2021 Sustainability Supplement in Observance of Earth Day
Restoration and Resolutions to Environmental Injustice SPONSORED BY:
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Restoration & Resolutions to Environmental Injustice
One of the major setbacks to advancing positive environmental change remains the inability of dispossessed people to gain the ears of the nation’s policymakers. For decades, the cadence of marginalized community members championing grassroots protests against eroding infrastructures, environmental injustice, climate gentrification, and air pollution, have gone largely ignored. Many policy shifts that have been made came as a direct result of public pressure and have not exacted the level of change necessary to restore failed systems or resolve potential hazards. 5 Dr. Shantella Y. Sherman (Photo by India Kea) Still, the fight continues. And with the invigorated passions of the world’s youth, strategies for restoration and resolution show signs of success. In one such case, British coroner Philip Barlow contributed poor air quality from vehicle emissions as a “material contribution” to the death of a 9-year-old Black girl, Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah. The landmark ruling makes the first noted connection between air pollution and acute respiratory failure. It also sets the stage, globally, for tougher laws against poor air quality. “Today’s verdict sets the precedent for a seismic shift in the pace and extent to which the government, local authorities and clinicians must now work together to tackle the country’s air pollution crisis,” said The British Lung Foundation and Asthma UK co-chair Sarah Woolnough. Ella’s death, which resulted from years of rapidly decreasing lung function, also marked the first time a global spotlight appeared on the impact of poor air quality on children. In the U.S., similar attention focused on the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, brought about after toxic levels of lead were found in the city’s piping system. Exposure to lead-tainted water can cause long-term health issues and according to Flint pediatrician Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, those effects may not appear for several years after exposure to lead. Lead exposure lowers IQ levels, creates cognitive and behavioral issues for children, and has been linked to infertility. Lead exposure is difficult to treat because it is an irreversible neurotoxin. “It’s known as a silent pediatric epidemic. It’s something that we see years if not decades after exposure to lead. There is no cure. There is no antidote,” Hanna-Attisha said. “However, there is so much that we can do and that we are doing to minimize, to mitigate, to buffer the impact of the exposure. We cannot take it away, but we can do so much to lessen it.” Seven years after the initial lead water crisis began in Flint, youth activist Mari Copeny, has developed a filtration system to provide access to clean water. This Informer supplement takes a closer look at issues surrounding environmental pollutants – and more importantly, the efforts to restore and resolve environmental issues in Black communities. We celebrate the life’s work of the late D.C. environmental activist Damu Smith in this edition, while also encouraging the next generation of sustainability warriors who continue the fight. Read, Learn, Grow. Dr. Shantella Sherman
5 Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, 9, died from lung failure resulting from her living in close proximity to a major thoroughfare (like the one pictured). (Courtesy photos)
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District Agencies and Community Push for Environmental Sustainability Lindiwe Vilakazi WI Staff Writer
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Local government agencies, and community businesses across the city are exploring various environmental strategies to support local sustainability, as Anacostia River cleaning initiatives, and newly amended Foam Ban policies are still effecting change. According to Earthjustice.org, raw sewage has led as the top pollution source to the Anacostia watershed, with half a billion gallons of waste landing in the riverway per year. The poor conditions of the District staple has inspired the Department of Energy & Environment to launch initiatives promoting equity and availability of the waterway to all city residents. “I think one of the most important things is that the city is starting to see results. The Anacostia River is cleaner than it has been in over 50 years. It is a
DCSEU
place where people want to be,” Tommy Wells, Director of DOEE told the Informer. “That is why we’re starting [certain programs], so that we are equitable, and that it is available to everyone. In further support of the agency’s efforts, DOEE passed a city-wide foam ban prohibiting the business and organizational use of disposable food service ware made from expanded polystyrene material, commonly known as “Styrofoam.” January 2021, five years post the initial drafting, the environmental bill was amended, further banning the sales of foam food storage ware containers including ice chests, coolers, and foam loose-filled packing material. Wells highlights the general compliance of District businesses in support of the agency’s environmental goals. “It just puts our laws in alignment with Montgomery County and our surrounding counties. So, it just creates more certainty for all of the businesses,”
said Wells. “We get very little push back of the environmental initiative in our city. It’s just in our ethos.” However, as municipalities impose foam laws on local food retailers, some find their available packaging options limited. Especially with more residents having substituted dining out for takeaway, the legal bans on Styrofoam and polystyrene create a certain level of distress. “I think the pressure is in all the wrong places; it should be with the manufacturers. We wouldn’t have so many different types of materials in use that can’t be recycled, if it were illegal for them to even be made,” said Eric Logan, managing partner of Ben’s Chili Bowl. “[From] a marketing [scope], they’ve effectively shifted the lens of ownership for who’s accountable, and they will say, ‘Okay, don’t buy and don’t use these goods.’ Why don’t you stop [the manufacturers] so that they’re nev-
er made? It should be stopped at the source. We wouldn’t buy it if it wasn’t available, and if it wasn’t available for cheaper.” Although the foam restrictions are inconvenient for certain businesses, others moved away from polystyrene packing material well before the environmental policies were set. “We’ve actually never used Styrofoam in our establishment. We’re trying to move as much as we can to more sustainable packaged goods,” said Peter Opare, chef, and co-owner of the Open Crumb DC in Southeast. “Our environment affects our community, so as a business, if we’re going to be making money from these communities, we should do our best to get the products that actually help [them].” Opare said the restaurant uses various paper products to serve menu items, and tries to avoid any non-biodegradable products that are environ-
Together, we’ve worked to build a brighter economic, environmental, and energy future for the District.
