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Hispanic Conservation Leadership Council (HCLC)

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Hispanic Conservation Leadership Council (HCLC)

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A network of Hispanic elected, appointed, and community leaders who prioritize public land and water conservation and climate change mitigation in their decision-making and community advocacy efforts.

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What the Recent Federal Appeals Court Ruling Means to the Future of Oak Flat

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HCLC: An HECHO Network — HECHO: Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors

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HECHO (Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting, and the Outdoors) is a group for Latinos who enjoy fishing, hiking, hunting, camping and other outdoor activities. We are seeking to balance development with conservation, and we believe that it can be done by engaging more Latinos in the effort to protect public lands.

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Right-Wing Court's PFAS Ruling Will Impede Regulation of Harmful Chemicals, Advocates Say

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Right-Wing Court's PFAS Ruling Will Impede Regulation of Harmful Chemicals, Advocates Say

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Public health groups are "fully committed to taking all steps available to assure that the Inhance fluorination no longer produces dangerous PFAS which put workers, consumers, and communities at risk."

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As public health experts raise alarm over the prevalence of highly toxic " forever chemicals," as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS are commonly known, one nonprofit investigative journalism outlet warned Saturday that a recent ruling could further tie up the regulatory process for the chemicals and other harmful substances.

"This ruling is likely to impede already excruciatingly slow efforts to regulate the presence of health harming chemicals in products people use in every part of their lives," said Watershed Investigations of a decision handed down earlier this month by the right-wing Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans.

The case is one of several involving Inhance Technologies, a Houston-based company that manufactures an estimated 200 million plastic containers each year using the fluorination process, which creates perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a toxic PFAS compound.

In 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began requiring companies to submit notices regarding "significant new uses" of PFAS under Section 5 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), as officials identified the chemicals as an "urgent public health and environmental issue" due to their links to cancer, liver and kidney disease, reproductive harms, and other serious health problems.

The agency found that PFAS were leaching into pesticides held in containers produced by Inhance.

In December, the agency prohibited Inhance from using the fluorination process because it had identified PFAS as an "unavoidable aspect" of its operations. Inhance sued the EPA soon after.

Inhance said that ending its fluorination practices would ultimately force the company to shut down and fought the EPA's order, arguing that it had created its plastic containers in the same way for decades, and therefore was not subject to the TSCA provision regarding "significant new use."

The EPA argued it only became aware of Inhance's process in 2020, but the conservative court disagreed that it could regulate the company under the "new use" rule-even as the judges acknowledged the company's products are harmful.

"The court did not dispute EPA's underlying decision that this is a danger to human health, what they did was say it's not a new use, which I think is wrong... but this case isn't over by any stretch," Kyla Bennett, a former EPA official who is now director of science policy for Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), told The Guardian Saturday.

The judges said the EPA would have to regulate Inhance's containers under Section 6 of the TSCA, which it said requires the EPA to take into account the economic impact any regulations would have on Inhance.

PEER noted that Section 6 also states that health risks should be considered.

"The court erroneously limits EPA's authority to issue significant new use rules (SNURs) under the TSCA, seriously weakening this important tool for managing chemical risks to health and the environment which has been a mainstay of the TSCA program since the law's enactment in 1976," the group said.

Another case is playing out in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, where the EPA sued Inhance in 2022 for violating the TSCA. The Center for Environmental Health and PEER also took legal action against Inhance for the same reason, and against the EPA last month for withholding test data regarding PFAS in plastic containers.

"There are several paths forward," said PEER, "and our groups are fully committed to taking all steps available to assure that the Inhance fluorination no longer produces dangerous PFAS which put workers, consumers, and communities at risk."

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public employees for environmental responsibilty (peer)

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Right-Wing Court's PFAS Ruling Will Impede Regulation of Harmful Chemicals, Advocates Say

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Public health groups are "fully committed to taking all steps available to assure that the Inhance fluorination no longer produces dangerous PFAS which put workers, consumers, and communities at risk."

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Tucson elementary schools are localizing climate change with hopeful environmental education

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Tucson elementary schools are localizing climate change with hopeful environmental education

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Students at Manzo Elementary share their lunch space with Mr. Manzo, the tortoise who roams around his habitat and occasionally visits students on the grass. When it's time for recess, they run to the playground across from the agrivoltaics plot where shishito peppers and mangoes are growing under towering solar panels.

The students at this K-5 school, many from low-income families, are learning about climate science and sustainability using their gardens - and they're becoming stewards of their own environment.

While it is important to treat the issue of climate change with sensitivity in elementary schools, science-education expert Kristin Gunckel believes the facts cannot be kept secret from students.

Presenting science in a way that "empowers students and opens opportunities for hope" is conducive to their learning, she said.

It all began with the tortoise habitat.

The Manzo Ecology Program was established in 2006 under the leadership of Moses Thompson. Thompson is the director of the University of Arizona School Garden Workshop, an initiative that partners with Tucson's public schools to implement sustainable agricultural systems.

Thompson was a counselor at the time and he started the program with the therapeutic aspects of nature in mind. With his tortoise project, he invited students to lug rocks one-by-one through the hallway onto the waist-high wall surrounding their new shelled friend.

Manzo, in the Tucson Unified School District, is located at 855 N. Melrose Road just south of Speedway on the west side of Interstate 10. Today, it has 15 rainwater harvesting systems, a farmstand fifth graders use for community food events, three chickens as lawn mowers and an agricultural calendar painted by Tohono O'odham students and friends.

If they finish their classwork early or are having a stressful day, students at Manzo can tend to the school gardens where heaps of chard are ready to be harvested. Among many options, they may choose to water plants in the greenhouse, break down compost or count the chicken eggs.

"I really leave it up to the students. If they want to be more involved, I kind of like to feed off their energy," said Randal Davidson, the school's garden coordinator.

Davidson takes pride in the Manzo way of caring for the environment, and caring for its students along the way. Students who spend time among the plants and animals at Manzo are granted this environmental therapy, and a synergy emerges when those who have an especially difficult home life channel their energy into the earth, Davidson said.

"They don't have anywhere else to process those emotions," he said.

In addition to learning such sciences as vermicomposting and aquaponics, Davidson's students also relate their progress to localized climate change.

Over the summer at Manzo, Cooper's hawks were nesting in the trees as climate records were breaking. Because it was so hot, many nestlings were starting to jump out of their nests prematurely without flight experience. Some nestlings made it, but others did not.

This was an instance Davidson chose to be honest.

He explained why the hawks were jumping and that the heat came earlier than expected.

"It's kind of a hard lesson to learn for younger kids, but it's also very distinctive for them because they see it happening," he said.

"We see it. I see it. And I make sure to point it out to them," said Davidson, regarding climate change.

Avoiding the sugar coat and helping students recognize their connection to the environment in their daily life prompts them to act in an attainable way, he said.

"It's better for them to see it how it is right now because I didn't see it how it was at their age. Now we have to deal with it," said Davidson.

Discussing climate change in the classroom

In the Arizona Science Standards, there is no explicit mention of climate change or global warming.

Gunckel, a professor of science education at the University of Arizona, says this is a problem.

Gunckel believes in a holistic approach to climate change education where it is integrated into all subjects, but her focus on science classrooms is empowering and honest.

To Gunckel, it is imperative that young students learn about the effects of climate change on ecosystems and human systems alike.

"It's not that we expect them to solve it," she said. "We should solve it, but they have to live in this world. If we can prepare them to do that in a way that will help them understand what's going on, we should do that."

Along with what Gunckel says are the "pedagogies of hope," she mentioned a framework she calls "ethics of care," which asks questions like "How do we care for each other in this changing world?"

Jaime Camero poses a similar idea in her sixth-grade science classroom: "What it means to be a steward of the planet and what it means to engage in activities where we're taking care of ourselves and each other in taking care of the planet."

Camero teaches at Walter Douglas Elementary School in the Flowing Wells School District located at 3302 N. Flowing Wells Road. Camero said climate change education is a district curriculum requirement.

Although she has always prioritized environmental education throughout her eight years teaching science, Camero is now surrounded by colleagues who value these topics and hope to engage their students in local efforts.

Camero said teaching children at an early age about an issue like climate change is key to building their mindset as they grow.

"You can't have a connection with something that you don't have experience with," she said.

When she was a young student, Camero was playing outdoors and connecting with nature with her father's guidance.

To give her students that opportunity, Camero takes her classes on field trips. One trip she described is called "Lost Carnivores," in which students set up wildlife cameras around Saguaro National Park. They base their placement on research they did in class and once the data is sent back to them, they can analyze the state of local biodiversity and gain data literacy.

Aside from taking field trips, her sixth graders study the causes of climate change and biodiversity loss in the Santa Cruz River system.

Like Gunckel, Camero said it is important for her students to understand the human impacts on the environment as a hopeful opportunity, especially because students may easily see environmental change as a lost cause.

"I want them to understand that they have the power to make changes - not just adults," she said.

Environmentalism through the humanities lens

Annie Holub is implementing environmental perspectives in her English classes at Pima Community College.

She recently assigned her Writing 101 students an analysis of a video about water use in Arizona to expand on an argumentation lesson. She asked questions like "What is the thesis" and "How is the argument supported?"

Holub also recently crafted a curriculum surrounding the future of solar power, which was taken on by her colleague at City High School, a local charter school, in October. In this curriculum, high school seniors read stories of imagined solar-powered futures and went on to write their own stories, imagining potential outcomes of a world that is solar-powered. Students ventured ways to make life better in that situation and considered the factors of building that sort of future, Holub said.

"It doesn't have to be dark; it can be hopeful," Holub said, alluding to the tendencies of science fiction.

She said young people especially have the power to imagine any future, ask "what if" and turn things around.

"Things don't have to be the way they are," she said. "Things have not always been the way that they are."

Budding environmentalists, flourishing impact

Camero's students are acting on their own initiative and striving for change. After spending class time writing letters to organizations asking what kids can do for the environment as desert dwellers, students felt compelled to keep the conversation going.

One student noticed there were no recycling bins at Starbucks, so she inspired the entire class to write letters and ask those big questions. Camero said each year her students have sent letters to organizations and companies, they have gotten a response back.

Manzo students are taking action, too.

"We've had students who started at Manzo, and now they're leading social justice groups in town - they're involved in community organizing," Davidson said.

As he walked along the solar panels and fruitful gardens, Davidson said students at Manzo have an advantage receiving environmental education in elementary school, and not only as an academic benefit.

"They care about this community," he said, "and they want to see it grow."

Republish This Story

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Tucson elementary schools are localizing climate change with hopeful environmental education - AZ Luminaria

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Students at Manzo Elementary share their lunch space with Mr. Manzo, the tortoise who roams around his habitat and occasionally visits students on the grass. When it's time for recess, they run to the playground across from the agrivoltaics plot where shishito peppers and mangoes are growing under towering solar panels.

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Environmental Justice Task Force-Tucson Addresses PFAS Contamination 

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Environmental Justice Task Force-Tucson Addresses PFAS Contamination 

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EJTF-Tucson, is a community-led group organized with a purpose of advocating for City of Tucson residents impacted by Per-and-Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) contamination of their primary source of drinking water.

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Environmental Justice Task Force-Tucson Addresses PFAS Contamination

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Environmental Justice Task Force-Tucson Addresses PFAS Contamination. 70 likes · 1 talking about this. EJTF-Tucson, is a community-led group organized with a purpose of advocating for City of Tucson resi

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This new native plant 'food truck' aims to make plants more accessible to Tucsonans

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This new native plant 'food truck' aims to make plants more accessible to Tucsonans

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A new local plant trailer is rolling through Tucson, bringing native plants and habitat-building resources to communities in need — for free.

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A new local plant trailer is rolling through Tucson, bringing native plants and habitat-building resources to communities in need - for free.

The Habitat on Wheels program is an initiative of the Tucson Audubon Society - a local nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about bird conservation and habitat restoration.

The new program, which falls under the society's Habitat at Home program, aspires to make native plants more accessible to the community while creating more green spaces in areas affected by urban heat throughout Tucson. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, heat islands are "urbanized areas that experience higher temperatures than outlying areas."

"It started off with just an idea in my head of having something like a food truck," said Kim Matsushino, manager of the Tucson Audubon Society's Habitat at Home program. "But instead of delivering food, it would deliver native plants to people (and places) that native plants aren't accessible - so, communities that are most impacted by urban heat, which tend to be in lower-income communities."

