I grew up in communities that needed environmental justice the most. I also lived in neighborhoods that already had the resources and ability to make change. Still, I didn’t understand the difference or know what the environmental world called the movement until later in life. I could only connect the dots when I had more access to education and a framework for understanding the issue.
Nov 17
2020
2020
Nov 7
2020
2020
Biden Win Sets the Stage for a Greener Future, But Local Action Is Still Vital
The presidential election result is a welcome relief – especially amid the ongoing stresses of an unrelenting pandemic, hobbling economic hardship, and an overdue racial reckoning. We all deserve to take a moment and celebrate that. But even as we see the core values of our democracy vindicated after relentless voter suppression efforts, now is not the time to grow complacent.
Oct 15
2020
2020
UPDATE: What Would Massachusetts’s Environmental Justice Laws Accomplish?
Low-income, immigrant, and communities of color experience more environmental burdens than whiter, wealthier neighborhoods. Having strong environmental justice legislation would make a significant difference in these neighborhoods, in part by simply ensuring residents have a voice in what happens in their own communities.
Oct 14
2020
2020
UPDATE: How Has Racism Contributed to Environmental Justice Inequities?
Environmental justice requires reversing and repairing the impacts of decades of environmental racism. Residents of environmental justice communities are the most likely to bear the burdens polluting industries and infrastructure, while having to fight for their share of resources we all need — healthy homes, schools, transit, food, and open space.
Oct 13
2020
2020
UPDATE: What Are Environmental Justice Protections?
For decades, low income, immigrant, and communities of color across the Commonwealth have disproportionately born the burdens of air pollution from power plants, congested freeways, and industrial activity. After generations of disenfranchisement, what would having strong environmental justice protections mean for these communities?
Oct 8
2020
2020
Environmental and Legal Groups Sue DOJ, EPA for Ending Decades-Old Practice In Which Polluters Fund Environmentally Beneficial Projects
“This policy reversal is a slap in the face to communities battling pollution,” said Heather Govern, Director of CLF’s Clean Air and Water program. “Communities of color have suffered for decades with dirty air and unsafe water, and supplemental projects help right these wrongs. Such an unlawful scheme cannot be allowed to stand.”
Oct 7
2020
2020
Voting Is a Right – We Must All Fight to Protect It
The leaders that we select in this year’s elections – up and down the ticket – will fundamentally shape our lives, not just for the next four years, but for decades to come. As a nonpartisan organization that wields the law to protect New England communities and that challenges broken systems and discriminatory policies, CLF cannot be a passive witness to any attempt to undermine our election process. Neither can our supporters.
Oct 6
2020
2020
What You Need to Know About the Boston Green New Deal
The Green New Deal may be stalled on the federal level, but it’s always been local governments that move the needle on progress and have immediate, concrete impacts on our lives. Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu’s proposal – Planning for a Green New Deal & Just Recovery – is a great example of local action in the face of federal inertia, and offers an ambitious vision for Boston’s future.
Oct 1
2020
2020
Climate Change Is the Threat of Our Lifetime
New England is extremely vulnerable to climate change. It’s a crisis not only for the environment, but also for the health of our communities. It will take systemic change in the way we do business, the way we govern, and the way we guide people to solve climate change and move into the next century.
Jul 16
2020
2020
UPDATE: Continuing the Eversource East Boston Substation Fight
East Boston residents overwhelmingly oppose a proposal to build a massive electrical substation in their neighborhood. In a case highlighting issues of language justice, many residents have been unable to participate fully in public proceedings because of inadequate translation services. CLF and our partners have filed a formal complaint to hold officials accountable.