Thanks to DC residents and businesses, since 2011, the DCSEU has generated $1.2 billion in lifetime energy cost savings. We have also invested $50 million in energy efficiency and renewable energy in low-income communities, and prevented 6.2 million metric tons in lifetime greenhouse gas emissions. DCSEU.com/about
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mentally harsh and have chemically toxic effects. “Pollution usually affects the people at the “bottom of the hill,” and I’m in a community that reflects that, so I should be doing my best to get those products that are sustainable. It’s just that simple,” Opare said. SS
(202) 479-2222
info@dcseu.com
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We Have the Power to “Flip the Switch” on Climate Change Using less energy saves money, reduces air pollution and cuts down emissions that are causing climate change.
Melissa Adams Chief Corporate Social Responsibility Officer, Washington Gas One of the things people noticed during the Covid-19 lockdowns was that skies were clearer due to less air pollution associated with commuters because there were far fewer vehicles on the road. As our world, nation and capital region finally can see the light at the end of the tunnel of the pandemic, we also can hold onto the benefits of clearer skies and cleaner air—without sacrificing our economy, comfort and convenience. A simple rule of thumb for everyone committed to energy efficiency is this—the cleanest and least expensive energy—whether it is electricity, natural gas, gasoline, diesel or oil—is the energy that we do not use. During the winter, Washington D.C. uses 60 percent more energy to keep people and spaces warm compared to the energy
it takes to cool them in the summer. Peak cooling demand, not surprisingly, comes in the summer months. While the transition to spring—with its longer daylight and comfortable temperatures—might not seem like the best time to talk about energy savings. It actually is the perfect time. Fortunately for customers in DC, there are many options to consider, multiple resources available and the ability to tailor them and customize to fit your preference and needs. Washington Gas offers its customers access to an online Home Energy Profile Tool at https://washingtongas. energysavvy.com/residential/start/. This tool asks a series of questions about your home and then provides customized energy savings tips based on your answers. The customized report recommends actions from changing thermostat settings to specific upgrades for older appliances and estimates the savings associated with those actions.
There also are many energy efficiency rebates offered by the DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU). Consider that the best time to update or upgrade heating and cooling systems is when they are not in use. If your furnace was making funny noises last winter, or your AC wasn’t blowing as cold (or seemed to cycle on more often), the DCSEU (https:// www.dcseu.com/) administers energy efficiency programs for the District of Columbia that can assist you. Time and again, the DCSEU has helped homeowners, apartment building owners, restaurants, universities, hospitals, entertainment venues and even Union Station save energy. Funded by a surcharge on all Washington, D.C. customers’ electricity and natural gas bills, the DCSEU provides residents, businesses and property owners with an extensive program and product offering, including rebates for high-efficiency equipment that make these equipment options more af-
DID YOU KNOW? Our Paperless Billing customers SAVE 2,800 TREES EACH YEAR. That’s almost the same number of cherry trees that surround the Tidal Basin in DC! To join our growing number of PAPERLESS BILLING customers, visit washingtongas.com/ebill to enroll.
fordable. Reducing the purchase costs means customers can enjoy the energy and cost savings associated with everything from smart thermostats (that save energy while you’re away but prepare your home to be comfortable when you return) to high-efficiency natural gas furnaces and more. For people who are not looking to make those big investments, the DCSEU offers some simple low-cost options such as a home energy conservation kit for only $10, and free kits for income-qualified residents. Customers using the items in the kit can save up to $40 per year on utilities—a four to one return without sacrificing comfort or convenience. The kit includes LED light bulbs which use up to 90 percent less energy (than incandescent bulbs). It also contains an advanced power strip which saves energy by preventing devices from using energy when they are turned “off” (so-called “phantom power” or “vampire loads” when devices are in standby mode), as well as a faucet aerator that cuts water use by one third. For more information on the contents of the conservation kit, please visit www.dcseu.com/homeenergykits. Last year, Washington Gas released an industry-leading Climate Business Plan explaining how the company plans to evolve its energy offerings and help the District meet its ambitious climate goals. The plan focuses on
three pillars including Energy Efficiency, which is the largest contributor to emissions reductions. Our most recent community meeting on the plan focused on Energy Efficiency and featured presentations from DCSEU, Washington Gas and Exergy Partners Corporation. You can access those presentations and a recording of the meeting at https://washingtongasdcclimatebusinessplan.com/energy-efficiency-whats-in-it-for-you/. As part of its commitment to address climate change, Washington Gas also is participating in a Public Service Commission working group that is working to establish energy efficiency and demand response programs that Washington Gas will introduce to provide significant and permanent energy savings opportunities to residents and businesses that will add to the existing programs. We are all in this together. To make an impact, it is important that we all do our part, including participating in the many ways we can all use energy more efficiently and save money along the way. Don’t forget that Washington Gas is right there with you every step of the way. Washington Gas will continue working to help the District achieve its climate goals and encourages residents to do their part now with simple steps to save money—and energy—by making their homes more efficient.
