29 Days of Environmental Justice
January 21- February 18, 2008

"A nation that continues, year after year, to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift, is approaching spiritual death."
        ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

The aim of the Health Equity Campaign is to turn national discussion around health disparities from band-aid solutions to those that address root causes of injustice. Environmental injustice is one such root cause as hazards that lead to adverse health outcomes and disproportionately affect economically disadvantaged and minority communities. We need to promote healthy environments for all people and address environmental health issues as critical to achieving social justice and eliminating health disparities.

Beginning on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and ending on President's Day the Health Equity Campaign steering committee, Scholars, and Associates will be holding events across the country designed to raise awareness and develop community partnerships around environmental justice.

THINK BROADLY. Environmental health encompasses many elements from toxins, parks and transportation to food, education and housing.

Plugging you and your classmates in:

• Environmental Justice Tours: Organize a tour for your classmates to visit sites in your community and learn about local environmental justice concerns. Email the Public Health Environment Coordinator Liza Huertas to set one up at your school.
• Have a lunch-time speaker talk about an issue in your community. A professor working in environmental health or a local activist. Feel free to email Mary for speaker ideas in your area.
• Join the Medical Alliance to Stop Global Warming
  This site has excellent educational and activist resources.
  • Screen one of the climate change documentaries (pdf) they recommend.
  • Join Project Sustainable Campuses (pdf). Evaluate your schools commitment to green - do they have easily accessible recycle bins?
• Take Action with the Earth Justice Campaign
  They have opportunities to act on the Clean Water Act, arsenic and lead from coal power plants in our drinking water and global warming and extinction...all on their website.

In the community:

• What's the pollution report for your county? Go to www.scorecard.org for profiles based on available data from 2004.
• Check out your local environmental justice organizations to see if they have any events or meetings planned. To find a local group go to EJ for All or search NRDC's EJ group list.
• Join Project Hot Seat and lobby Congress to act on climate change.
• Write letters to the editor about EJ issues in your community.

Legislation

• Support Improvements to America's Climate Security Act. Take action directly and organize a mail or fax-in to your U.S. Senators
• Local Legislation
• Other Legislation
  • Healthy Places Act
  • Farm Bill
  • Environmental Justice Legislation

*Be sure to check out the Public Health Environment Website for more information about environmental justice!*