Other goals of the program include creating a safe urban habitat for pollinators and connecting local families to nature and birdwatching, according to Tucson Audubon Society's website.

While Matsushino came up with the idea of the native plant "food truck" a couple years ago, the trailer began rolling out in the community late last year, thanks to grant funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program, plus monetary support from local donors.

The program has also partnered with local groups like City of Tucson Parks and Recreation, Pima County Natural Resources, Parks, and Recreation and Pima County Public Libraries. They're also partnering with David Garcia of Barrio Restoration, who creates colorful planters made from old tires.

"People are very excited about it," Matsushino said. "People love the idea of it. We did an article about it in one of our weekly emails to our members and immediately, I got all these requests to pop up at their HOA events and their neighborhood plant sales. So, the response has been great."

Due to the program's increasing popularity, Matsushino plans to create an online form that people can fill out to request a stop from the Habitat on Wheels trailer in their neighborhood or at their local event. To see if your area is impacted by urban heat, check out this map from the City of Tucson Climate Action Hub.

The retrofitted plant trailer is hard to miss with its colorful desert-inspired wrap created by Pen Macias, also known as The Desert Pen.

The inside houses what Mastushino calls "classic native plants" like globe mallows, penstemons and more. Some plants are ones that the Tucson Audubon Society propagates themselves, while others come from local nurseries depending on the season and availability.

"They're all going to be native to southeast Arizona, this region. They're going to be super hearty, low water-use and attractive. We wanted to use pretty plants (because) everyone loves a beautiful flower," she said, adding: "Every time they go back, we want to offer something different that offers something new to that habitat for birds. So, it should be a rotating species list, ideally."

Unlike many free resources, you don't have to file heaps of paperwork to participate. Instead, you simply show up and pick up a free plant or two. Locals also have the opportunity to chat with members of the Tucson Audubon Society about how to take care of their newly-acquired plant(s) and get tips for creating a green space in their home, whether that's a large house or a small apartment.

"We want to give away as many plants as possible," Matsushino said.

Keep up with the trailer's latest happenings, including future outings, on the Tucson Audubon Society's event page on their website. Currently, there isn't a set schedule for the Habitat on Wheels trailer, but Matsushino hopes to expand the overall Habitat program into even more homes, businesses, schools and community spaces.

"Having those green spaces and spaces that you can control not only will lower your temperatures for your home, but you're also going to be providing an essential and critical habitat for birds and pollinators that are continuously losing their habitats," she said. "And it also allows people to reconnect with nature. (For example), seeing a hummingbird for the first time is just a special experience, especially for kids.

"And then once you see that hummingbird, you're like, 'Oh, what else can I do?' And you just kind of expand on that and then all of a sudden, you have this beautiful backyard that's bringing in all these new birds and new pollinators. So, it's just something really special that people can do. And I want people to be able to do and experience that because I think everyone needs to experience nature and just realize that we're not alone."
For more information about the Habitat on Wheels program, check out the Tucson Audubon Society's website.

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This new native plant 'food truck' aims to make plants more accessible to Tucsonans 🌱

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The Tucson Audubon Society's new Habitat on Wheels trailer gives away free native plants to local communities impacted by urban heat. The program hopes to make native plants and habitat-building

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Five simple tips for talking about climate change.

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State accuses Exxon Mobil of deceiving public, perpetuating ‘myth’ of plastics recycling

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State accuses Exxon Mobil of deceiving public, perpetuating ‘myth’ of plastics recycling

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California’s attorney general has announced a first-of-its kind investigation into the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries for their alleged role in causing and exacerbating a global crisis in plastic waste pollution.

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(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

California's attorney general has announced a first-of-its kind investigation into the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries for their alleged role in causing and exacerbating a global crisis in plastic waste pollution.

Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta said Thursday that his office has subpoenaed Exxon Mobil Corp. seeking information related to the company's "historic and ongoing efforts" to minimize the public's understanding of the harmful consequences of plastic.

(Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)

"For more than half a century, the plastics industry has engaged in an aggressive campaign to deceive the public, perpetuating a myth that recycling can solve the plastics crisis," Bonta said.

Fossil fuels such as oil and gas are the raw material of most plastics. In recent decades, the accumulation of plastic waste has overwhelmed waterways and oceans, sickening marine life and threatening human health.

In a statement released late Thursday, Exxon Mobil denied the accusations.

"We reject the allegations made by the attorney general's office in its press release," said Julie L. King, a spokeswoman for the corporation. "We are focused on solutions and meritless allegations like these distract from the important collaborative work that is underway to enhance waste management and improve circularity."

King said Exxon Mobil has been collaborating with governments including the state of California, communities and other industries to support commercial-scale advanced recycling.

The announcement of the investigation comes amid an urgent and growing movement across California to curb plastic pollution by reducing it at its source. In the last two weeks, and county of Los Angeles have announced ordinances and directives to reduce plastic waste, while state legislators, lobbyists and negotiators debatea bill that could ban several forms of single-use plastics. Also, in November, Californians will have the opportunity to vote on a ballot initiative designed to curb plastic pollution.

Speaking at Dockweiler State Beach - an area of Los Angeles County coast sandwiched between a Chevron oil refinery and a major sewage outflow - Bonta said that despite the public's perception that plastics are heavily recycled, more than 90% of them end up either buried in landfills, burned or flushed into the ocean.

Internal documents from the 1970s warned industry executives that recycling was "infeasible," he noted, and that there was "serious doubt" that plastic recycling "can ever be made viable on an economic basis." Indeed, despite the industry's decades-long recycling campaign, the vast majority of plastic products, by design, cannot be recycled and the U.S. plastic recycling rate has never broken 9%.

"In California and across the globe, we are seeing the catastrophic results of the fossil fuel industry's decades-long campaign of deception. Plastic pollution is seeping into our waterways, poisoning our environment and blighting our landscapes," Bonta said. "Enough is enough."

No other state or country has undertaken such an investigation into the oil and plastics industry. However, California's probe does mirror other climate change investigations and lawsuits that governments across the nation have launched against the fossil fuel industry, accusing it of deception and seeking compensation for the risks and dangers caused by its products.

"This is connecting the dots at a higher level than we have ever seen before, in a way that could hold fossil fuel companies accountable for one of the greatest environmental crises of our time," said Jennifer Savage, who leads Surfrider Foundation's national efforts to stop plastic pollution.

"Most people don't realize how tightly plastic production is tied to the fossil fuel industry," she said. "People don't think of plastic pollution as a fossil fuel or climate change issue, but they're truly two sides of the same coin. ... The only way that we are going to solve the plastic pollution crisis is to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable. And this is a major step in that direction."

The attorney general's investigation is aimed at determining if any of Exxon Mobil's actions violated state law and were based on "good faith" understanding of open-source materials about the industry. The subpoena, Bonta noted, is just the beginning. He said his legal team was starting with Exxon Mobil because it is "one of the, if not the biggest producer of plastics in the world, as well as one of the leaders when it comes to deception. They have distinguished themselves because of the amount of plastic they have produced and put into the world."

The plastics industry began an aggressive campaign in the 1980s to sway public opinion when state legislatures and local governments tried to consider restricting or banning plastic products, Bonta said."We will be as comprehensive, as thorough, as broad, as is necessary, to get to the bottom of this issue of the harm that plastics has caused - and the deception - both past and ongoing," he said of the investigation.

Responding to the probe's announcement, Matthew Kastner, spokesman for the American Chemistry Council, a trade group representing Exxon Mobil and the petrochemical industry, said in a statement that "plastics belong in our economy, not our environment." He said his organization is committed to a more "sustainable future" that includes "bold" government actions, as well as increasing recycling and waste management infrastructure.

He did not specifically respond to questions about the subpoena or investigation.

Jay Ziegler, director of policy and external affairs for the Nature Conservancy in California, said that Thursday's action by the state reminded him of the major investigations that had exposed the tobacco industry.

"Wow, it's like 'Thank You For Smoking' all over again," Ziegler said, referring to the satirical novel by Christopher Buckley that follows a tobacco lobbyist who promotes the benefits of cigarette smoking.

Nick Lapis, director of advocacy for Californians Against Waste, agreed.

"This is no different than the tactics used by the tobacco industry to promote smoking and by these same oil companies to prevent action on climate change," he said. "They know that what they are doing is destroying the planet and affecting pubic health, but instead of investing in sustainable alternatives they spend their money to lobby against reform and to deceive the public."

Sean Hecht, co-executive director of UCLA School of Law's Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, noted similarities to the ongoing challenges against opioid manufacturers, as well as the recent climate disinformation cases making their way through court.

He also pointed to a lawsuit led by Santa Clara County against former lead paint manufacturers. The case, which was settled in 2019 after 20 years of litigation, "was seen as quite significant in establishing that there could be liability in a case like this," he said.

Plastics never fully degrade. They just break down into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics. These particles often contain harmful chemical additives such as flame retardants or plasticizers, and a widely cited scientific review of 52 studies concluded that humans on average consume a credit card's worth of microplastic each week.

In just the last few months, research has shown the presence of plastic particles in human blood, healthy lung tissue and - the first bowel movement of a newborn. They are also found in marine organisms, ocean water, air and soil.

Some researchers project that by 2050, there may be more plastic by weight in the world's oceans than there are fish. UC Davis researchers once seafood sold at markets in Half Moon Bay and found that one-quarter of fish and one-third of shellfish contained plastic debris.

Nevertheless,plastic production has continued to grow, and records show that the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries are still expanding their plastics infrastructure and capabilities. In the U.S. alone, companies from across the globe have invested $208 billion since 2010 in new facilities, expansions and factory restarts.

State Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica), who has championed this issue for years, said that all the momentum now coming together across the state speaks to how pressing the plastics issue has become.

"We all recognize what an urgent issue this is," he said, "and that's why we're so deeply committed."

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State accuses Exxon Mobil of deceiving public, perpetuating 'myth' of plastics recycling

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Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta claims Exxon Mobil and other corporations have perpetuated the 'myth' that recycling will solve the plastics crisis.

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How do you recycle plastic waste? Tucson is working to turn it into building blocks

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How do you recycle plastic waste? Tucson is working to turn it into building blocks

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Mayor Regina Romero and the City Council approved a four-year service agreement May 9 with ByFusion, a Los Angeles-based company that converts plastic waste into construction material. The partnership will advance Tucson's goals to "move past the traditional landfill model and into an era of regenerative waste-to-asset activities," the agreement said.

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A pilot program that turns unrecyclable plastic waste into multicolored building blocks is growing citywide in Tucson.

Mayor Regina Romero and the City Council approved a four-year service agreement May 9 with ByFusion, a Los Angeles-based company that converts plastic waste into construction material. The partnership will advance Tucson's goals to "move past the traditional landfill model and into an era of regenerative waste-to-asset activities," the agreement said.

ByFusion started partnering with Tucson's Ward 6 about 10 months ago to collect and transform unrecyclable plastics. The waste is collected in a bright orange 22 cubic-yard container at the back of the building, then picked up by the city's Environmental Services trucks and emptied at Tank's Speedway Recycling and Landfill. There, Tank's bales the waste into 12-ton loads and ships it to California so ByFusion can turn it into blocks.

ByFusion will now build the blocks in Tucson. The city signed a $1 million contract and will pay $2.4 million extra to build a facility at Los Reales Sustainability Campus, where the company will operate a Blocker machine, called a Micro Diversion Platform.

Though for now, the plastic must be left at city drop-off sites, the company is considering offering curbside pickup services to residents, too. All the hard-to-recycle plastic waste, numbered 3 through 7, which can't go into the blue bin, can be deposited there. Styrofoam is not included in the list.

Because of the pilot's program success, the city added two more drop-off sites at the Ward 4 office at 8123 E Poinciana Drive, and Fire Station 15, at 2002 S Mission Road. The three sites will continue to receive residents' unrecyclable plastics, along with the Los Reales facility once the blocker machine arrives.

The blocker could be up and running before Christmas, said Steve Kozachik, Tucson's vice mayor and Ward 6 councilmember.
State support for recycling: Arizona lawmakers want to restore recycling fund. But environmentalists fear one addition
Community participation made it happen

Kozachik launched a new recycling program a few years back for crushed glass at the back of the Ward 6 office. The program grew into a community-wide glass collection program. A constituent who became involved asked if he'd considered working with unrecyclable plastics too.

"Everything in the waste stream is a potential resource, it just has to find the right niche at the right price at the right time to become useful," said Val Little, a Ward 6 resident and chairwoman of Tucson's Groundwater Advisory Council.