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How The District of Columbia Is Taking The Lead To Address Climate Change Submitted by The Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia The mantra of “reduce, reuse and recycle” has been around for decades, but only more recently have individuals – and cities – taken stronger action to prevent the effects of climate change. The District of Columbia became a national leader around climate action with the passage of the Clean Energy Omnibus Amendment Act, spearheaded by Mayor Bowser and the Council of DC, in 2018. The legislation represents one of the most aggressive clean energy policies in the nation. One of the major facets of the Act was to significantly increase the amount of renewable energy residents produce and use, setting the city on a path to 100% renewable energy by 2032, a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2032, and 100% carbon neutrality by 2050. As the local utility regulator, the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia (DCPSC) plays an integral role in meeting those goals. The Commission has updated its mission to take into account the District’s climate policy commitments when making its policy decisions. The DCPSC commissioners consider climate change and the Clean Energy Act when ruling in every proceeding put before the Commission. Those decisions, which have the force of law, have created, expanded, or enhanced several climate initiatives. Since December 2020, the DCPSC has certified more than 7,900 solar facilities and 137 Community Renewable Energy Facilities (CREFs) that produce a total of more than 130 MW of power. The District is also becoming the first jurisdiction in the Mid-Atlantic to acquire a portion of electricity used in the default service for Pepco customers through a long-term renewable energy power purchase agreement. In short, new and existing customers who get the “default” service from the utility will soon have a portion of their power come from renewable sources like solar or wind. When it comes to innovative,
forward-thinking initiatives to help address climate change, the DCPSC is relying on its PowerPath DC Pilot Projects Governance Board to recommend pilot projects that will tackle the crisis in new ways. The board was created as a result of the Pepco Holdings, Inc.-Exelon merger approved by the Commission and has more than $21 million at its disposal to fund projects that will modernize the District’s energy delivery systems. While many of the initiatives the DCPSC spearheads may be at the policy level, it also has created DC Power Connect, a centralized resource for residents and local business to compare and choose their electric supplier. Suppliers upload offers into an easily searchable database and customers can select a new supplier to reduce their carbon footprint or find a plan with a fixed price. Successfully addressing climate change requires participation across the board. One other initiative in the works at the DCPSC is an energy efficiency and energy conservation program that will assist multifamily building owners with energy efficiency financing to retrofit their buildings. The program also helps owners identify other energy programs that could minimize their buildings’ energy usage. Reducing energy use in large, multifamily buildings is critical to meeting the Clean Energy Act’s energy standards and helps ensure that equity and affordability are central considerations when putting climate policies into action. It’s an exciting time to be a District resident and the city’s work to achieve carbon neutrality is ongoing. Stay up-to-date by visiting http://dcpsc.org/cleanenergy. SS
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Environmental News Notes Lee Ross WI Staff Writer Singer Angélique Kidjo Launches Campaign for Environmental Film “Mother Nature” The Beninese singing sensation, Angélique Kidjo, recently launched a fundraising campaign for the production of an environmental film entitled “Mother Nature.” The proceeds from the production and distribution of the film will be donated to the GoodPlanet Foundation, which supports environmental projects around the world. Kidjo joined forces with French director Yann Arthus-Bertrand to make a short film. It will be filmed in Benin, France and a third country to be chosen according to the evolution of the Coronavirus pandemic: Lagos in Nigeria or New
York in the United States. Described as “a committed, transgenerational, musically energetic and inspiring work to carry a call for the protection of the planet loud and far.” Kidjo said, “[In Africa] it is the children who are bearing the brunt of the climate change crisis. It is the future generation that will pay the heaviest price for climate change.” France Bans Short-Haul Internal Flights to Cut CO2 Emissions The French Government has banned short-haul domestic flights when rail alternatives are available for the journey of two and half hours or less. The bill, which was voted in the French Parliament on April 10, will only apply to a handful of routes, such as those between Paris and Nantes,
5 The peels, fiber content, and nutrients of foods on the verge of waste to create high-quality dehydrated products, juices, sauces, and flours in a process called upcycling. / Courtesy photo.
and Lyon and Bordeaux. Connecting flights are excluded. Aiming to cut down France’s CO2 emis-
Free Tree Planting Apply online at the RiverSmart Homes Program (https://doee.dc.gov/service/rshapplication) or enroll by calling 202-535-2252 On average, the entire process can take 6 – 10 months
sion levels of 1990 by 40 percent, the measure – which needs to be approved at the Senate level – was applauded by President Macron’s party LaREM. “We are engaging in a profound transformation of the aviation sector,” read a tweet from LaREM MPs. “Favoring the train or other means of public transport for short distances is common sense and a key gesture for the climate.” Upcycling Foods Reduces Waste, Stabilizes Economies Food waste accounts for more than 8 percent of all human-made greenhouse gas emissions, making it a big contributor to climate change. In 2020 in the United States alone 80 billion lbs. of food was thrown away, 40 percent of the US food supply was wasted, and $1,600 worth of produce per family was wasted. According to
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You apply for a free tree through:
Arborist schedules a site visit with you so the arborist can determine the best trees for your location
Arborist visits your home to look at the location where you plan to plant the tree
Your tree is ordered
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RiverSmart Homes Shade Tree Planting Program (URL or phone # above) Your ward’s Urban Forestry Division (UFD) arborist Casey Trees 202-833-4010
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the United Nations, if food waste were a country, it would be the world’s third-largest greenhouse gas emitter, only behind China and the U.S. Food is wasted all along its journey from the farm to our homes, but through upcycling, the pulp, peels, and other nutrients of food products on the brink of expiry are repurposed as ingredients in drinks, sauces, and flours. According to Upcycled Food Association, the process is derived from an ancient tradition based on the philosophy of using all of what you have. It’s about doing more with less and elevating all food to its highest and best use. Most of all, upcycled food is about reducing food waste, by creating high quality, nutritious food products out of the nutrients that slip through the cracks of our food system. SS
Food waste accounts for more than 8 percent of all human-made greenhouse gas emissions, making it a big contributor to climate change.
