An effort to bring ‘environmental justice for all’ goes virtual

When Democratic U.S. Representatives Raúl M. Grijalva and A. Donald McEachin brought environmental justice advocates to Washington, D.C. last year to help craft the Environmental Justice for All Act , the plan was that, from start to finish, the bill would engage the people most affected by exposure to environmental toxins, pollution, and contamination. So last month, after the 130-page draft bill was introduced , community advocates championed continuing this same approach through a national tour where grassroots organizations and frontline communities would have a chance to have their say on the bill. Now, the novel coronavirus pandemic has upended those plans. With millions across the country taking shelter in their homes, the bill’s supporters say they will forge ahead, albeit with altered plans, to bring the bill to communities across America under a new virtual reality. McEachin, one of the bill’s authors, told Grist last week that, although the months ahead will be tough, Americans will survive the pandemic. But unless the climate crisis is addressed, he added, humankind “as we know it” won’t survive past 2050. Get Grist in your inbox Always free, always fresh Ask your climate scientist if Grist is right for you. See our […]

Click here to view original web page at An effort to bring ‘environmental justice for all’ goes virtual