She had followed recycling initiatives and news for years, and when she read about ByFusion she decided to pitch the idea to Kozachik. It was common-sense technology that was right up Tucson's alley, she said. The results from the pilot ended up showing it, too.

The pilot program began in August 2022 with the goal of collecting 20 tons of waste and getting 500 signatures of support from constituents. By early December they had collected 35 tons and collected about 1,000 signatures.

When they looked at the zip codes of people who signed in support, every single zip code in Pima County was represented, Kozachik said.

"That means that people are driving in from Oro Valley, from Marana, from Green Valley, unincorporated Pima County, the top of Mount Lemmon," he said.

"The point was made. We demonstrated to the city environmental resources folks that the community really wants this."

In total, the city has collected over 90 tons from the three locations. The council vote on the agreement was unanimous.
Electronics in the waste stream: Your old cellphone and printer are e-waste. Here's why you should recycle them responsibly
"It just has clicked with the community, not only with the constituents but with staff within environmental services and other departments that are impacted too," Little said.

Why some people make the effort to recycle

On a recent morning, Jeremy Bower rolled a 32-gallon trash can to the container at the back of the Ward 6 office. A couple of days back he'd read about the program going citywide, so he started sorting and storing his plastics right away and made the drive to drop it off.

In the span of 20 minutes, eight other cars pulled over to drop off bags.

"Obviously we have to make the effort to come here but it's worth it to me," Jennifer Tuttle said. "You do not realize how much (plastic) waste you have. I feel really good about making something more productive out of it. I love it."

She doesn't care too much about having a curbside pickup service but believes it will increase compliance and participation.

Manny Carrillo drives 10 miles to drop off all kinds of recyclables at Ward 6. Because he lives out of the city service area, he used to pay a company to pick up his garbage and recyclable waste. He said he started taking it to Ward 6 after a truck driver told him: "You guys are paying for recycling but it's not actually being recycled it's going straight to the landfill." He still does this every week to keep his wife happy, he said.

Because participation has been so good, Tank's Speedway Recycling and Landfill has received about 95 tons of bread bags, coffee lids, single-use bags, bubble wrap and snack packing, among other plastics that do not go in the blue bin. They have baled and shipped about 20 tons to Los Angeles so ByFusion could turn it into 1,200 blocks. The city has built new benches at Himmel Park with them, as well as outdoor planters.

Operations manager Tod Payme said they have five more loads, each made of about 12 more tons of waste compressed and wrapped with wire, ready to go. The rest are still out in the open.

Payme said it is "awesome" the program is detouring the plastics away from the landfill and transforming the materials into new products. Tank's used to receive and sort plastic 1 and 2, PET and HDPE, and cardboard. Then they would send it to a recycling facility. But since China imposed its the National Sword policy, the prices for recycling just crashed.

The loads still at Tank's will be sent to L.A. to make new blocks. Kozachik said the city already has plans for them: to build a perimeter wall at the University of Arizona, expand the Sister José Women's Center, build a tack room at Therapeutic Riding of Tucson, and build new park benches and ramadas.

The Zero Waste group at Sustainable Tucson, a local grassroots nonprofit founded in 2006, said it appreciates the efforts to divert waste from the landfill but hopes the city and Arizona will do more to address the root cause: overproduction and consumption of plastics.

In Arizona, it is still illegal to ban single-use plastics. About a decade ago, Bisbee was threatened with losing $2 million in state tax revenue if it enforced a new ordinance to take plastic bags out of grocery stores.
Obstacles to recycling: Arizona cities struggle to maintain recycling programs because of high costs
Kevin Greene, chair of the working group, said they'd like the City of Tucson to work with local businesses and institutions to pilot reusable and refillable container systems and invest in Zero Waste education.

"Unfortunately, the city is placing too much emphasis on researching downstream waste management," Green said. Such solutions create products of less value and don't address the production of trash. "We need to work more on upstream solutions to the plastic problem."

ByBlock's end use and markets

The micro-diversion platforms, or MDPs, use steam and compression to produce 22-pound blocks. They don't use any additives and they don't have to sort or clean the unrecyclable plastics they get. One of the main challenges of traditional plastic recycling is that contamination with food scraps or other residues can send whole loads to the landfill.

Of the new blocks that come out from Tucson's blocker, ByFusion will give 10% to the city, as per the agreement.

The company plans to develop three revenue streams in Tucson by selling the rest of the blocks into the construction market, offering curbside pickup service to residents, and getting commercial contracts with local companies, shopping centers and business.

Kozachik said he has introduced ByFusion to retailers like Costco, RoadHouse Cinemas, Poly Print and Ace Hardware.

"The real opportunity and value from the standpoint of being able to recruit as much plastic as possible and keep it from being burned or buried is on the commercial side," said Vaughan Stanford, ByFusion's chief revenue officer.

"That's where the biggest impact will be made on the commercial level," Stanford said. "But the residential opportunity is there as well."

Standford said ideally the blocks they produce in Tucson will stay in Tucson. ByBlocks have been used for many outdoor buildings and landscaping, but the company has also promoted them for construction. Standford said one of the end uses is for accessory dwelling units, like a two-bedroom, one-bath house being built in Flagstaff. ByFusion was recently recognized with a sustainability award by the U.S. Building Council of Los Angeles.

Tucson is the first city to land a service agreement with ByFusion, but the company has already worked for two years in the greater Boise area in Idaho providing the same service. The difference is that Tucson is collecting waste through three drop-off points so waste will come in directly to the blocker.

In Boise, ByFusion has partnered with Dow and the Hefty ReNew program, which offers special pickup services to residents so the plastic is turned into blocks. To continue operations in the area, ByFusion signed a service of agreement with Reynolds Consumer Products and Dow on Jan. 9.

The company plans to start pilot projects in other cities too.

"Boise and Tucson are the furthest along, but we're we're anticipating that we'll have probably three more up and three to four more up and running by end of year," he said, declining to disclose the other four agreements.

"The biggest challenge for us is the number of micro-diversion platforms that we have and building to be able to make the blocks."
Environmental coverage on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Follow The Republic environmental reporting team at environment.azcentral.com and @azcenvironment on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
At some point they could continue to expand beyond Tucson, Standford said.

"The city of Phoenix itself could support multiple MDPs. Tucson can probably even support another MDP once we get off and going. The model for us is basically to land and expand."

Clara Migoya covers environment issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send tips or questions to clara.migoya@arizonarepublic.com.

Support environmental journalism in Arizona. Subscribe to azcentral today.

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How do you recycle plastic waste? Tucson is working to turn it into building blocks

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A pilot program exceeded expectations, so Tucson officials approved a deal with a private plastic recycling company.

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Teach for Climate Justice: A Vision for Transforming Education by Tom Roderick

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Teach for Climate Justice: A Vision for Transforming Education by Tom Roderick

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A proactive, inclusive plan for the cross-disciplinary teaching of climate change from preschool to high school. Drawing on examples of real-life educators teaching climate change, Roderick identifies eight key dimensions of climate education that will prepare students to face the challenges of the climate crisis and give them the means to take action. This timely and uplifting book lays out a powerful vision for teaching, learning, and curriculum development to nurture a generation of courageous, informed advocates for climate justice.

PCC Library Resource: Stable URL

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Latinos Among Those Disproportionately Affected by Extreme Heat and Wildfire Smoke

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Latinos Among Those Disproportionately Affected by Extreme Heat and Wildfire Smoke

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A new study concluded that nonwhite communities have seen an outsized impact on their cardiovascular and respiratory systems

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Latinos in the U.S. are among those most impacted by the combined effect of extreme heat and wildfire smoke, which pose a greater risk to people than separate.

According to a study published in the journal Science Advances and reported by The Associated Press, climate change is increasing the frequency of both hazards, especially in the state of California. This has led to increased hospitalizations, with nonwhite communities being disproportionately impacted.

The reasons, the study says, vary. " Structural racism, discriminatory practices, lack of medical insurance, less understanding of the health damages and a higher prevalence of multiple coexisting conditions are among" them, AP reported, with "Infrastructure, the surrounding environment and available resources" also being factors.

The study analyzed California health records during episodes of extreme heat and toxic air from wildfires between 2006 and 2019. It showed that hospitalizations increased by 7% on days where both conditions took place, and were higher in ZIP codes where people were poorer, nonwhite and didn't have healthcare.

Climate change is set to create these conditions more often, as reports show that global temperatures will continue increasing unless drastic action is taken to reverse course. And Latinos in the U.S. are among the groups that, if present conditions continue, will bear a disproportionate impact.

In California, Latino residents live in areas that are 6.5°F hotter due to the lack of tree shade and green spaces in their neighborhoods. And at a national level, Latinos are 21% more likely to live in areas prone to heat waves compared to non-Hispanics.

Moreover, a study from the University of Arizona found that Blacks and Hispanics are more likely to live in low-income areas that are at high risk of flooding. The report highlights that 25% of Latinos in the U.S. live in a county that has experienced a a federal disaster declaration for flooding in 2023, compared to 10% of non-Latinos who have been through this situation. At a national level, 44% of Latinos live in counties with high flood risks, in contrast with 35% of non-Latinos.

Latinos are also victims of bad environmental laws, as seen in Chicago, where they are exposed to more risks through fossil fuel pollution. A recent study from the city of Chicago found that Latino neighborhoods have high levels of particulate matter in the air of their communities, which leads to an increased risk of contracting chronic illnesses.

"Communities with low socioeconomic status and high rates of chronic health conditions are especially vulnerable to the impacts of air pollution," reads the report.

© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

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Latinos Among Those Disproportionately Affected by Extreme Heat and Wildfire Smoke

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A new study concluded that nonwhite communities have seen an outsized impact on their cardiovascular and respiratory systems

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Fresh Banana Leaves:  Healing Indigenous Landscapes through Indigenous Science by Jessica Hernandez

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Fresh Banana Leaves:  Healing Indigenous Landscapes through Indigenous Science by Jessica Hernandez

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Jessica Hernandez-Maya Ch'orti' and Zapotec environmental scientist and founder of environmental agency Piña Soul-introduces and contextualizes Indigenous environmental knowledge and proposes a vision of land stewardship that heals rather than displaces, that generates rather than destroys. Through case studies, historical overviews, and stories that center the voices and lived experiences of Indigenous Latin American women and land protectors, Hernandez makes the case that if we're to recover the health of our planet-for everyone-we need to stop the eco-colonialism ravaging Indigenous lands and restore our relationship with Earth to one of harmony and respect

PCC Library Resource Stable URL

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“An Unnatural Tradeoff: Latinos and Environmental Justice” by Paul Ong and Evelyn Blumberg.

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“An Unnatural Tradeoff: Latinos and Environmental Justice” by Paul Ong and Evelyn Blumberg.

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Originally published in Latinos in a Changing Society,  pp 207-225. Sage Publications, 1993. Republished and available through PCC library in Chicano Studies: Survey and Analysis.

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“The Death of Smeltertown: A Case Study of Lead Poisoning in a Chicano Community” by Mary Romero

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“The Death of Smeltertown: A Case Study of Lead Poisoning in a Chicano Community” by Mary Romero

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Originally published in The Chicano Struggle: Analysis of Past and Present Efforts. eds. John Garcia, et al. Bilingual Press, 1984. Republished and available through PCC library in Chicano Studies: Survey and Analysis.

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Information about the Environmental Justice for All Act (H.R. 2021/S.872) as redress for the planned environmental discrimination brought about during the New Deal.

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Friends Committee On National Legislation

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Environmental injustice takes the form of gas flares only blocks away from homes, rural communities saddled with foul drinking water, and neighborhoods divided by highways. It has a common thread-people whose needs have been disregarded living in communities whose environ-ments have been degraded.

In many ways, environmental discrimination was planned and engineered as the United States modernized. During the New Deal, home ownership programs valued communities based on their racial and ethnic makeup, creating "redlined" communities that attracted little investment. Federal highway programs bulldozed Black, brown, and ethnic communities like Lower Albina in Portland, Oregon, and Tremé in New Orleans.

In 1982, a Black community in Warren County, NC, said "enough" and protested the siting of a hazardous waste landfill near their town. Although they lost, their protests gave birth to today's environmental justice movement.

It is a movement that was started largely by people of color. The concept was crystallized by Dr. Robert Bullard, considered the father of environmental justice, who said "environmental justice embraces the principle that all people and communities have a right to equal protection and equal enforcement of environmental laws and regulations."