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OPC is Fighting for Affordable Climate Change Solutions Sandra Mattavous-Frye People’s Counsel for the District of Columbia The Office of the People’s Counsel for the District of Columbia (OPC) is pleased to contribute to The Washington Informer’s Sustainability Supplement in Observance of Earth Day. I welcome this opportunity to highlight the work of OPC’s new Climate Action Section. I also note that seeking solutions to environmental injustice has been a cornerstone of OPC’s work. The environmental community might recall that over a decade ago, OPC led the battle to shut down Pepco’s Benning Road Power Plant in Northeast which was emitting toxic pollutants into nearby neighborhoods. In 2020, I launched the Climate Action Section to ensure that the District of Columbia meets its climate change goals in a way that equitably benefits electric, gas, and water consumers in all eight wards. Climate change is already harming District residents -- we are experiencing hotter summers, more extreme storms, and increased flooding. And conditions are projected to get worse with low income and communities of color suffering some of the worst impacts. With swift and continuous action, however, we all can do our part to prevent the most harmful effects of climate change in the years to come. For this reason, OPC supports the District’s climate change goals: reducing the pollution that causes climate change—called greenhouse gases--in half by 2032 and 100% by 2050. We will need to make big changes to meet these big goals, and OPC is advocating that the changes benefit all District consumers. Residents in all eight wards should have access to new technologies and clean energy options like modern electric appliances and solar power that can help them reduce energy usage and lower their utility bills through energy efficiency and conservation measures. Changes to utility systems to reduce climate change pollution must be just and not increase the energy burden on ratepayers, particularly for low- and moderate-income households. The costs of meeting the District’s climate change goals must be affordable for gas, electric, and water consumers; and must address ratepayers’ needs. OPC’s Climate Action Section is advocating for affordable, equitable, and reliable climate change solutions before the DC Public Service Commission, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and regional utility-related entities. Our work has included advocating for expanded access to microgrids—local electric systems that can both reduce climate change pollution and allow critical facilities like hospitals to keep running during power outages. OPC also advocated to allow residents with rooftop solar to store the energy generated in batteries for use when the sun is not shining, which provides emergency back up and increases the amount of clean energy available. Moreover, OPC is advocating for the utilities to have effective plans to reduce climate change pollution. OPC believes it should be standard practice for all utility rate cases and project proposals such as infrastructure upgrades to identify any impacts on climate change, including the costs and benefits of such proposals, and any project impacts on social and economic equity. This analysis will allow the Public Service Commission to make more informed decisions about new proposals. OPC will educate consumers to ensure they understand the District’s plans to shift from dirty fossil fuel to clean green energy. As we all work together for “Restoration and Resolutions to Environmental Injustice,” OPC will continue to advocate for safe, affordable, and reliable utility services that contribute to a sustainable and healthy environment for DC residents in all eight wards. SS
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…And the Youth Shall Lead:
Three Under 30 Environmentalist to Watch Lee Ross WI Staff Writer The battle against fossil fuels, climate change, and environmental injustice has only just begun – that’s if the world’s young people have anything to say about it. In addition to having a firm grip on the impact unsustainable behaviors have on natural resources, young people have found innovative ways of galvanizing others and demanding legislative and structural change. Only in the last year did the Ninth Circuit court of appeals throw out the high-profile lawsuit Juliana v. United States, in which 21 young Americans sued the United States government for violating their Constitutional rights by not firmly addressing climate change. The suit summary found that some plaintiffs claimed psychological harms, others impairment to recreational interests, others exacerbated medical conditions, and others damage to property. Plaintiffs alleged violations of their constitutional rights and sought declaratory relief and an injunction ordering the government to implement a plan to “phase out fossil fuel emissions and draw down excess atmospheric [carbon dioxide].” Still, the court held that the policy decisions necessary to address climate change were better left at the discretion “of the executive and legislative branches.” “I am disappointed that these judges would find that federal courts can’t protect America’s youth, even when a constitutional right has been violated,” Kelsey Juliana, the 23-year-old named plaintiff of Eugene, Oregon, said in a statement. “Such a holding is contrary to American principles of justice that I have been taught since elementary school. This decision gives full unfettered authority to the legislative and executive branches of government to destroy our country, because we are dealing with a crisis that puts the very existence of our nation in peril.” Similarly, 2020 saw the disruption of a student recruitment reception at Harvard Law School where the corporate law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garri-
son LLP – which represents ExxonMobil sought to mingle with potential hires. “We, students of Harvard Law School, will not work for you as long as you work for ExxonMobil. Our future is on fire, and you are fanning the flames. If you want to recruit us, then drop Exxon and join us in fighting for a livable future,” said Aaron Regunberg, a first-year student at Harvard Law School. “This is a do-or-die moment in human history.” Be clear, these protests are not mere trendy TikTok fodder or peer pressure-induced mayhem; today’s youth have “skin in the game.” “Young people are looking to adults to lead by example and have been getting a lot of empty rhetoric in return. In some instances, they have been ignored altogether,” sociology student April Tyner told the Informer. “Ignoring the health and lifestyle crises created by climate change on children and young adults directly impacts their quality of life not just now, but into their adult lives and the lives of their children and grandchildren. It makes logical sense that they would take matters into their own hands.”
