Grist (a progressive environmental on-line journal) is doing
a 7 week series on poverty and environment. Here is the intro and
link. We're using it in my Environmental Policy and Planning course. The
topic is timely in light of New
Orleans and Lenny’s recent visit and journal.
http://www.grist.org/news/maindish/2006/02/13/pate/
Joe Schilling, Professor in Practice
Associate Director, Green Regions
Virginia Tech's Metropolitan Institute www.mi.vt.edu
1021
Prince Street, Suite 100
Alexandria, VA 22314
PH-703-706-8102 FAX-703-518-8009
e-mail: jms33@vt.edu
Poverty & the Environment
Introducing a seven-week series on the
intersection of economic and ecological survival
13 Feb 2006
Consider this central paradox of U.S.
environmentalism: In much of popular and political culture, the movement is
dismissed as the pet cause of white, well-off Americans -- people who can
afford to buy organic arugula, vacation in Lake Tahoe,
and worry about the fate of the Pacific pocket mouse. And yet, the population
most affected by environmental problems is the poor.
This is a reality most of us recognize in the developing
world, and it's true that the confluence of economic and environmental
injustice can be particularly extensive and devastating in poor nations. But it
is also true -- and far less remarked-upon -- that poverty and environmental
degradation go hand and hand in the United States as well. The lower
your income in this country, the higher the likelihood that you will be exposed
to toxics at home and on the job. The greater the risk that you will suffer
from diseases -- ranging from asthma to cancer -- caused or exacerbated by
environmental factors. The harder it will be for you to find and afford healthy
food to put on your table. The less likely you are to live in a community that
provides safe outdoor spaces for you and your family to enjoy. And, as recent
history tragically exposed, the more vulnerable you are to environmental
catastrophes, whether they are natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina or
human-made tragedies like the Exxon Valdez.
In short, the worst consequences of environmental
degradation are visited on the homes, workplaces, families, and bodies of the
poor.
Join the discussion
In the United
States today -- that is, at a time and in a
nation touted for prosperity -- 12.7 percent of the population lives below the
poverty line. In this special seven-week series, Grist will focus on the
environmental realities facing those 37 million people, as well as the many
additional millions of Americans who struggle to make ends meet. Our coverage
includes investigative reports, opinion pieces, interviews, and profiles. And
we will debut a series of multimedia "virtual walking tours" of
poverty-stricken regions around the country, led by the community members who
are fighting to transform them.
It is our hope that this special series will help shed light
on some frequently hidden environmental problems and expose the connections
between economic and ecological survival. Ultimately, we hope to challenge and
change the received wisdom about what counts as an environmental issue, what we
mean when we refer to "the environment," and where, how, and for whom
environmentally minded movements, organizations, and people should dedicate
their energies.
Click here to see a list (updated daily) of new articles and
features added to this series.
Click here to join ongoing discussions about poverty and the
environment, or start new discussion threads yourself.
About Grist
Let's face it: reading environmental journalism too often feels
like eating your vegetables. Boiled. With no butter.
But at Grist, we believe that
news about green issues and sustainable living doesn't have to be predictable,
demoralizing, or dull. We butter the vegetables! And add salt! And strain
metaphors!
We exist to tell the untold stories, spotlight trends before they become
trendy, and engage the apathetic. We're fiercely independent in our coverage;
we throw brickbats when they're needed and bestow kudos when they're warranted.
And while we take our work seriously, we don't take ourselves seriously,
because of the many things this planet is running out of, sanctimonious
tree-huggers ain't one of them.
Grist is based in the Emerald
City of Seattle, in the Evergreen State of Washington (see the green theme?),
with contributors scattered the world 'round. We are a nonprofit organization
funded by foundation grants, reader contributions, and just a touch of
advertising. Our website and email services are free -- and worth every penny.
Grist: it's gloom and doom with a
sense of humor. So laugh now -- or the planet gets it.
-----Original Message-----
From: brownfields-bounces@list.cpeo.org
[mailto:brownfields-bounces@list.cpeo.org] On Behalf Of Lenny Siegel
Sent: Monday, February 27, 2006 2:56 AM
To: Brownfields Internet Forum
Subject: [CPEO-BIF] Six Months after the Storm - New Orleans report withpictures
I've added selected photographs to my report on New Orleans, revised it
slightly, and posted it on CPEO's web site. The 2 Megabyte Word (.doc)
file may be downloaded from
http://www.cpeo.org/pubs/SixMonthsAfter.doc.
Lenny
--
Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 278-A Hope St.,
Mountain View, CA
94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
http://www.cpeo.org
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