The growth of the oil and gas industry brought its own, more lethal, form of dirt and dust wherever it established operations. The experience of the Diamond community in Norco, Louisiana, offers a textbook example.

The oil refineries there were built on the site of two former plantations-one of which was the location of the largest slave revolt in U.S. history.

I visited the area in November 2021 as a guest of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice. Norco has been home to a Black community since the era of slavery. The oil refineries there were built on the site of two former plantations-one of which was the location of the largest slave revolt in U.S. history.

Gradually expanding refinery operations in the early 20th century compelled residents to move across the road into the area known as Diamond. The community spent decades battling with Shell while enduring toxic air pollution and two plant explosions. In 2002, the company agreed to buy out most Diamond residents.

What remains of Diamond consists of four streets and a handful of residents living only 25 feet away from the petrochemical facility's fence.

Diamond is just one of the communities in a 90-mile corridor stretching from New Orleans and Baton Rouge lined with oil and gas facilities. Incidents of cancer, heart disease, and respiratory ailments in the area regularly exceed acceptable levels. The area is called Cancer Alley.

Despite our country's long history of environmental injustice, the first significant federal response was Executive Order 12898 issued by Pres. Bill Clinton in 1994. The order, "Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations," directed federal agencies to "make achieving environmental justice part of its mission."

In 2020, pressure to respond to climate change merged with our country's ongoing racial struggle catapulted environmental justice onto the nation's conscience. In response, the Biden administration placed environmental justice at the center of its plans to address climate change. In addition, its Justice 40 Initiative aims to direct 40% of the overall benefits of government investments toward disadvantaged communities.

Congress has also turned its attention to environmental justice. It passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L 117-58) which includes $1 billion to reconnect communities divided by highways and $12 billion for clean water programs. It also passed the Inflation Reduction Act (P.L. 117-169) which invests $60 billion in environmental justice programs.

These investments mark a significant turning point as the government moves from being the cause of environmental discrimination to being part of the solution.

It is with this goal in mind that we support the Environmental Justice for All Act (H.R. 2021/S.872).

Efforts to bring environmental justice to disadvantaged communities have, however, only just begun. Ensuring that the programs passed by Congress work for the communities who need them is vital. To expand environmental justice programs and ensure their longevity, we will need the support of more members of Congress from both political parties.

It is also important to ensure that the harm done to communities in the past is not perpetuated as we transition to cleaner energy sources.

It is with this goal in mind that we support the Environmental Justice for All Act (H.R. 2021/S.872).

This bill can help to ensure that as we build a clean energy economy, everyone will have the right to clean air, clean water, and healthy soil.

In line with the Quaker commitment to social justice and an Earth restored, FCNL will continue to stand as an ally to the environmental justice community as we seek a just and sustainable clean energy economy.

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Environmental Justice for All People | Friends Committee On National Legislation

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Environmental injustice takes the form of gas flares only blocks away from homes, rural communities saddled with foul drinking water, and neighborhoods divided by highways. It has a common thread-people whose needs have been disregarded living in communities whose environ-ments have been degraded.

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Traditional Hopi farmer Michael Kotutwa Johnson receives Rockefeller grant

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Traditional Hopi farmer Michael Kotutwa Johnson receives Rockefeller grant

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Through a new community-led project, Kotutwa Johnson hopes to restore lost varieties of seeds essential to the resilience of Indigenous communities in the face of increasingly scarce water resources, as well as advance the understanding and practice of traditional dryland farming.

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A new project fueled by a nearly $500,000 grant from The Rockefeller Foundation's Climate Exploration Fund aims to breathe new life into tribal communities' food systems and bring recognition for Indigenous agricultural contributions.

For centuries, Indigenous people in the American Southwest developed and refined agricultural practices to grow crops on less than 10 inches of annual rain, cultivating seeds that can thrive in Arizona's unique environment.

"To the Hopi people, the seeds they have nurtured are part of their heritage," said Michael Kotutwa Johnson, a traditional Hopi farmer and assistant specialist for Indigenous Resilience with the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension. "These seeds represent life to us, but they're scattered and disconnected from where they were originally grown."

Through a new community-led project, Kotutwa Johnson hopes to restore lost varieties of seeds essential to the resilience of Indigenous communities in the face of increasingly scarce water resources, as well as advance the understanding and practice of traditional dryland farming.

"We need to increase the biodiversity that we once had in our cropping system to become more sustainable," he said, "and when I talk about sustainability, it's not just from a health standpoint, which is part of this study too, but also one of resilience and bringing recognition that we are scientists in our own right."

Kotutwa Johnson envisions the project as a transformative effort, actively engaging with tribal communities to address their challenges with data sovereignty. Alongside his colleagues, Stephanie Russo Carroll, associate professor in the Zuckerman College of Public Health and Associate Director of the Native Nations Institute at the Udall Center, and Matthew Rowe, assistant professor at the School of Anthropology, Kotutwa Johnson will take a community-focused approach, prioritizing the revitalization of Pueblo seed biodiversity and sustainability.

"Revitalizing native foodways, preserving and expanding the cultivation of nutrient-dense Indigenous seeds, and upholding Indigenous data sovereignty - or how digital data is generated, processed, and stored - are essential pillars in the fight against the climate crisis," said Alexandra Payne, Senior Associate at The Rockefeller Foundation.

"These efforts not only foster ecological resilience but also empower tribal communities, who are both on the frontlines of the climate crisis and hold the knowledge for a better path forward, to safeguard their heritage and promote regenerative practices that can help build a more resilient future."
Tribal heritage and data sovereignty
One important challenge encountered by tribal communities is the diminishing biodiversity within their cropping systems. This project seeks to address this challenge by cultivating Indigenous seeds. A key objective is to grow at least two or three varieties of Indigenous seeds and reintroduce them into the community, with a particular focus on the younger generation.

"One of the main things that I see in tribal communities, when it comes to revitalizing anything, is that they lack supplies, especially things like seeds," Kotutwa Johnson said. "We at one time had 17 different varieties of Hopi corn seeds. Now we only grow two or three of those. To me, it's important that we engage with the youth, and that they have incentives to plant more. Without those supplies of seeds, we cannot do that."

Kotutwa Johnson's vision goes beyond cultivation. A key aspect of the initiative involves addressing data sovereignty and self-determination. The project acknowledges the importance of safeguarding the data generated from this study and ensuring it remains in the hands of the community, which he hopes will be the first step towards protecting Indigenous intellectual property.

"It'll be good to bring a tribal agricultural network in so that we can also not only talk about revitalization but come up with and try to adopt an agricultural code. This way, we can protect our rights and intellectual property" he said.
Breaking free from museum walls
As the project progresses, Kotutwa Johnson stresses the importance of recognition and community-building, moving beyond a narrative of victimhood and working to elevate Indigenous resilience instead. His approach involves actively engaging with tribes, sharing information, and acknowledging the unique challenges faced by Indigenous communities.

"To me, it's a demonstration of Indigenous resiliency," he said. "You know, it's a project that shows how things were done, how things are still being currently administered, and how we're creating our own sense of resilience, despite all of the barriers that we have confronted."

He also advocates for a move away from historical representation of Indigenous people, emphasizing the need to bring Indigenous narratives back into everyday life. This underscores Kotutwa Johnson's goal of bringing back an Indigenous sustainable agricultural system that has withstood the test of time.

"You know, I am tired of going to the museum and seeing Indigenous people in black and white pictures with feathers and long hair and all that stuff," Kotutwa Johnson said. "We need to get off the wall. We need to get back into your living room. It's about building a community through a system that has been sustainable for all these years."

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Traditional Hopi farmer Michael Kotutwa Johnson receives Rockefeller grant

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A new project fueled by a nearly $500,000 grant from The Rockefeller Foundation's Climate Exploration Fund aims to breathe new life into tribal communities' food systems and bring recognition for Indigenous agricultural contributions.

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PFAS contamination in south Tucson challenges historic cleanup, revives health concerns

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PFAS contamination in south Tucson challenges historic cleanup, revives health concerns

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Remediation has been ongoing since being declared a Superfund site in 1983, and the government keeps identifying new unregulated contaminants to add to the list

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PFAS contamination in south Tucson challenges historic cleanup, revives health concerns

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Tucson and its utility have invested in testing and treatment, but there is no regulation or remediation plan in place to deal with PFAS.

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Khanna and UAW President Demand 'New Model' That Puts Workers, Climate Over Profits

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Khanna and UAW President Demand 'New Model' That Puts Workers, Climate Over Profits

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"We will not let corporate greed manipulate the transition to a green economy into a roll back of economic justice."

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Khanna and UAW President Demand 'New Model' That Puts Workers, Climate Over Profits

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"We will not let corporate greed manipulate the transition to a green economy into a roll back of economic justice."

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Black, Brown, and Indigenous Climate Justice Activists Take Center Stage in NYC

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Black, Brown, and Indigenous Climate Justice Activists Take Center Stage in NYC

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Our multiracial movement of climate leaders and defenders is turning up the volume over the bullhorn at September's March to End Fossil Fuels—bringing the crisis to the footsteps of the U.N. Climate Ambition Summit.

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Black, Brown, and Indigenous Climate Justice Activists Take Center Stage in NYC

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Our multiracial movement of climate leaders and defenders is turning up the volume over the bullhorn at next week's March to End Fossil Fuels-bringing the crisis to the footsteps of the U.N. Climate Ambition Summit.

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How urban heat islands make the impacts of excessive heat worse

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How urban heat islands make the impacts of excessive heat worse

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Living in certain parts of a city can make the impacts of extreme heat worse. That’s because of a phenomenon called the urban heat island effect. A recent report by the research group Climate Central showed that more than 40 million Americans live in these hot spots. William Brangham discussed what this means for those residents with Michael Mendez of the University of California, Irvine.

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In addition to the dangers faced by where someone works, sometimes, where you live can also make the impacts of extreme heat worse, like living in certain parts of a city.

That's because of a phenomenon called the urban heat island effect. A recent report by the research group Climate Central showed that more than 40 million Americans live in these hot spots.

So, what does this mean for those residents? And is there any way that they can get relief?

For that we turn to Michael Mendez. He's assistant professor of environmental planning and policy at the University of California, Irvine,

Professor Mendez, very good to have you on the "NewsHour."

Can you help us understand, what is the urban heat island effect?

Michael Mendez, University of California, Irvine: Thank you for having me here today. It's a pleasure to be here to talk to you about this important issue that is affecting many people across the nation of - 40 percent of residents in the United States are under a heat advisory.

And many of them are living in urban areas that don't have adequate infrastructure, let alone environmental amenities like trees and other forms of greenery that provide shade. So, an urban heat island effect is where you have a lot of urbanized and suburban areas that are paved over with asphalt, concrete, other - other types of building materials that absorb the heat.

And with little vegetation and trees for shade, and other types of cooling material, these areas and communities could be anywhere between five and even 20 degrees hotter than other neighborhoods that have more green space for shade.

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How urban heat islands make the impacts of excessive heat worse

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Living in certain parts of a city can make the impacts of extreme heat worse. That's because of a phenomenon called the urban heat island effect. A recent report by the research group Climate Central showed that more than 40 million Americans live in these hot spots.

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Why some areas of Austin get way hotter than others

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Why some areas of Austin get way hotter than others

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Cities across the U.S. broke thousands of heat records this summer, but in many of them, some areas were hotter than others. These areas are known as urban heat islands, which can mean higher energy bills and unsafe conditions for residents. Blair Waltman-Alexin of Austin PBS, in partnership with Austin Vida, reports.

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PBS NewsHour | Why some areas of Austin get way hotter than others | Season 2023 | PBS

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Why some areas of cities like Austin get way hotter than others during summer

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Extreme heat projected to increase cardiovascular deaths

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Extreme heat projected to increase cardiovascular deaths

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Cardiovascular-related deaths due to extreme head are expected to increase between 2036 and 2065 in the United States, according to a study supported by the National Institutes of Health. The researchers, whose work is published in Circulation, predict that adults ages 65 and older and Black adults will likely be disproportionately affected.

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NIH-funded study predicts older and Black adults will suffer most.

Cardiovascular-related deaths due to extreme heat are expected to increase between 2036 and 2065 in the United States, according to a study supported by the National Institutes of Health. The researchers, whose work is published in Circulation, predict that adults ages 65 and older and Black adults will likely be disproportionately affected.

