This Map Shows How Environmental Injustice Plays Out in Every CA Census Tract
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The California Communities Environmental Health Screening Tool (CalEnviroScreen) was developed by the California EPA to score communities based on their exposure to pollution using data from 20 indicators of pollution, environmental quality, Census data, and public health conditions data. It essentially shows the communities that are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
Red highlights communities that are the most vulnerable to climate change because of high levels of pollution and high social vulnerability. Click on the census tracts for racial breakdowns and if you click through the site's "Indicator" tabs, you can break this map down into the different types of pollutants and population characteristics that determine overall vulnerability. You can also search your home address to see how your community is impacted by all of these factors.
Mapping this data is very important. This map and its corresponding report show that Latinos and African Americans disproportionately reside in communities that are highly impacted by pollution and that communities of color bear the greatest environmental harms in the state.
Furthermore, California uses the data from this mapping project to prioritize where funds from California's Cap-and-Trade Program go for greenhouse gas reduction projects. Under Senate Bill 535, 25% of the proceeds from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (funded by the Cap-and-Trade Program) go to projects that provide a benefit to "disadvantaged communities." Disadvantaged communities are the top 25% scoring areas from CalEnviroScreen. This tool allows the State to determine where mitigation, relief, recovery, and adaptation efforts are needed most in the face of the climate crisis to help vulnerable communities that historically have lacked access to state resources. We need more tools like this one and we need more urgent action following the findings of these tools.
You can learn more about environmental justice issues that may be affecting your community by joining the LACCD Climate Action & Justice Speaker Series.
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Announcement: California Is Celebrating its 3rd Annual Clean Air Day on October 7th
Want to help reduce air pollution and clean the air for all Californians?
In partnership with the Coalition for Clean Air, LACCD is asking everyone (students, staff, and faculty) to join together for a unified day of action to create new habits to clean the air for all members of California’s diverse communities. Join your colleagues and fellow Californians in pledging to take at least one action on Clean Air Day to clean the air so you can breathe better and support your community’s health. Sign up by October 7th.
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Placing three trees strategically around a single-family home can cut summer air conditioning needs by up to 50 percent. By reducing the energy demand for cooling our houses, we reduce carbon dioxide and other pollution emissions from power plants. You can learn more about the benefits of planting trees from Tree People.
The best part is, residents of the City of L.A. can get trees for free! Head to cityplants.org to order free yard trees and free street trees, and try out City Plant's new interactive tool to discover the best planting locations in your yard to reduce your energy bills.
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The LACCD Climate Action & Justice Speaker Series
Join us to hear from a variety of organizations working to advance climate action and justice and learn how you, as a student, can help make a difference by bringing your own skills to the table. You can view all presentation recordings here if you can't attend live sessions.
Link to Speakers Schedule
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L.A. Waterkeeper (Oct 5, 12:30 PM)
Los Angeles Waterkeeper safeguards L.A.’s inland and coastal waters by enforcing laws and empowering communities.
Listen to L.A. Waterkeeper present at:
tinyurl.com/WaterkeeperLACCD
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City Plants (Oct 7, 12:30 PM)
City Plant’s mission is to grow a greener future for Los Angeles by engaging Angelenos to plant and care for trees throughout the City. Listen to City Plants present at:
tinyurl.com/CityPlantsLACCD
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Sunrise Movement L.A. (Oct 8, 12:30 PM)
Sunrise Movement L.A. is building an army of young people to make climate change an urgent, national priority, end the corrupting influence of fossil fuel executives on our politics, and elect leaders who stand up for the health and wellbeing of all people. Listen to Sunrise Movement L.A. present at:
tinyurl.com/SunriseLACCD
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Sierra Club Angeles Chapter (Oct 14, 12:30 PM)
The Sierra Club Angeles Chapter covers L.A. and Orange Counties and offers a wide array of activities to engage members and the public in efforts to explore, enjoy and protect our shared environment. Listen to the Sierra Club present at:
tinyurl.com/SierraLACCD
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Day One (Oct 15, 12:00 PM)
Day One builds vibrant, healthy cities by advancing public health, empowering youth, and igniting change. Listen to Day One present at:
tinyurl.com/DayOneLACCD
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Climate Resolve (Oct 16, 12:30 PM)
Climate Resolve builds collaborations to champion equitable climate solutions. They connect communities, organizations and policymakers to address a global problem with local action. They inclusively develop practical initiatives that reduce climate pollution and prepare for climate impacts. Their purpose is a just and resilient future. Listen to Climate Resolve present at:
tinyurl.com/ClimateResolve
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Activists Want Methane-Leaking Power Plant Shut Down
Both the L.A. Times and Los Angeles Daily News have reported on activists' efforts to address a methane leak at the Sun Valley Generation Plant, "a leak officials knew about for at least a year before coming to light." (Image from Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
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"Bleak air quality hovers over Los Angeles" Reports The Valley Star.
"Fires surrounding the San Fernando Valley...have burned a total of over 80,000 acres, and both are still far from being contained," writes Cassandra Nava, News Editor of The Valley Star at L.A. Valley College. Read the full article here. (Image from Glenn Beltz/Flickr)
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Meet the Editor:
My name is Chloe Ney (she/her), I am a 23 year old, cisgender, white woman, and I am really passionate about fighting the climate crisis. I graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Geography & Environmental Studies in 2019 and started working as a Climate Corps Fellow with LACCD in February of 2020 through the LADWP Community Partnership Grant. I work on energy efficiency and climate crisis education, and I’ll be here until the end of the year.
I didn’t experience growing up close to environmental hazards like many BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and more generally People of Color) people do in L.A. County as a white woman. Until taking upper-division courses in my junior and senior years of college, I had no idea that many L.A. communities have had to endure racist public policy practices. Policies, like redlining, that legalized environmental racism for decades and that impact L.A. to this day. Learning about CalEnviroScreen in those classes is actually what first introduced me to the environmental justice movement. I find that problematic, as I've spent my entire life in L.A., and now believe that everyone who lives here should get to know their city in the hopes of learning how to make it better for everyone.
I started writing this newsletter to help other people learn about the climate crisis and to encourage readers to attend The LACCD Climate Action & Justice Speaker Series. The series highlights local work in Southern California that addresses the environmental issues we're currently facing. I am not an expert—come to our series to learn from the experts with me, and continue to do your own exploration too. We need to know our flawed history well to understand and remedy the problems that we face now, so I hope you'll be eager to learn with me.
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Send your story to the Editor!
Are you an LACCD-associated student, staff, or faculty member with a story or materials you‘d like to have featured in our monthly sustainability newsletter? Please email submissions to Chloe at neyc@laccd.edu and include the subject title “LACCD: Sustainably” in your email.
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