community voices

It’s (Been) Time to Uplift the Voices of Marginalized Communities

, Research Analyst

November 22, 2019 9:35 AM EDT

What prevents the members of impacted communities from playing a more prominent role in the policymaking process? Why are politicians from America, a nation that prides itself on liberty and justice for all, so unable to listen to and tap the vast wealth of knowledge and lived experiences that are found in marginalized communities and respond accordingly? The answer is that, in many cases, dismissing the needs, wants, and aspirations of underserved communities is what our system is founded on and has evolved to do – it is our de facto norm. And the effect of this normal system is the polluting and poisoning of the land, water, and air for millions of marginalized individuals across the nation. Read more >

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Lead Poisoning: A Modern Plague among Children

Dr. Wornie Reed
, , UCS

March 11, 2015 3:53 PM EDT

I am an advocate for bringing more public attention to the critical issue of childhood lead poisoning. It is the number one environmental health threat to children. Lead present in paint, dust, and soil is possibly our most significant toxic waste problem in terms of the seriousness and the extent of human health effects. Lead poisoning is more dangerous than some forms of cancer—yet it is virtually ignored by the American public. Read more >

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The Problem with the Environmental Movement

Alexis Goggans
, , UCS

February 20, 2015 5:15 PM EDT

Believe it or not, I wasn’t always an environmentalist. In fact, I didn’t know about composting or environmental justice until I was 19 years old. I often tell people with a precarious smile that it was my undergraduate studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder that turned me into the person I am today. But my journey to full-blown New Age hippy didn’t start with “save the whale” protests or “save the rainforest” campaigns. It began with environmental justice.  Read more >

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Preventing Asthma: Searching “Upstream” for the Evidence

Felix Aguilar, MD
, , UCS

December 9, 2014 4:16 PM EDT

The buzzing sound of a hand-held nebulizer has become background noise at my clinic. It sounds like a hive of bees moving noisily. Everyday children and adults in South Los Angeles get asthma treatments at community clinics because of exacerbations, also known as asthma attacks. I am a family physician with over a decade of work at community clinics in the poorest areas of Los Angeles. Read more >

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We All Have Something to Contribute: Environmental Justice and the Importance of Place

Adelita G. Cantu, PhD, RN
, , UCS

November 13, 2014 5:10 PM EDT

I have been a public health nurse for over 35 years! When I say it like that, sometimes I feel and know that I am getting old, very old. But it also makes me realize that I have accumulated a vast amount of experience and expertise, particularly when it comes to the community’s perspective on their health and environment and their resulting needs towards achieving a healthy community. Read more >

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