Environmental Justice

Two men stand next to each other, talking. There are yellow flowers in the foreground.

Breaking the System: How to Create an Equitable Clean Energy Future

Trust, inclusivity, recognition—these are the elements of an equitable clean energy future. And they are just as important as solar panels or batteries or engineers. That was the message of … Read more

A brown bear running through a river.

Bridging the Power of Youth and the Wisdom of Age: Technology as a Space to Resist and Uplift

Imagine 500 acres of rural Alaskan wilderness transformed into the extraction grounds for 180,000 barrels of oil every single day – a horrific image, right? That image is one step … Read more

Water flows downhill through large rocks. Dark greenery surrounds the river bank.

We Need WOTUS

This blog is the fifth in a six-part series. Here are the first, second, third, and fourth parts. Waters of the United States (WOTUS) are bodies of water protected by … Read more

A shiny, colorful substance (oil) is flowing towards a metal drainage grate on the street.

It Is No Longer About Living On the Wrong Side of the (Railroad) Tracks, Now the Threat is About Living Anywhere Near the Tracks

This morning there was another train derailment, this time in Raymond, Minnesota. People were again evacuated, although here the concern centered on ethanol carried in four cars, resulting fires and … Read more

An aerial view of mountains, some covered in trees and some stripped, and a large body of water.

Water Is Life—and Central To Environmental Justice for Indigenous Communities

In the Chí’chil Biłdagoteel Historic District, also known as Oak Flat, golden sunlight illuminates the dramatic rock formations that are littered among the groves of large oak trees. While under … Read more

Why Water?

This blog is the fourth in a six-part series. Here are the first, second, third, and fifth parts. Water is essential to continuing to foster a healthy, safe, and productive … Read more

Can We Be Done Talking About The Tunnel?

Enbridge’s Line 5 Tunnel Under the Straits of Mackinac is a Red Herring, and We’re Wasting Time For years, communities and advocates have called Enbridge Energy’s Line 5 pipeline under … Read more

A person is redirecting the spray from a fire hydrant on a sidewalk. Other children are standing nearby.

Three Ways Heat Waves are Impacting Americans More Than any Other Disaster

It’s no surprise that people across the US—and the world—are experiencing higher average temperatures year-round. The effects of this changing climate are all around us, from prolonged 20-year droughts to … Read more

A person is using a hose to water a flower garden.

Partnering with Communities to Advance Environmental Justice: Building Authentic Relationships Through Communication and Creativity 

This past summer, I joined the National Wildlife Federation as the Community Partnerships fellow, where I worked with the Community Habitat Team to understand how to engage in equitable outreach … Read more

Photo of volunteers on MLK Day

A Blueprint for Student Success: Martin Luther King Day 2023

Remember last year we had a freak snowstorm that reduced our Martin Luther King Day volunteers down to three people, including myself, but we still managed to put up bat … Read more