporary examples.

Think about music, an ever-present force in organizing during the civil rights movement. Activists sang to strengthen their resolve and overcome their fears.  Author Bruce Hartford said “the songs spread our message, bonded us together, elevated our courage, shielded us from hate, forged our discipline, protected us from danger, and it was the songs that kept us sane.” 

During the same period theater galvanized farmworkers. The United Farmworkers (UFW) created El Teatro Campesino, a theater company driven by their members to take on agribusiness. UFW co-founder Delores Huerta said El Teatro was a powerful organizing tool, as important as the picket line in building solidarity among farmworkers to deal with strike-breaking scabs.

The power of film in political mobilization was evident in Jeff Orlowski’s cinematically beautiful Chasing Ice (2014), a film which brings the devastating impact of climate change into sharp relief. In a Ohio Congressional district represented by a climate change denier, Orlowski used polling to demonstrate how film shapes public opinion. The polling, which preceded and followed ninety screenings of the film, along with talk backs in theaters and the community, indicates that the film lifted by 15-25% (depending on the question) the number of people who thought that climate change was real, caused by human activity, and an extremely important cause for concern.     

More recently, following the police killings of so many young Black men and women, the Black Lives Matter movement spurred and embraced street art, amplified by social media, that spoke to our communities. Across the nation and internationally artists painted hundreds of George Floyd murals. The Floyd mural became an iconic image of the 21^st century. A symbol of protest. A tribute. A way to heal.

Artwork in the form of music, film, theater, painting, storytelling and more have always helped shape narratives about social justice.

We won’t win if we don’t organize, but organizing alone is unlikely to produce long-term change if we’re unable to touch the heart and reach the soul of our communities and shift the narratives that maintain the status quo. Cultural strategies do that.

Ken Grossinger is a longtime movement strategist and author most recently of Art Works: How Organizers and Artists are Creating a Better World Together (New Press, 2023) For more information about Art Works or to schedule a book talk, see www.artworksbook.com