While extreme heat currently accounts for less than 1% of cardiovascular-related deaths, the modeling analysis predicted this will change because of a projected rise in summer days that feel at least 90 degrees. This heat index, which factors in what the temperature feels like with humidity, measures extreme temperature. Older adults and Black adults will be most vulnerable because many have underlying medical conditions or face socioeconomic barriers that can influence their health - such as not having air conditioning or living in locations that can absorb and trap heat, known as " heat islands."

"The health burdens from extreme heat will continue to grow within the next several decades," said Sameed A. Khatana, M.D., M.P.H., a study author, cardiologist, and assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. "Due to the unequal impact of extreme heat on different populations, this is also a matter of health equity and could exacerbate health disparities that already exist."

To generate these predictions, researchers evaluated county-level data from the contiguous 48 states between May and September of 2008-2019. More than 12 million deaths related to cardiovascular disease occurred during that time. Using environmental modeling estimates, they also found that the heat index rose to at least 90 degrees about 54 times each summer. Researchers linked the extreme temperatures that occurred during each summer period to a national average of 1,651 annual cardiovascular deaths. Some areas, such as the South and Southwest, were affected more than others, such as the Northwest and Northeast.

Using modeling analyses to forecast environmental and population changes, the researchers looked to 2036-2065 and estimated that each summer, about 71 to 80 days will feel 90 degrees or hotter. Based on these changes, they predicted the number of annual heat-related cardiovascular deaths will increase 2.6 times for the general population - from 1,651 to 4,320. This estimate is based on greenhouse gas emissions, which trap the sun's heat, being kept to a minimum. If emissions rise significantly, deaths could more than triple, to 5,491.

For older adults and Black adults, the projections were more pronounced. Among those ages 65 and older, deaths could almost triple, increasing from 1,340 to 3,842 if greenhouse gas emissions remain steady - or to 4,894 if they don't. Among Black adults, deaths could more than triple, rising from 325 to 1,512 or 2,063.

In comparing current and future populations, the researchers accounted for multiple factors, including age, underlying health conditions, and where a person lived.

Most people adapt to extreme heat, as the body finds ways to cool itself, such as through perspiration. However, people with underlying health conditions, including diabetes and heart disease, can have different responses and face increased risks for having a heart attack, irregular heart rhythm, or stroke.

"The number of cardiovascular events due to heat affects a small proportion of adults, but this research shows how important it is for those with underlying risks to take extra steps to avoid extreme temperatures," said Lawrence J. Fine, M.D., a senior advisor in the clinical applications and prevention branch, in the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of NIH.

The authors described cooling approaches that some cities are using - planting trees for shade, adding cooling centers with air conditioning, and using heat-reflective materials to pave streets or paint roofs. However, more research is necessary to understand how these approaches may impact population health.

"In addition to thinking about the impact of extreme temperatures in the U.S., this type of modeling forecast also foreshadows the impact that extreme heat could have throughout the world, especially in regions with warmer climates and that are disproportionately affected by health disparities," said Flora N. Katz, Ph.D., director of the Division of International Training and Research at the NIH Fogarty International Center.

The research was partially supported by NHLBI grant K23 HL153772.

To learn about the NIH Climate Change and Health Initiative, visit https://www.nih.gov/climateandhealth.

About the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI): NHLBI is the global leader in conducting and supporting research in heart, lung, and blood diseases and sleep disorders that advances scientific knowledge, improves public health, and saves lives. For more information, visit https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health®
Study

Khatana SE, Eberly LA, Nathan AS, et al. Projected change in the burden of excess cardiovascular deaths associated with extreme heat by mid-century (2036-2065) in the contiguous United States. Circulation. 2023; doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.123.066017.

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Extreme heat projected to increase cardiovascular deaths

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NIH-funded study predicts older and Black adults will suffer most.

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City of Tucson Climate Action and Adaptation Plan

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City of Tucson Climate Action and Adaptation Plan

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The Climate Action Plan—known as Tucson Resilient Together—will provide a strategic pathway to reduce the City’s emissions to net zero by 2030, explain the anticipated impacts of climate change across the City, identify the communities that will be most vulnerable to those impacts, and provide strategies that will assure that Tucson can adapt and be resilient to the impacts of climate change – now and in the future.

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Tucson Climate Action and Adaptation Plan We are taking bold steps to collectively advance climate action and make Tucson a climate resilient and thriving city for future generations. Plan adopted by Mayor and Council The climate action and adaptation plan, adopted by mayor and council on March 7, 2023 is now available below. La versión en español del plan de acción climática, llamado Tucson Unidos somos resilientes—ya está disponible. The Climate Action Plan—known as Tucson Resilient Together—will provide a strategic pathway to reduce the City’s emissions to net zero by 2030, explain the anticipated impacts of climate change across the City, identify the communities that will be most vulnerable to those impacts, and provide strategies that will assure that Tucson can adapt and be resilient to the impacts of climate change – now and in the future. The Plan In 2020, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and the City Council declared a Climate Emergency, committing the City of Tucson to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. Through the declaration, Mayor and Council directed the City to develop a Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (The Plan) to create a strategic pathway to reduce the City’s emissions to net-zero by 2030. The Plan will outline the anticipated impacts of climate change across the City, identifying the areas and communities most vulnerable to those impacts. To support this work, the City has contracted the consulting firm Buro Happold, the advocacy organization Living Streets Alliance, the economic advisory firm of Autocase, and faculty from the University of Arizona. Through community-led dialogues and various public events, the City will co-develop and inform The Plan, and strategies therein, in partnership with residents, communities, and businesses in Tucson. The result: a collaborative and people-centered plan to support healthy communities, environmental stewardship, and a just economy and society. The Plan will serve as the primary Climate section element of the forthcoming Tucson General Plan Update, Plan Tucson. It will also align with numerous past, present, and future planning efforts, including but not limited to Move Tucson, the One Water 2100 Master Plan, the Drought Preparedness and Response Plan, and the People, Communities, and Homes Investment Plan (P-CHIP). Climate Action and Adaptation Plan El Plan de Acción y Adaptación Climática Read the plan below or click here to view and download the plan on a separate page. To view the Cost Benefit Analysis and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis for Tucson Resilient Together please click on the

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Six Out of Nine Planetary Boundaries Already Crossed, Study Warns

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Six Out of Nine Planetary Boundaries Already Crossed, Study Warns

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Scientists behind a new study on the crossing of the Earth's "planetary boundaries" on Wednesday likened the planet to a sick patient, warning that six out of nine barriers that ensure the Earth is a "safe operating space for humanity" have now been breached.

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Six Out of Nine Planetary Boundaries Already Crossed, Study Warns

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"This update on planetary boundaries clearly depicts a patient that is unwell," said one scientist.

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The Smart Seafood and Sustainable Fish Buying Guide

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The Smart Seafood and Sustainable Fish Buying Guide

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When browsing the fish counter or dinner menu, the options can sometimes feel overwhelming. So to help you make the best choices, keep these five tips in mind.

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​​The Smart Seafood and Sustainable Fish Buying Guide

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Five ways to keep the environment in mind when you shop for fish and shellfish.

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The Direct Action Wing of the US Climate Movement Is Evolving―and That’s a Good Thing

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The Direct Action Wing of the US Climate Movement Is Evolving―and That’s a Good Thing

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In the years ahead―as the climate crisis continues to escalate in severity―bold civil disobedience that directly and meaningfully disrupts the lives and operations of business and political elites will be more important than ever. After the recent actions in New York, there is good reason to believe that the climate movement is ready for this evolution.

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At 8:30 am, we marched onto the public plaza of Citibank's HQ, our chant filling the air: Stop funding fossil fuels. As we'd rehearsed, around fifty of us moved straight into position blocking the six doors that make up the entrance to the 150-meter-high skyscraper. As we unfurled our banners, linked arms and refused to move, a stream of Citi employees immediately began to back up into the plaza, unsure of how they could get into work.

A wiry, middle-aged man in a dapper suit tried to barge past me and another protestor. As our bodies connected, we stood firm and refused to move. "Are you fucking serious?" he asked, before trying to shoulder his way past us again. When he realized that we were, in fact, serious, he left to try and find another way into work. But wherever he went, he would have met a similar situation. We had all twelve entrances into Citi's HQ blocked.

The action at Citi's HQ was one of many confrontational anti-fossil fuel protests that happened between September 13th and September 20th, the week leading up to the UN's Climate Ambition Summit in New York. In all, nearly two hundred arrests were made at protests targeting companies, politicians and cultural institutions with ties to the fossil fuel industry.

In several ways, this wave of action―organized primarily by New York Communities for Change, the Climate Organizing Hub, and the Oil and Gas Action Network―felt different from previous climate mobilizations. For one, not only were some of the actions less purely symbolic than many climate protests that have come before, but they were targeting and disrupting the right people and institutions, something which seems to have been missing from recent climate protests.

Not only were some of the actions less purely symbolic than many climate protests that have come before, but they were targeting and disrupting the right people and institutions, something which seems to have been missing from recent climate protests.

In one action, dozens of young people swarmed into the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) to protest the museum's ties to Henry Kravis, founder and chairman of KKR, a private equity firm that has been buying up oil and gas companies and is the primary owner of the Coastal GasLink pipeline that's being fiercely opposed by the Wet'suwet'en nation. The goal of the action was to communicate to both Kravis and MOMA leadership that it's no longer possible to be both a fossil fuel baron and an accepted face in polite society. In response to the protest, the museum―which was the target, not just the scene, of the action―closed its doors hours early, turning away several thousand customers who were lining up to pay $25 each to enter the museum. An action that costs its target close to one hundred thousand dollars in revenue is no longer a simple symbolic protest.

When we blockaded every entrance into Citibank's Global HQ, more than one thousand white-collar Citi workers were unable to get into work; workers backed up in their hundreds in the plaza outside as activists explained why they were going to be hours late for work that day. Even when irate workers tried to ram and kick and punch their way into the building, the blockade held firm. Activists chose to take blows rather than cede their ground.

Of course, the US climate movement has witnessed activists standing up to blows infinitely greater than the kicks that a couple of activists received around the back of Citi's HQ. At Standing Rock police reigned terror upon peaceful Water Protectors. At Line 3, activists were blasted with rubber bullets and tear gas. At Cop City, police murdered the forest defender Manuel Esteban Paez Terán, shooting them fifty-seven times as they held their hands in the air.

But one difference here was that this was the climate movement going on the offensive. People weren't standing in the way of a bulldozer in order to defend their homeland, a forest or a body of water. They were traveling to New York in order to block, disrupt and occupy the very centers of fossil capital. That, too, feels newer.

Over the last few months, few groups have gone more on the offensive than Climate Defiance. The youth-led direct action group has disrupted and shut down speeches by dozens of politicians and Biden officials, uncompromisingly demanding an end to fossil fuels. Last week, some of their activists prevented Tommy Beaudreau―the Biden official who signed off on the Willow project―from entering a climate event. As they refused to let him in the building they chanted "fuck you man" in his face. That is the chant of a movement that is done with asking nicely.

People weren't standing in the way of a bulldozer in order to defend their homeland, a forest or a body of water. They were traveling to New York in order to block, disrupt and occupy the very centers of fossil capital.

This change in tone was evident throughout the week of action. Inside the Museum of Modern Art, activists―led by the youth group People over Profit―initiated dance parties to raucous, upbeat chants of "tax the rich." When the climate movement evolves from marching and chanting "climate justice now" to dancing and chanting "tax the mother fucking rich," something meaningful has begun to shift.

With income inequality at historic highs and the world's wealthiest 1% responsible for double the emissions of the world's poorest 50%, "tax the rich" isn't just a catchy chant. It's also a precise policy demand. Don't be surprised if it's a demand that begins to take greater center stage in the climate movement. And don't be surprised if the actions blocking private jets, storming golf clubs, and infiltrating elite neighborhoods not only continue, but escalate.

Even the mass march that occurred during the week of action was different. Attracting an estimated 75,000 people, the march wasn't the largest climate march this country has seen―both the Peoples' Climate March and the 2019 Climate Strikes were far larger. But this was the largest ever march where the primary demand was the abolition of the fossil fuel industry. We have evolved beyond climate change being the problem, to grasping that the problem really is the oil, gas and coal executives and the financiers and politicians that enable them.

With income inequality at historic highs and the world's wealthiest 1% responsible for double the emissions of the world's poorest 50%, "tax the rich" isn't just a catchy chant. It's also a precise policy demand.