Khristen Hamilton (Courtesy photo)
8 KHRISTEN HAMILTON, ZERO HOUR
“Social justice is environmental justice, and if we don’t acknowledge that, then we truly cannot fight climate change properly.” Khristen Hamilton is an activist that currently works as Volunteer Management Director for Zero Hour. Hamilton has been an adamant voice of opposition to the
recent backtracks on EPA regulations and policies by the Trump administration and is campaigning to see the government take more steps to address climate change. She believes that climate change impacts people’s lives daily and needs to be a priority. Recently Hamilton has made connections between the COVID-19 epidemic and how we need a heightened sense of urgency in dealing with climate change, similarly to the way we have been trying to handle the pandemic. Hamilton is also a strong advocator for organizing locally to be able to influence local elections and have a voice in the community. Ultimately, Hamilton would like to see climate change mobilization that’s on par with the pandemic response. “The country has done a lot to try and stop this global health pandemic, but they haven’t addressed the climate crisis with the same urgency.”
8 JEROME FOSTER, II
Executive Director & Founder, OneMillionOfUs and member of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council “In America, we are temporarily insulated from [climate change], we’re temporarily just not seeing it, but everyone else around the world, in the Global South, they’re seeing it on a daily basis.” Jerome Foster II is a 19-yearold African American climate justice activist, voting rights advocate, and emerging technology developer. He is the Executive Director & Founder of OneMillionOfUs, which is mobilizing a new generation of young people to register and turnout to vote. Throughout 2019, Foster served as the House Congressional Intern for the late Honorable Congressman John Lewis. Also working as CoEditor-in-Chief of The Climate Reporter, an international environmental news organization.
Mari Copeny (Courtesy photo) Foster has spoken at the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights, held weekly climate strikes in front of the White House and Harvard University for over 80 weeks as a part of Greta Thunberg’s Fridays For Future, and helped to pass the Clean Energy DC Act. He won the World Series of Entrepreneurship for creating a civic-based virtual reality organization called TAU VR.
Mari is a 13-year-old from Flint, Michigan known globally as Little Miss Flint. She first rose to the public spotlight when her letter to President Obama about the water crisis prompted him to visit the city and survey the water crisis for himself. That visit ultimately led to him approving $100 million dollars in relief for the city of Flint. Mari has used her platform to not only bring awareness to her community but to give back. Mari has raised over $500,000 for her Flint Kids projects including giving out over 16,000 backpacks stuffed with school supplies, a yearly Christmas event with thousands of toys, Easter baskets, movie screenings, and most recently partnered with a filtration company (Hydroviv) to produce her very own water filters. SS
8 AMARIYANA “MARI” COPENY [Little Miss Flint] Activist “Never let anybody shut you up, and trust me they will try, because you’re young and a lot of adults don’t think you should have an opinion.”
Jerome Hamilton, II (Courtesy photo)
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Contamination is a costly and dangerous problem that can cause loads of recycling to be rejected. Did you know 24% of materials collected within the recycling program is contamination, (i.e. unacceptable materials) and should not be placed into the recycling collection cart/bin?*
*Based on sorts performed at the Materials Recycling Facility (MRF)
• PLASTIC BAGS • CHIP or SNACK BAGS • CANDY WRAPPERS
MIXED PAPER Newspapers, Paper Bags, Junk Mail, Magazines, Wrapping Paper, Envelopes
• GARDEN HOSES • ROPES • CORDS
• BATTERIES • ELECTRONICS • HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS MATERIALS • BALLOON HELIUM TANKS • SMALL PROPANE TANKS
• DIAPERS • TISSUES • HYGIENE PRODUCTS • PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)
PAPERBOARD BOXES
METALS
Milk, Juice, Broth, Soup, Flattened Cardboard Boxes, Cereal & Cracker Boxes, Frozen Food Boxes
Empty Aerosol Cans, Metal Food & Beverage Cans, Aluminum Foil
GLASS
PLASTIC
Food & Beverage Containers
Wide-Mouth Containers like Peanut Butter, Yogurt, Sour Cream, Mayonnaise, Margarine/Butter Tubs, Prescription Bottles
TOP TIPS TO HELP REDUCE CONTAMINATION IN YOUR BIN:
• CLOTHING • WIRE & PLASTIC CLOTHES HANGERS
PLASTIC Narrow-Neck Containers with Resin, Identification Numbers 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 (on the bottom)
• Empty and clean all food and beverage containers. • Overflow of recyclables can be placed in any receptacle or cardboard box marked with an X or the word “Recycling”. Cardboard boxes will be collected with contents. • Plastic bags are NOT accepted in the recycling program and should NOT be used to prepare materials for collection. Place recyclables loose and unbagged in your recycling cart or bin. • When in doubt, leave it out!
