What is environmental justice
Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people – regardless of race, color, national origin, or income – in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Essentially, it means that all people deserve access to clean air, water, food and soil.
The reality is, many communities, especially minority communities, don’t have equal access to these resources. There are many reasons for this, which can be summed up by the term “environmental racism.” This includes any policies or practices that put diverse communities, particularly people of color, at a disadvantage in their access to a healthy environment (for example, clean drinking water, nutritious food, or access to green spaces like public parks).
In fact, BIPOC communities across the US are often exposed to polluting factories, fossil fuel drilling and mining sites, toxic bodies of water, and more. It is becoming more and more apparent that poor communities and non-white communities are getting exposed to toxic facilities which are used to service wealthier communities.
In short, this is not okay. No community should have to fight for access to basic human necessities like food, air, and water.
I’m proud to partner with Eva NYC, a company that is using their platform to support environmental justice. When you purchase one of their amazing “Recycling is Beautiful” tote bags, they’ll donate $14 to an eco-justice charity of your choice:
We need more companies to step up like this to directly help provide the financial support and platforms to uplift the work of environmental justice advocates.