All of these are important evolutions for the climate movement. As academics Laura Thomas-Walters and Kevin Young convincingly argue, actions that directly target and meaningfully disrupt the operations, bottom lines, and daily routines of the rich and the powerful are far more strategic than actions that are purely symbolic, or actions that don't have a clear demand and disrupt the lives of everyday people who are just trying to get to work or enjoy a sports game.

Last week, the Citibank CEO was almost certainly briefed that a thousand of her most important employees were unable to get to work that morning, especially as the action came the day after the company announced a major corporate restructuring. The leadership of the Museum of Modern Art were almost certainly informed that their business lost revenue due to a protest around one of its board members. By contrast, it's hard to imagine that any oil barons, financiers or political enablers of the climate crisis were inconvenienced by the recent disruption at the US Open Semi-final.

In the years ahead―as the climate crisis continues to escalate in severity―bold civil disobedience that directly and meaningfully disrupts the lives and operations of business and political elites will be more important than ever.

Of course, as we consider the future of direct action within the climate movement, it's important to point out that civil disobedience and confrontational action is only one tool in the activists' toolkit, and many more tools will be needed to rein in the worst of the climate crisis. In the bank campaigns that we help to run at Stop the Money Pipeline, our strategy also involves organizing shareholders, customers and bank workers―and we're developing secondary campaigns designed to agitate some of our targets' most important and wealthy clients to join us in the fight to end financing for fossil fuels.

But in the years ahead―as the climate crisis continues to escalate in severity―bold civil disobedience that directly and meaningfully disrupts the lives and operations of business and political elites will be more important than ever. After the recent actions in New York, there is good reason to believe that the climate movement is ready for this evolution.

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Alec Connon

Alec Connon is the coordinator of the Stop the Money Pipeline coalition, a coalition of over 160 organizations working to stop the flow of money from Wall Street to the fossil fuel industry. He is also a writer. His first novel, The Activist, was published in 2016.

At 8:30 am, we marched onto the public plaza of Citibank's HQ, our chant filling the air: Stop funding fossil fuels. As we'd rehearsed, around fifty of us moved straight into position blocking the six doors that make up the entrance to the 150-meter-high skyscraper. As we unfurled our banners, linked arms and refused to move, a stream of Citi employees immediately began to back up into the plaza, unsure of how they could get into work.

A wiry, middle-aged man in a dapper suit tried to barge past me and another protestor. As our bodies connected, we stood firm and refused to move. "Are you fucking serious?" he asked, before trying to shoulder his way past us again. When he realized that we were, in fact, serious, he left to try and find another way into work. But wherever he went, he would have met a similar situation. We had all twelve entrances into Citi's HQ blocked.

The action at Citi's HQ was one of many confrontational anti-fossil fuel protests that happened between September 13th and September 20th, the week leading up to the UN's Climate Ambition Summit in New York. In all, nearly two hundred arrests were made at protests targeting companies, politicians and cultural institutions with ties to the fossil fuel industry.

In several ways, this wave of action―organized primarily by New York Communities for Change, the Climate Organizing Hub, and the Oil and Gas Action Network―felt different from previous climate mobilizations. For one, not only were some of the actions less purely symbolic than many climate protests that have come before, but they were targeting and disrupting the right people and institutions, something which seems to have been missing from recent climate protests.

Not only were some of the actions less purely symbolic than many climate protests that have come before, but they were targeting and disrupting the right people and institutions, something which seems to have been missing from recent climate protests.

In one action, dozens of young people swarmed into the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) to protest the museum's ties to Henry Kravis, founder and chairman of KKR, a private equity firm that has been buying up oil and gas companies and is the primary owner of the Coastal GasLink pipeline that's being fiercely opposed by the Wet'suwet'en nation. The goal of the action was to communicate to both Kravis and MOMA leadership that it's no longer possible to be both a fossil fuel baron and an accepted face in polite society. In response to the protest, the museum―which was the target, not just the scene, of the action―closed its doors hours early, turning away several thousand customers who were lining up to pay $25 each to enter the museum. An action that costs its target close to one hundred thousand dollars in revenue is no longer a simple symbolic protest.

When we blockaded every entrance into Citibank's Global HQ, more than one thousand white-collar Citi workers were unable to get into work; workers backed up in their hundreds in the plaza outside as activists explained why they were going to be hours late for work that day. Even when irate workers tried to ram and kick and punch their way into the building, the blockade held firm. Activists chose to take blows rather than cede their ground.

Of course, the US climate movement has witnessed activists standing up to blows infinitely greater than the kicks that a couple of activists received around the back of Citi's HQ. At Standing Rock police reigned terror upon peaceful Water Protectors. At Line 3, activists were blasted with rubber bullets and tear gas. At Cop City, police murdered the forest defender Manuel Esteban Paez Terán, shooting them fifty-seven times as they held their hands in the air.

But one difference here was that this was the climate movement going on the offensive. People weren't standing in the way of a bulldozer in order to defend their homeland, a forest or a body of water. They were traveling to New York in order to block, disrupt and occupy the very centers of fossil capital. That, too, feels newer.

Over the last few months, few groups have gone more on the offensive than Climate Defiance. The youth-led direct action group has disrupted and shut down speeches by dozens of politicians and Biden officials, uncompromisingly demanding an end to fossil fuels. Last week, some of their activists prevented Tommy Beaudreau―the Biden official who signed off on the Willow project―from entering a climate event. As they refused to let him in the building they chanted "fuck you man" in his face. That is the chant of a movement that is done with asking nicely.

People weren't standing in the way of a bulldozer in order to defend their homeland, a forest or a body of water. They were traveling to New York in order to block, disrupt and occupy the very centers of fossil capital.

This change in tone was evident throughout the week of action. Inside the Museum of Modern Art, activists―led by the youth group People over Profit―initiated dance parties to raucous, upbeat chants of "tax the rich." When the climate movement evolves from marching and chanting "climate justice now" to dancing and chanting "tax the mother fucking rich," something meaningful has begun to shift.

With income inequality at historic highs and the world's wealthiest 1% responsible for double the emissions of the world's poorest 50%, "tax the rich" isn't just a catchy chant. It's also a precise policy demand. Don't be surprised if it's a demand that begins to take greater center stage in the climate movement. And don't be surprised if the actions blocking private jets, storming golf clubs, and infiltrating elite neighborhoods not only continue, but escalate.

Even the mass march that occurred during the week of action was different. Attracting an estimated 75,000 people, the march wasn't the largest climate march this country has seen―both the Peoples' Climate March and the 2019 Climate Strikes were far larger. But this was the largest ever march where the primary demand was the abolition of the fossil fuel industry. We have evolved beyond climate change being the problem, to grasping that the problem really is the oil, gas and coal executives and the financiers and politicians that enable them.

With income inequality at historic highs and the world's wealthiest 1% responsible for double the emissions of the world's poorest 50%, "tax the rich" isn't just a catchy chant. It's also a precise policy demand.

All of these are important evolutions for the climate movement. As academics Laura Thomas-Walters and Kevin Young convincingly argue, actions that directly target and meaningfully disrupt the operations, bottom lines, and daily routines of the rich and the powerful are far more strategic than actions that are purely symbolic, or actions that don't have a clear demand and disrupt the lives of everyday people who are just trying to get to work or enjoy a sports game.

Last week, the Citibank CEO was almost certainly briefed that a thousand of her most important employees were unable to get to work that morning, especially as the action came the day after the company announced a major corporate restructuring. The leadership of the Museum of Modern Art were almost certainly informed that their business lost revenue due to a protest around one of its board members. By contrast, it's hard to imagine that any oil barons, financiers or political enablers of the climate crisis were inconvenienced by the recent disruption at the US Open Semi-final.

In the years ahead―as the climate crisis continues to escalate in severity―bold civil disobedience that directly and meaningfully disrupts the lives and operations of business and political elites will be more important than ever.

Of course, as we consider the future of direct action within the climate movement, it's important to point out that civil disobedience and confrontational action is only one tool in the activists' toolkit, and many more tools will be needed to rein in the worst of the climate crisis. In the bank campaigns that we help to run at Stop the Money Pipeline, our strategy also involves organizing shareholders, customers and bank workers―and we're developing secondary campaigns designed to agitate some of our targets' most important and wealthy clients to join us in the fight to end financing for fossil fuels.

But in the years ahead―as the climate crisis continues to escalate in severity―bold civil disobedience that directly and meaningfully disrupts the lives and operations of business and political elites will be more important than ever. After the recent actions in New York, there is good reason to believe that the climate movement is ready for this evolution.

Alec Connon

Alec Connon is the coordinator of the Stop the Money Pipeline coalition, a coalition of over 160 organizations working to stop the flow of money from Wall Street to the fossil fuel industry. He is also a writer. His first novel, The Activist, was published in 2016.

At 8:30 am, we marched onto the public plaza of Citibank's HQ, our chant filling the air: Stop funding fossil fuels. As we'd rehearsed, around fifty of us moved straight into position blocking the six doors that make up the entrance to the 150-meter-high skyscraper. As we unfurled our banners, linked arms and refused to move, a stream of Citi employees immediately began to back up into the plaza, unsure of how they could get into work.

A wiry, middle-aged man in a dapper suit tried to barge past me and another protestor. As our bodies connected, we stood firm and refused to move. "Are you fucking serious?" he asked, before trying to shoulder his way past us again. When he realized that we were, in fact, serious, he left to try and find another way into work. But wherever he went, he would have met a similar situation. We had all twelve entrances into Citi's HQ blocked.

The action at Citi's HQ was one of many confrontational anti-fossil fuel protests that happened between September 13th and September 20th, the week leading up to the UN's Climate Ambition Summit in New York. In all, nearly two hundred arrests were made at protests targeting companies, politicians and cultural institutions with ties to the fossil fuel industry.

In several ways, this wave of action―organized primarily by New York Communities for Change, the Climate Organizing Hub, and the Oil and Gas Action Network―felt different from previous climate mobilizations. For one, not only were some of the actions less purely symbolic than many climate protests that have come before, but they were targeting and disrupting the right people and institutions, something which seems to have been missing from recent climate protests.

Not only were some of the actions less purely symbolic than many climate protests that have come before, but they were targeting and disrupting the right people and institutions, something which seems to have been missing from recent climate protests.

In one action, dozens of young people swarmed into the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) to protest the museum's ties to Henry Kravis, founder and chairman of KKR, a private equity firm that has been buying up oil and gas companies and is the primary owner of the Coastal GasLink pipeline that's being fiercely opposed by the Wet'suwet'en nation. The goal of the action was to communicate to both Kravis and MOMA leadership that it's no longer possible to be both a fossil fuel baron and an accepted face in polite society. In response to the protest, the museum―which was the target, not just the scene, of the action―closed its doors hours early, turning away several thousand customers who were lining up to pay $25 each to enter the museum. An action that costs its target close to one hundred thousand dollars in revenue is no longer a simple symbolic protest.

When we blockaded every entrance into Citibank's Global HQ, more than one thousand white-collar Citi workers were unable to get into work; workers backed up in their hundreds in the plaza outside as activists explained why they were going to be hours late for work that day. Even when irate workers tried to ram and kick and punch their way into the building, the blockade held firm. Activists chose to take blows rather than cede their ground.

Of course, the US climate movement has witnessed activists standing up to blows infinitely greater than the kicks that a couple of activists received around the back of Citi's HQ. At Standing Rock police reigned terror upon peaceful Water Protectors. At Line 3, activists were blasted with rubber bullets and tear gas. At Cop City, police murdered the forest defender Manuel Esteban Paez Terán, shooting them fifty-seven times as they held their hands in the air.

But one difference here was that this was the climate movement going on the offensive. People weren't standing in the way of a bulldozer in order to defend their homeland, a forest or a body of water. They were traveling to New York in order to block, disrupt and occupy the very centers of fossil capital. That, too, feels newer.

Over the last few months, few groups have gone more on the offensive than Climate Defiance. The youth-led direct action group has disrupted and shut down speeches by dozens of politicians and Biden officials, uncompromisingly demanding an end to fossil fuels. Last week, some of their activists prevented Tommy Beaudreau―the Biden official who signed off on the Willow project―from entering a climate event. As they refused to let him in the building they chanted "fuck you man" in his face. That is the chant of a movement that is done with asking nicely.

People weren't standing in the way of a bulldozer in order to defend their homeland, a forest or a body of water. They were traveling to New York in order to block, disrupt and occupy the very centers of fossil capital.