To avoid non-collection, keep contaminates OUT of the recycling cart! S-13 THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 2021 SUSTAINABILITY SUPPLEMENT IN OBSERVANCE OF EARTH DAY / WWW.WASHINGTONINFORMER.COM
Remembering Damu Smith, Environmental Warrior Faith and Deliverance: Damu Smith Wages War on Cancer
Dr. Shantella Y. Sherman WI Special Editions Editor Damu Smith’s name bounces around rooms with the same quiet reverence often reserved for more popularly known figures: Nelson Mandela or Desmond Tutu. Sometimes, there is a knowing smile or two. Smith is a kind of modern-day superstar among activists: fierce, passionate, courageous, God-fearing. His celebrity has reached far and beyond Washington, D.C., into the far corners of the Earth. Where there is any semblance of injustice, rest assured, Damu Smith is planning strategic countermoves. Smith’s activism rallied civic consciousness against apartheid in South Africa, gun violence, police brutality and government injustice. He worked to effect peace and a freeze on nuclear weapons, and advocated for environmental justice, both in America and abroad. In fact, Smith was in Palestine, heading up a delegation of protest against unfair treatment suffered by Palestinians at the hands of the Israeli government, when he collapsed, subsequently being diagnosed with colon cancer. As a result, Smith has always appeared larger than life, particularly to this reporter, who met him more than 20 years ago as a pre-teen. Interviewing Smith became a challenge that 15 years of reporting experience could not overcome. I was nervous. I was not sure what to expect, so I stood outside his apartment door for a solid five minutes, willing each knock to become just a little more audible to him on the other side. Finally, I entered at his behest, ‘‘Come on in, the door is open.’’ Once I had taken off my shoes and peered around the corner, I was able to get a full glance at Damu. His eyes were bright, his skin flawless and his smile brighter than ever. He bustled around his apartment with a small contingent of associates: his friend and doctor of more than 30 years, Jewel L. Crawford; a friend from St. Louis; and others who came and went in fluid motions. There is a handwritten note attached to a hand-carved mirror, one of the many African treasures decorating Damu’s home. Above a litany of daily affirmations, is written, ‘‘With God All Things Are Possible.’’ Being in Convent, Louisiana, an
area referred to as ‘‘Cancer Alley,’’ where a smorgasbord of industrial plant run-off brought on cancers, lung conditions and skin irritations among residents, may be the culprit in Smith’s case. In the early 1990s, he led an all-out campaign against the Japanese owners of the Shintech plants and lived with some of the area’s residents. ‘‘The air we breathe, the water we drink, the foods we eat and the homes in which we live are toxic. This is a very toxic environment we live in this millennium. I live a healthy lifestyle: I don’t drink, don’t smoke, never did an illegal drug. I’m a vegetarian and I eat organic food. And yet, I end up with colon cancer. Why? Could be a number of things,’’ he surmised. ‘‘Could be the toxic environment, could be the fact that within my family there’s a genetic marker of colon cancer. My father died of it. My grandmother, his mother, had it. She didn’t die from it, but she had it. So, according to conventional medical doctors, I’m at greater risk because I have this family marker,’’ said Smith. Though he says he should have seen a doctor regularly, like most minorities, he didn’t make it a top priority, especially since he was so health conscious. ‘‘I should have been at the doctor every year getting checked. I wasn’t. I have to be honest with you, I used to think about going to get a checkup and I’d say to myself, ‘I don’t want to find out anything bad. I just can’t imagine anything bad happening to me because I eat so well.’ I used to say that stuff. So, this is one of the things I want to be a poster child for: getting screened and checked for colon cancer,’’ said Smith. But how does a poster child for ‘good health’ maintain in the fight for his life? According to Smith, with an unwavering conviction in God. ‘‘First of all, I have to have faith in God— in a higher power, greater than us. And so, that’s the most important thing to me, having faith in God and
(above) Damu Smith championed the fight for environmental justice, equity, and human rights across the globe. (Shantella Y. Sherman/The Washington Informer) (top) Damu Smith speaking March 12, 2003 at the Black Voices for Peace Die-In event outside of the Washington Post newspaper offices. (Photo courtesy of By Elvert Barnes - https://www.flickr.com/ photos/perspective/16581933156/in/ album-72157650933458472/, CC BY-SA 2.0)
knowing that he can deliver me from this,’’ said Smith. ‘‘I was told by one of the doctors when I was initially diagnosed at the end of March that people in my condition, statistically, have only three to six months to live. And he made it a point of saying to me twice during our conversation, ‘Don’t hesitate about anything.’ That was Easter Sunday morning of this year. I had to really reflect on that.’’ The reality of death is all the more gripping because he lost a close friend to colon cancer around Christmas. Unlike his friend, who went in for surgery and passed a few days later without a moment to prepare, Smith said he is grateful for the opportunity to fight for his life. ‘‘Here I am. I’ve been alive three months since I was told, and I’m feeling great right now. Those tumors are shrinking. I’m sitting here with you now doing this interview and drinking this organic kale and carrot juice, and I am drinking it as much as possible because it heals the liver . . . I’m taking chemotherapy, acupuncture, sound healing, breathology, everything in the toolbox of healing. I’m picking up and using on my body right now. And I’m keeping God at the center of everything. So, I don’t plan to lose.’’ But whether on the field of protest or in hospital, justice and protests are on Smith’s agenda. ‘‘When I was lying in the bed at Providence Hospital once I returned from Palestine in late March, I decided that I had to, one, walk publicly in this journey of healing [and], two, that I had to organize people to help me and organize people to help others understand that they don’t want to go through what I was about to go through,” Smith said. “There were literally hundreds of people who came to see me at Providence Hospital and some of my friends were getting upset, saying I needed my rest. But I knew what I was doing. God
