In South Providence and across New England, neighbors are proving that environmental justice starts with community power. From blocking polluting projects to shaping new laws, families and advocates are shifting the balance of power – building healthier, fairer futures for everyone.
After years of organizing, New Bedford residents won a major victory: the Board of Health rejected a massive waste transfer station that threatened public health and piled pollution onto already overburdened neighborhoods. Their persistence shows the power of community to stop harmful projects — and win environmental justice.
For years, Shell Oil has jeopardized the health and safety of New England coastal residents by constructing oil storage tanks right next to waterways and communities. Shell did it in New Haven, Connecticut, where oil storage tanks hulk next to New Haven Harbor. And it did it again in Providence, Rhode Island, where an oil storage terminal looms above the iconic Narragansett Bay.
The people leading the fight in communities across New England aren’t backing down now. Neither is CLF. Our commitment to justice – and our communities – is unwavering.
In a short-sighted vendetta against “diversity, equity, and inclusion” the Trump administration has canceled many grants that farmers were relying on to grow their food sustainably.
What stands in the way of cleaner air, safer drinking water, unpolluted ports, and better health for Rhode Islanders is what we are sorely missing: an environmental justice law that takes a holistic perspective.
Across regions, people are standing up for their health, culture, and environment – pushing back on unjust waste infrastructure and reclaiming power over their communities’ futures. In Old Town, Maine, and New Bedford, Massachusetts, residents are confronting a familiar pattern – and showing what it takes to break the cycle and build lasting change.
How does your state stack up in this report card? Could your elected officials be doing more to cut litter and keep bottles out of landfills?
CLF President Bradley Campbell recently spoke with Ayana Elizabeth Johnson about environmentalism in the age of Trump. We’ve excerpted portions of their conversation.
Rhode Island legislators chose inaction on issues critical to the health and well-being of Rhode Islanders.