This change in tone was evident throughout the week of action. Inside the Museum of Modern Art, activists―led by the youth group People over Profit―initiated dance parties to raucous, upbeat chants of "tax the rich." When the climate movement evolves from marching and chanting "climate justice now" to dancing and chanting "tax the mother fucking rich," something meaningful has begun to shift.

With income inequality at historic highs and the world's wealthiest 1% responsible for double the emissions of the world's poorest 50%, "tax the rich" isn't just a catchy chant. It's also a precise policy demand. Don't be surprised if it's a demand that begins to take greater center stage in the climate movement. And don't be surprised if the actions blocking private jets, storming golf clubs, and infiltrating elite neighborhoods not only continue, but escalate.

Even the mass march that occurred during the week of action was different. Attracting an estimated 75,000 people, the march wasn't the largest climate march this country has seen―both the Peoples' Climate March and the 2019 Climate Strikes were far larger. But this was the largest ever march where the primary demand was the abolition of the fossil fuel industry. We have evolved beyond climate change being the problem, to grasping that the problem really is the oil, gas and coal executives and the financiers and politicians that enable them.

With income inequality at historic highs and the world's wealthiest 1% responsible for double the emissions of the world's poorest 50%, "tax the rich" isn't just a catchy chant. It's also a precise policy demand.

All of these are important evolutions for the climate movement. As academics Laura Thomas-Walters and Kevin Young convincingly argue, actions that directly target and meaningfully disrupt the operations, bottom lines, and daily routines of the rich and the powerful are far more strategic than actions that are purely symbolic, or actions that don't have a clear demand and disrupt the lives of everyday people who are just trying to get to work or enjoy a sports game.

Last week, the Citibank CEO was almost certainly briefed that a thousand of her most important employees were unable to get to work that morning, especially as the action came the day after the company announced a major corporate restructuring. The leadership of the Museum of Modern Art were almost certainly informed that their business lost revenue due to a protest around one of its board members. By contrast, it's hard to imagine that any oil barons, financiers or political enablers of the climate crisis were inconvenienced by the recent disruption at the US Open Semi-final.

In the years ahead―as the climate crisis continues to escalate in severity―bold civil disobedience that directly and meaningfully disrupts the lives and operations of business and political elites will be more important than ever.

Of course, as we consider the future of direct action within the climate movement, it's important to point out that civil disobedience and confrontational action is only one tool in the activists' toolkit, and many more tools will be needed to rein in the worst of the climate crisis. In the bank campaigns that we help to run at Stop the Money Pipeline, our strategy also involves organizing shareholders, customers and bank workers―and we're developing secondary campaigns designed to agitate some of our targets' most important and wealthy clients to join us in the fight to end financing for fossil fuels.

But in the years ahead―as the climate crisis continues to escalate in severity―bold civil disobedience that directly and meaningfully disrupts the lives and operations of business and political elites will be more important than ever. After the recent actions in New York, there is good reason to believe that the climate movement is ready for this evolution.

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The Direct Action Wing of the US Climate Movement Is Evolving―and That's a Good Thing

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"Are you fucking serious?" one banker asked me, before trying to shoulder his way past us again. When he realized that we were, in fact, serious, he left to try and find another way into work.

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EPA awards UArizona $10M for new environmental justice center

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EPA awards UArizona $10M for new environmental justice center

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The center will provide assistance and training to effectively identify grants and other funding opportunities; increase community involvement in environmental and energy decision-making, environmental science, climate change, public health, energy infrastructure and student internship programs; and provide access to environmental and energy expertise that can assist with analysis, study design, protocol development and project management.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded $10 million to the University of Arizona to fund the Western Environmental Science Technical Assistance Center for Environmental Justice, or WEST EJ Center, for five years.

The EPA's promise of clean air, land and water has not reached many historically marginalized communities due to a complex interaction of physical, social and economic factors. Led by principal investigator Paloma Beamer, PhD, professor in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at UArizona Health Sciences, the WEST EJ Center brings together a diverse coalition with longstanding relationships and extensive expertise working with communities to overcome these barriers.

"Our public health and environmental researchers here at the University of Arizona are among the best in the country, and I'm proud to see their expertise and experience recognized in this Environmental Justice Center grant from the EPA," said University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins, MD. "Dr. Paloma Beamer has shown exceptional leadership in environmental justice, and this new funding, combined with our existing relationships and knowledge, is going to enable us to work with communities to build a more equitable world."

Dr. Beamer's team of public health researchers and providers will collaborate with regional community organizations to support and implement environmental and energy justice projects in EPA Region 9, which includes Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and the U.S. Pacific Islands.

The WEST EJ Center is one of 17 Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers selected as part of a new program launched by the EPA in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy. The centers will help underserved and overburdened communities across the country access funds from President Biden's Investing in America agenda, including historic investments to advance environmental justice.

The WEST EJ Center will help communities achieve environmental and energy justice by serving as a one-stop shop for hands-on technical assistance, multifaceted training, and other eligible forms of assistance, resources and support.

The center will provide assistance and training to effectively identify, apply for and manage grants and other funding opportunities; increase community involvement in environmental and energy decision-making through training in advocacy, environmental science, climate change, public health, energy infrastructure and student internship programs; and provide access to environmental and energy expertise that can assist with analysis, study design, protocol development and project management.

"Our three-thrust strategy builds on the environmental justice experience we have within our core team and the expertise that we have in the College of Public Health and around the university," Dr. Beamer said. "In everything we do, we use a community-engaged approach so that the people who live and work in a particular area implement the projects and become local advocates and educators for the environmental justice work."

The WEST EJ Center will follow a hub-and-spoke model, with a central hub composed of several units within the University of Arizona, including the Indigenous Resilience Center in the the Arizona Institute for Resilience, the Participatory Evaluation Institute at the Arizona Prevention Research Center, the Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center and the Western Region Public Health Training Center. The spokes represent a coalition with five partners that have deep community-based networks and knowledge about environmental and energy justice needs across EPA's Region 9. The partner organizations and institutions include the Sonoran Environmental Research Institute, an Arizona nonprofit; the Public Health Institute, a California nonprofit; the University of Southern California; the Larson Institute for Health Impact and Equity at the University of Nevada, Reno; and the Hawaii Public Health Institute, a nonprofit in Hawaii.

"The right to a safe and sustainable environment for all is unfortunately not equally accessible to all, and many people live with polluted air and water, unsafe homes and food insecurity," said Elizabeth "Betsy" Cantwell, UArizona senior vice president for research and innovation. "This grant will help us meet people where they are in terms of need, and drive solution-focused action and resources that will stay embedded in our communities to increase the likelihood of long-term change. This falls directly in line with UArizona's land grant mission to improve the lives of people in our state and region through research-based solutions and educational resources."

The WEST EJ Center at the University of Arizona builds on decades of environmental justice experience and project implementation conducted by public health faculty and university colleagues in the Southwest. Together, they work toward environmental and energy justice with the goal of enabling the meaningful involvement of all people in developing and implementing environmental laws, regulations and policies in their own communities.

"I am so pleased to learn about this award for an Environmental Justice Center from the EPA, and so proud of Dr. Beamer and her team," said Iman Hakim, MD, PhD, MPH, dean of the UArizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. "We have been working with rural communities, tribal communities and border communities around Arizona on environmental challenges for many years, and this new funding builds capacity to bring resources and programs that will grow environmental equity for all."

In addition to Dr. Beamer, the WEST EJ Center team includes Karletta Chief, PhD, director of the Indigenous Resilience Center and a professor and specialist in the Department of Environmental Science at the UArizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; and from the Zuckerman College of Public Health, Mona Arora, PhD, MsPH, assistant research professor; Chris Lim, PhD, assistant professor; Maia Ingram, MPH, program director for community-based evaluation projects; and Kelly Reynolds, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Community, Environment and Policy.

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EPA awards UArizona $10M for new environmental justice center

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A $10 million grant will support and implement environmental and energy justice projects across four states and the U.S. Pacific Islands.

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Pima County Sustainable Action Plan (SAPCO)

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Pima County Sustainable Action Plan (SAPCO)

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The Sustainability Action Plan, adopted in 2018, provides a comprehensive framework of new sustainability goals to meet and exceed what is required of the Paris Agreement while strengthening the County's ability to address regional current and future climate risks.

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Pima County strives to integrate sustainable decision making into all facets of its operations and to achieve a triple bottom line of benefits, enhancing the environment, economy, and quality of life for our citizens.

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I-11 Lawsuit Update: New Legal Challenges Filed for Threatening Endangered Species

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I-11 Lawsuit Update: New Legal Challenges Filed for Threatening Endangered Species

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“Interstate 11 is a massive highway project that will have devastating impacts on habitat connectivity for some of Arizona’s most iconic and endangered species,” said David Robinson, director of advocacy at the Tucson Audubon Society. “We’re taking this action to ensure that the Federal Highway Administration and the Arizona Department of Transportation comply with the law and protect these important plants and animals from extinction.”

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I-11 Lawsuit Update: New Legal Challenges Filed for Threatening Endangered Species - Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection

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PFAS contamination in south Tucson challenges historic cleanup, revives health concerns

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PFAS contamination in south Tucson challenges historic cleanup, revives health concerns

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PFAS contamination in south Tucson challenges historic cleanup, revives health concerns

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Tucson and its utility have invested in testing and treatment, but there is no regulation or remediation plan in place to deal with PFAS.

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Linda Robles has become a leading national voice regarding toxic contamination in Latino barrios

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Linda Robles has become a leading national voice regarding toxic contamination in Latino barrios

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Linda has become one of the leading national voices  regarding PFAS exposures in Latino barrios.  She has worked as a community liaison with the National Academies of the Sciences, and she continues to organize with several national groups like the National PFAS Contamination Coalition. that work to raise awareness of environmental racism. Linda is in the process of initiating a community-led PFAS health study that will assess PFAS concentrations in human blood.

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In 2003, my little girl Tianna started getting sick with kidney failure. Later she was diagnosed with lupus and nephrotic syndrome. In 2007, 19-year-old Tianna died of a rare cancer related auto immune disease known as Lupus and kidney failure. I believe her death was caused by community-wide exposure to toxic chemicals like PFAS and historical environmental injustices occurring in my community for decades.

In 2008 my youngest child Clara became very ill and was later diagnosed with the same illness. In 2009, my son Jojo also became very ill and was experiencing unusual rashes in his entire body. He was later diagnosed with male Lupus. In 2017 my little niece Princess Mia died of a rare childhood brain cancer known as DIPG.

In 2019 my husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer and is undergoing cancer treatment. Because he doesn't have health insurance, he has to pay out of pocket expenses for his treatment and health monitoring. Many people in my community were also getting sick with the same illnesses.

In 2017, Tucson Water Officials admitted that they had been sending untreated water laced with PFAS to over 600,000 customers. Last year Tucson Water announced that they had to shut down the Tucson Airport Remediation Project (TARP) Wastewater Treatment Plant and numerous production wells. Afterward, state investigations found PFAS concentrations of 70,000 ppt in the Tucson south and Tucson central areas. Since then, the state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has authorized the city of Tucson to put the plant back in operation.

The plan is going to permit Tucson Water Officials to discharge (dump/dispose) of large quantities of PFAS from the TARP Plant into the Santa Cruz River Outfall, in addition to the TCE and Hex 6-Chromium and 1,4-dioane and other commercial wastes.

At the present time no attention has been given to the people who live, work, play and pray in PFAS hot spot neighborhoods located near the Morris Air National Guard Base at Tucson International Airport or Davis-Monthan Air Force base just a few miles to the northeast.

These areas are predominantly Hispanic minority low income populated barrios. No attention has been placed on the people who drink, bathe and cook using the toxic water. Some people got sick right away, some not until later, others are in the process of getting sick.

This contamination and the resulting illnesses were not an act of God but, instead resulted from careless and criminal hazardous waste disposal practices, lax government oversight, weak regulations, poor enforcement and callous indifference to human suffering. All of this is the result of a distinctive brand of rabid American environmental racism. We are an environmental justice (EJ) community. We are victims of indifference.

Our activism has faced many uphill EJ battles with state and local government agencies to address PFAS contamination. We must provide our region with PFAS medical monitoring programs, especially in disadvantaged, and underserved communities disproportionately impacted by PFAS and other toxins. Deeply embedded environmental racism causes many in authority to ignore us, but we are still here and we are not backing down.