knew what I was doing. I needed to organize my friends and family first, and I told them that we’ve got to fight this, because it’s not just me. People have to go get checked, and we need to organize around this.’’ Out of those bedside meetings, Smith was able to establish the Spirit of Hope campaign, which seeks solutions to health disparities among minority and poor Americans. The campaign focuses on universal health care, education about the need for screening measures, addressing astronomical health care costs, and promoting general well-being among minority and poor people. ‘‘The whole spectrum of wellness is what the Spirit of Hope campaign is focusing on, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. It wouldn’t be me if it didn’t focus on something other than me,’’ said Smith. Smith says that despite the cost and fear associated with the procedure, it is imperative that people of color and those living below the poverty line get regular checkups, including colonoscopies. Smith is also thinking about access for his l2–year-old daughter Asha, who he lovingly refers to as the ‘‘crown jewel of his life.’’ ‘‘I don’t want her to go through this. I want her and all of her little friends to get screened when the time is right. So, I have to work for them too,’’ said Smith. As my time with Smith draws to a close, I begin to wonder if maybe he hadn’t been misdiagnosed. The wristband, which resembles a hospital clasp, is in fact a tag from the Essence Music Festival that he’s simply neglected to remove. Damu Smith is doing life Damu Smith-style: happy, brilliant, and winning the fight. ‘‘This has been one of the happiest times in my life, in the midst of this crisis. Now some people might say, ‘How is that possible?’ It’s possible because I have seen the love come to me in such wonderful ways. I cannot begin to describe how profound, how rich, and warm and beautiful the love has been from my family and friends and God. I thank God for this moment and for the chance to fight,’’ said Smith. Damu Smith’s battle ended May 2006 – more than a year after diagnosis and this interview. Rest well. [This article was originally written in 2006] SS
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Recent & Recommended Books on Environmental Justice
Lee Ross WI Staff Writer
The fight to end environmental injustice – wherein some communities or groups are disproportionately subjected to higher levels of environmental risk than other segments of society – gained unexpected traction during the quarantine created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Washington Informer selected a few of the more recent works that address the changes in sustainability efforts since the health crisis began.
ways in the nation, its levels of pollution are slowly killing residents. In response, a grassroots movement for environmental justice has grown, predominated by Asian and undocumented, immigrant women who are transforming the political landscape of the nation. In Refusing Death, Nadia Y. Kim tells their stories, finding that the women are influential because of their ability to remap politics, community, and citizenship in the face of the country’s nativist racism and system of class injustice. Kin documents how environmental injustice fosters neglected schools, deportation, and political marginalization.
Indigenous Environmental Justice Climate Change from the Streets: How Conflict and Collaboration Strengthen By Karen Jarratt-Snider, Marianne O. Nielsen the Environmental Justice Movement With connections to traditional homelands being at the heart of Native identity, enBy Michael Mendez vironmental justice is of heightened importance to First People and their communities. Although the science of climate change is clear, policy decisions about how to reNot only do irresponsible and exploitative environmental policies harm the physical and spond to its effects remain stalled. Even when such decisions claim to be guided by financial health of First People and their communities, they also cause spiritual harm by objective knowledge, they are made and implemented through political institutions destroying land held in a place of exceptional reverence for tribe members. With focused and relationships—and all the competing interests and power struggles that this imessays on important topics such as the uranium mining on Navajo and Hopi lands, the plies. Michael Méndez explores the perspectives and influence low-income people of Dakota Access Pipeline dispute on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, environmencolor bring to their advocacy work on climate change. Arguing that environmental tal cleanup efforts in Alaska, and many other pertinent examples, this volume offers a timely view of the protection and improving public health are inextricably linked, Mendez contends that we must incorenvironmental devastation that occurs in Indian Country. porate local knowledge, culture, and history into policymaking to fully address the global complexities of climate change and the real threats facing our local communities. Lessons in Environmental Justice: From Civil Rights to Black Lives Matter and Idle No More / By Michael Mascarenhas Waste: One Woman’s Fight Against America’s Dirty Secret The 18 essays in this collection explore a wide range of controversies and debates By Catherine Coleman Flowers surrounding environmental justice from the U.S. and across the globe. An important Waste documents the fight for basic sanitation in a town once known for its theme throughout the book is how vulnerable and marginalized populations, including violent, racist past. Too many people, especially the rural poor, lack an affordthe incarcerated, undocumented workers, rural populations, and racial and ethnic miable, safe means of disposing waste from their toilets, and, as a consequence, norities, bear a disproportionate share of environmental risks. Each reading concludes live amid filth. Flowers calls this America’s dirty secret. In this powerful book with a suggested assignment that helps student explore the topic independently and she tells the story of systemic class, racial, and geographic prejudice that foster deepen their understanding of the issues raised. Third World conditions, not just in Alabama, but across America, in Appalachia, Central California, coastal Florida, Alaska, the urban Midwest, and on Refusing Death: Immigrant Women and the Fight for Environmental Justice in LA Native American reservations in the West. The book shows how sanitation is becoming too big By Nadia Y. Kim a problem to ignore as climate change brings sewage to more backyards, and not only those of The industrial-port belt of Los Angeles is home to eleven of the top twenty oil refineries in California. Coupled with being home to the largest ports in the country, and some of the most congested motor- poor minorities. SS
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Overlooked Effects of COVID-19 on the Environment Dr. Sophia Sparks WI Staff Writer
Did You Know...?