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Linda Robles has become a leading national voice regarding toxic contamination in Latino barrios. - Military Poisons

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Tucson mom joins other parents pressing EPA for ban on toxic chemical

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Tucson mom joins other parents pressing EPA for ban on toxic chemical

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Tucson mom Linda Robles was in Washington last week to demand that the Environmental Protection Agency ban TCE, the chemical she blames for the death of one daughter and the birth defects of three other children.

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WASHINGTON - Tucson mom Linda Robles was in Washington last week to demand that the Environmental Protection Agency ban TCE, the chemical she blames for the death of one daughter and the birth defects of three other children.

"Our community is tired of it," Robles said at a Capitol Hill news conference Wednesday with other parents whose children have died from TCE exposure. "We're saying no more . . . stop twiddling around. Really."

The EPA has identified TCE - trichloroethylene - as a toxic chemical that is "carcinogenic to humans by all routes of exposure" and that can affect fetuses even from short-term exposure. It is used as a refrigerant, as an industrial solvent for degreasing metals and in some dry-cleaning uses.

The chemical was included in an amendment to the Toxic Substances Control Act that was signed into law by President Barack Obama in the last month of his term. The EPA moved in December 2016 to ban the chemical as an aerosol degreaser and as a dry-cleaning agent and in January 2017, it started the process of banning it as a commercial degreasing vapor.

But since then, progress on further limiting the chemical has stalled.

Delaying the ban is not acceptable when communities and families are still feeling the negative impacts of the chemical, which can remain in groundwater and in the air for years, parents said a this week's event, hosted by Sen. Tom Udall, D-New Mexico.

Kari Rhinehart from Franklin, Indiana, said her daughter was diagnosed with the same kind of rare brain tumor inflicting Arizona's Sen. John McCain. Her daughter, Emma, died of cancer four years ago.

Jerry Ensminger said his daughter was exposed while in the womb to TCE at the Marine Corps' Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, and she died of cancer in 1985. Ten years later, he saw a news report about contamination at the base.

"The reporter on there said that many of the chemicals that were found in Camp Lejeune's drinking water for nearly three decades are linked to childhood cancer," Ensminger said. "I dropped my plate of spaghetti on the living room floor."

Robles said her children were exposed to TCE pollution left by military contractors at the airport near their neighborhood on Tucson's south side. All of her children were born prematurely and all had birth defects such as heart murmurs, nasal cavity deformities and a cleft palate.

Her daughter, Tianna, died in 2007, four years after being diagnosed with lupus.

The parents blamed former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt for the delay on a TCE ban, an issue that Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, pressed in a Senate hearing Wednesday morning with acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler.

Booker asked Wheeler, whose appointment still needs Senate confirmation, if the agency would investigate TCE pollution into land, air and water. Wheeler said that he believes the agency has done so, according to a video of the hearing.

EPA officials were not able to immediately provide comment on the status of a ban.

Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Tucson, said in a statement Wednesday afternoon that he is tired of agency heads "putting the profits of chemical corporations ahead of the health and well-being of the American people."

"No community deserves this," Grijalva said. "I demand that the EPA continue testing for TCE in Tucson, expand the current testing area, hold polluters responsible, and ban this toxic chemical once and for all."

Beyond banning the substance, Robles said there's more to be done. She wants the EPA to relocate and compensate people affected by TCE pollution, and to make the polluters pay for the cleanup.

"Enough is enough," she said. "We've been exposed to this stuff for over four decades. Four decades. And I say no more."

Cronkite News reporter Pat Poblete contributed to this report. For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org.

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Tucson mom joins other parents pressing EPA for ban on toxic chemical

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WASHINGTON - Tucson mom Linda Robles was in Washington last week to demand that the Environmental Protection Agency ban TCE, the chemical she blames for the death of one daughter

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LINDA ROBLES (SHOSIE), 2021 (INTERVIEW VIDEO AND TRANSCRIPT)

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LINDA ROBLES (SHOSIE), 2021 (INTERVIEW VIDEO AND TRANSCRIPT)

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Linda Robles lives in in Tuscon, Arizona within the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. In this interview, Robles discusses how PFAS contamination touched her family and community, as well as her activism with the Mothers Safe Water Force and Environmental Justice Task Force.

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Robles, Linda (Shosie), "Linda Robles (Shosie), 2021 (Interview video and transcript)," Digital Collections, accessed April 1, 2024, https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/document/46675.

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Robles, Linda (Shosie), "Linda Robles (Shosie), 2021 (Interview video and transcript)," Digital Collections, accessed April 1, 2024, https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/document/46675.

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PFAS water contamination is in the national spotlight. In Tucson, it's the latest in a longer legacy

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PFAS water contamination is in the national spotlight. In Tucson, it's the latest in a longer legacy

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The KJZZ series "Every Last Drop" tackles big questions about Arizona's water future — including what Arizonans can do to make a difference and what’s being done to keep the state's water safe.

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The KJZZ series "Every Last Drop" tackles big questions about Arizona's water future - including what Arizonans can do to make a difference and what's being done to keep the state's water safe.
Listen to this story
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This year, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed formal limits on certain types of perfluorinated and polyfluorinated substances, known as PFAS.

Like in other cities, the chemicals have been found in high concentrations in Tucson recently, and water authorities have had to respond. But the city is no stranger to groundwater contamination, or community efforts to confront it.

PFAS are a group of thousands of human-made chemicals used in consumer and industrial products. Exposure has been linked to health issues like cancer and liver damage.

Bo Guo, an assistant professor of hydrology and atmospheric sciences at the University of Arizona, says the chemicals have been around since at least the 1940s. They're used in everything from nonstick pans to waterproof jackets, and most do not break down naturally.

By now, Guo says, they're everywhere.

"We see PFAS in this room and probably in our blood," he said.

They're also in a product called Aqueous Film Forming Foam, known as AFFF. It's been used to put out fuel fires at air bases and airports.

The EPA says PFAS have been found in air, fish, soil and water around the globe. But the chemicals are not federally regulated.

The EPA's new proposal aims to change that by limiting six of the most well-known PFAS in drinking water. That includes PFOS and PFOA, which the agency proposes limiting to four parts per trillion.

It's considered a landmark proposal that could formalize PFAS regulation and testing in states. Guo says it's an encouraging step, but it's important to understand the scale of contamination - cleanup could take decades.

"We're just at the starting point of PFAS," he said. "You know, it's not gonna be done in a few years ... because it's so complex, it's so ubiquitous, you know, they are everywhere."

Yolanda Herrera knows what that timeframe looks like up close. We met at a community garden on Tucson's south side that's shaded by old trees.

"Today we are enjoying the peace of the Peace Garden that's located in the Manuel Herrera Jr. Park, named after my dad," she said.

The park is a calm respite from the noisy skies above. We're a few miles away from the Tucson International Airport and the Air National Guard base. Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and another Air Force facility are also nearby.

Herrera was born and raised not far away from here. She's a fifth-generation Tucsonan.

"So people always say, well, if you didn't like the jets, why did you move here? Excuse me. We were here before," she said.

But as more industry moved in, water contaminants came alongside it. This area has a painful history because of a toxic compound called trichloroethylene, or TCE.

During the 1950s, defense contractors, military bases and national guard facilities clustered around here used it in a cleaning solvent for jet engines and other metal parts.

The solvent ended up contaminating the groundwater that fed taps, pools and surface water in neighborhoods nearby, like Herrera's, when it dumped improperly in places like storm drains and open pits.

She's watched a lot of loved ones get sick.

"So when people tell us that it's not generational, they can't prove it by us," she said. "I mean, we can show them the generations who have died, including my mom's dad died of cancer."

Today, Herrera is the president of the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association, and she's also at the helm of a community effort started decades ago by her dad, Manuel. He was one of the first to raise the alarm about the contamination and demand federal action.

He was a U.S. Navy veteran who Herrera says got involved in community advocacy after he retired from his job at the post office and started noticing that a lot of his neighbors were getting sick.

"Some of them, extremely young," she said. "I believe it affected my age group the hardest because we were, our bodies were just forming ... we just had our 52nd high school reunion. And to see all the names of the people we lost was just really powerful."

The area became an EPA Superfund site in 1983. The Unified Community Advisory Board was established more than a decade later, 1995, to give community members and the public a chance to hear how cleanup was going. Herrera's The area became an EPA Superfund site in 1983. The Unified Community Advisory Board was established more than a decade later, 1995, to give community members and the public a chance to hear how cleanup was going. Herrera serves as the community co-chair of the board.

The Superfund designation allowed the EPA to identify the parties that caused the contamination and make them responsible for the cleanup.

It also led to the creation of the Tucson Airport Remediation Project water treatment plant. It's a big, buzzing warehouse a few miles from the community garden and the airport.

"This is the location on Irvington near the Santa Cruz river where since 1994, the city of Tucson has been treating groundwater contaminated with TCE," Tucson Water Director John Kmiec said on a recent tour of the facility.

The plant has also started treating another industrial compound called 1,4-dioxane, and even more recently, for PFAS.

"We take the recovered groundwater that's contaminated with TCE and 1,4-dioxane and that water all comes to this location and hydrogen peroxide is added to the water to oxidize those organic chemicals," he said.

This is a process called advanced oxidation. A giant blue pipe carries untreated water to another set of silver tubes inside the warehouse. After that, the water heads to a high intensity ultraviolet light that shatters what's left of the contaminants.

The final step is a set of white tanks just outside the warehouse that contain carbon filters. It's meant to remove the hydrogen peroxide, but it can also treat for PFAS.

That process was enough to produce quality drinking water. Until 2021, when the level of PFAS coming into the plant spiked.

"Our analysis is it's the AFFF, the Aqueous Film-Forming Foam that's been used at the airport property for decades, it's what has contaminated the groundwater, and that slow contamination is what's moving into our well fields," he said.

More than two dozen wells around Tucson were shut down after that. Operations at this facility also came to a halt. Today, the plant has switched from producing drinking water, to reclaimed water. Kmiec says the spike in PFAS have made reaching drinking water quality cost prohibitive with the carbon filters.

Plans are underway now to construct a new facility for PFAS treatment using a $25 million grant awarded to Tucson by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.

But unlike the old TCE cleanup at this plant, which the Defense Department helped fund, the city of Tucson has mostly covered the cost of testing for, and cleaning up, PFAS contamination.

Kmiec hopes the new EPA limits will bring federal dollars to the effort, and require parties responsible for the contamination to help address it.

But, as Herrera knows, these are long fights.

Back at the garden, she leads the way to a big red block with a quote written on top that reads, "your actions today affect your tomorrows."

"This is one of my favorite messages that I always try to show people because it's very powerful," she says. "That holds true for anything."

Herrera says she first heard about PFAS when her 9-year-old granddaughter was born. Now, the chemicals are a mainstay discussion at the community meetings she helps lead. She says she wants to make sure the next generation doesn't deal with the same consequences as hers did, with TCE.

"They'll never fix it. They'll never bring these people back. But we certainly are working so that it never happens again," she said. "And that's why researching the PFAS and making the government do stronger regulations against that is so important. We don't want it to take another 20, 30 years before they determine that it's a carcinogen."

Explore all the stories in KJZZ's 'Every Last Drop' series

→ Arizona's water supply is shrinking, but its population is growing. Is it sustainable?
→ Groundwater is critical to rural Arizona - but there's a struggle to regulate it
→ Is drought in Arizona and the Southwest the new normal?
→ To better understand Arizona's water supply, we retrace its origins
→ How much can at-home conservation impact Arizona's water shortage?
→ How Scottsdale's drought plan has reduced the city's water footprint
→ Gray water's untapped potential is clouded by complexity
→ As drought worsens, will Arizonans see higher water bills?

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PFAS water contamination is in the national spotlight. In Tucson, it's the latest in a longer legacy

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The KJZZ series "Every Last Drop" tackles big questions about Arizona's water future - including what Arizonans can do to make a difference and what's being done to keep the state's water safe. Published: May 17, 2023

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Just in at the Pima Community College West Campus Library

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Just in at the Pima Community College West Campus Library

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From publisher Simon & Schuster, this book tells the story of Americans already experiencing displacement due to climate change. It also addresses the "implications for us all as we confront a changing future."

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Climate Action, Sustainability, and Eco-Justice: Think Globally, Act Locally

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Climate Action, Sustainability, and Eco-Justice: Think Globally, Act Locally

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The 8th Annual Ethnic, Gender, Transborder Studies & Sociology (EGTSS) Summit Agenda: https://padlet.com/emead21/2024EGTSSSummit