COVID-19 stay-at-home mandates have had unexpected positive and negative effects on the environment. Travel bands reduced beach waste and noise pollution, while remote working improved air quality because fewer cars were on the road. Social distancing and other public safety measures increased online shopping, which changed residential waste composition to include more take-out containers and shipping materials. According to Dr. Kelly Francisco, environmental researcher, pandemic gear, such as masks, gloves, and disinfecting wipes, increased packaging and inadvertently upset efforts to reduce plastic pollution. Within a 90-day period, the demand for N95 masks doubled. Additionally, the production of plastics-based pandemic gear was thrown
into overdrive with the activation of Operation Warp Speed -- a public– private partnership initiated by the United States government to facilitate and accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. The U.S. Department of Defense estimated over 1 billion N95 masks will be produced in 2021 versus the pre-pandemic annual production of 50 million. COVID-19 triggered an estimated global use of 129 billion face masks and 65 billion gloves every month. This change infused more plastic products into the recycling program. Still, recycling efforts of 46 percent of the country’s programs were paused to accommodate the increased waste production as more company employees worked form home. This reality helped inform the efforts of Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley
5 Single-use masks and gloves have wreaked havoc on the environment since most are simply tossed on the ground or end up in waterways. (Courtesy photo)
and Representative Alan Lowenthal (CA - 47), who introduced the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act to Congress on Thursday, March 25. “Many of us have recognized the plastic waste crisis for a while, but now we’re just as a nation coming to understand the severity of this crisis, and how broken our current waste
and recycling system really is,” Rep. Lowenthal said. “Further, we are seeing more and more how plastic waste is a crisis. That’s not simply a solid waste issue. But it’s intimately tied to climate change and to environmental justice at the international human rights as the production and the pollution of plastics impacts public health, it impacts the envi-
Climate Gentrification Fuels Displacement, Poverty Lee Ross WI Staff Writer Climate gentrification is a process in which wealthier people fleeing from climate-risky areas spur higher housing prices and more aggressive gentrification in safer areas. Climate-related disasters in 2018 alone displaced more than 1.2 million people. These extreme weather events— which will only increase in frequency as climate change worsens—can spur immediate gentrification in under-resourced communities.
It is estimated that over 800 million people will be at risk from the impacts of rising sea levels by 2050, concentrated among 570 coastal cities across the world.
Researchers have since concluded that hurricane damage was positively associated with the likelihood of a New Orleans neighborhood having gentrified 10 years after Katrina. This suggests that natural disasters can sometimes pave the way for gentrification, uprooting existing populations en masse and wiping out infrastructure.
In just the last two years, climate change has brought on an onslaught of disasters: more than 4 feet of rain in south Texas, 90-degree days in Alaska, and record-breaking wildfires that have destroyed homes and fragmented communities.
“In a country where the wealth inequality divide is getting worse, we have to pay attention to things that make this divide worsen. … Climate change is a threat accelerator. It acts upon existing social issues by accelerating its effect, because it adds stressors to our systems and environments,” said sustainability certificate graduate Linda Cheung, MBA ’17 and founder of the nonprofit Before It’s Too Late.
ronment, and it impacts certainly our climate.” Challenges of COVID-19 worsened existing and exposed new issues within the waste management system. One such issue, said Francisco, is the lack of guidance to citizens on the proper disposal and recycling of pandemic gear. In many instances, these items are more difficult to recycle. The middle layer of surgical masks and many components of N95 masks are made of the plastic, polypropylene. Once released into the environment, the polypropylene in personal protection equipment (PPE) is persistent and does not readily break down. Boater Chad Johnson said that he has seen masks floating on top of the water while fishing in various lakes since December 2020. Pandemic gear litter has increasingly been documented by photos or videos on various social media platforms and published in journal articles. This poor waste management contributes to serious environmental issues (pollution) and other health concerns. When not properly disposed, collected, or managed, pandemic gear can be transported between land and water through surface runoff and animals that find shelter in waste. Many animals are the host of different diseases. For instance, the plague was transmitted by rats rummaging through solid waste. Waste also contains materials that can collect rainwater and attract mosquitos (think urban yellow fever), making waste management an urgent and important aspect to maintain the health of the public as we emerge out of this pandemic. SS
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PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY
WITH PRIDE DAY GET INVOLVED Protecting our environment is a shared responsibility. Growing Green with Pride Day is a bi-annual event sponsored by Prince George’s County Government, Prince George’s County Public Schools, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Keep Prince George’s County Beautiful, and the Neighborhood Design Center as an opportunity for County residents, students, and businesses to come together and show community pride. By participating in litter cleanups, planting flowers, and other beautification activities, we can all make an impact and be Prince George’s Proud for generations to come.
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HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO
HOST
4 SHARE
Post a picture to your social media channel showing your participation using the hashtag #PartofitProudofit
a community cleanup or team up with other partners throughout the County.
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PICKUP
your cleanup supplies and mulch April 28 through May 1 (see application for times and location)
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REGISTER
for the PGCLitterTRAK smartphone app to report trash and debris collected during your individual or group cleanup at bit.ly/DOEvolunteerportal
county seal proud logo DPW&TB
DID YOU KNOW? Our Paperless Billing customers SAVE 2,800 TREES EACH YEAR.
That’s almost the same number of cherry trees that surround the Tidal Basin in DC! To join our growing number of PAPERLESS BILLING customers, visit washingtongas.com/ebill to enroll.
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