I made a promise to do what I can do to protect Mother Earth.. Shana holds an A.B. 103. The tours are conducted by Communities for A Better Environment (CBE), a nonprofit thats advocated for clean air, soil, and water in Californias working-class neighborhoods since the late 1970s. in Environmental Health from Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, and a J.D. Telephone: (323) 826-9771 Roberto worked for the Community Coalition and Clinica Romero to combat the proliferation of alcohol outlets in poor communities; CES and SAJE as tenant organizer; at LA Voice and Innercity Struggle as a parent organizer and Proyecto Pastoral, Boyle Heights to increase residents participation in the 2020 Census. in Sociology with a minor in Queer Studies from Cal State Long Beach. What she loves about organizing is the amazing power that people have to transform their lives and their communities through collective action. Communities Bahram Fazeli, Outside of work, she loves visiting museums, reading, practicing yoga and mothering her imaginative and resourceful 7-year-old daughter. NPR Sharifa R. E. Taylor, MCP BSPH The research reported in Decommissioning California Refineries, done for the environmental justice group Communities for a Better Environment, reveals specific answers to the parts of this urgent question framed by communities in the dominant oil refining state on the U.S. West Coast: What is the least-impact, most socially just, most Sharifa Taylor, a committee member and advocate for Communities for a Better Environment, said the deployment in carbon capture and storage will only continue to hurt low-income communities of color already burdened by air pollution. Equal Justice Works Fellow Sponsored by The Ottinger Foundation and The Stern-Hughes Family Fund. WebExecutive Director, Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment. Adrian Martinez Staff Attorney, Earthjustice. The Los Angeles area came in third when it Communities for a Better Environment 276 check-ins. CBE is still working on Chevron accountability to reduce emissions and invest in clean energy at the refinery and willreduce local pollution. Milton Hernandez Nimatuj, Ricardo Gastelum, Rossmery Zayas, Stephanie Taylor, I immediately saw that community empowerment was the way to bring about change, and that environmental laws could play a crucial role. Organizational sign-ons: Block by Block Organizing Network. WebPlaintiffs are Communities for a Better Environment (an environmental organization), Southern California Pipe Trades District Council 16 and Steamfitters & Pipefitters Local 250 (labor organizations), and Carlos Valdez and other individuals. WebSearch job openings at Communities for a Better Environment. Before returning to CBE, Jennifer was a senior staff attorney at Inner City Law Center where she did eviction defense and land use. STAND LA COMMUNITIES FOR A BETTER Ashley Hernandez, Youth Organizer and Wilmington community leader, Communities for a Better Environment "No community should be a sacrifice zone. ], [30th anniversary program booklet "CBE: 30 Years of Resistance, vision and Hope" 10/30/08, at the City Club, SF]. The expansion would allow processing of dirtier crude oil, which would mean even more pollution and a refinery more prone to accidents. Communities For A Better Environment - Giving Compass 118. Communities for a Better Environment WebCOMMUNITIES FOR A BETTER ENVIRONMENT. Today, we celebrate this vote for bringing us one step closer to protecting the health of our low-income, Black and brown neighbors living next to the inherently dangerous practice of oil Executive Director, Communities for a Better Environment. Assets: $2,667,285. (Communities for a Better Environment v. California Resources Agency (2002) 103 Cal.App.4th 98, 111) In effect, this section presently creates a rebuttable presumption that compliance with appropriate plans and regulations reduces a projects potential incremental contribution to a Alison Hahm [33] Grassroots Global Justice Alliance (GGJ), is made of various community groups including CBE, working with communities of color faced with the most environmental pollution and toxics. She loves hiking, caring for her plants, and taking her dog on long walks. Communities for a Better Environment is an environmentalist activist group that focuses on reducing pollution. CBE's early combination of grassroots organizing with research and legal work provided the innovative edge needed to challenge large-scale industries and refineries, and government policies. 1. As a member of CBEs youth program (Youth EJ), she worked on the Clean Up Green Up campaign. Associate Attorney Communities for a Better Environment Mar 2021 - Feb 2022 1 year. The South Coast air basin (Los Angeles and non-desert parts of Riverside, San Bernardino, and Orange counties) was ranked the smoggiest area in the nation in 2012 by the American Lung Association when it comes to ozone pollution. He attended UCLA for his undergraduate and graduate training in Environmental Studies and Urban Planning. Brower Dellums Institute for Sustainable Policy Studies & Action. TAKE ACTION[Petition] You can help convince regulators to protect the region from the hazards of refining dirtier crude oil. They are also committed to global participation in addressing present and future environmental concerns. Get Email Updates Jennifer received a JD from City University of New York (CUNY), where she was trained through the Adult Defender Clinical program and an LL.M from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a focus on Critical Race Studies. WebCommunities for a Better Environment, LA Youth Making the Connection: Climate Change, Local Fossil Fuel Impacts and Alternatives An Environmental Justice Grant Success Story Project Overview Communities for a Better Environment (CBE) is a California based environmental health and justice organization which promotes clean air and water and What could have prevented the near-100 deaths, the loss of thousands of homes and the billions of dollars of property damage from the Maui wildfire was better Lazuli was born and raised in Richmond, CA. Dinah graduated from UCLA, studied anthropology and labor and workplace studies, and it was here that her roots as an organizer began to take form. Ste 300; Huntington Park, CA 90255 Communities for a Better Environment Adele joined Communities for a Better WebCommunities for a Better Environment Nov 2007 - Aug 2011 3 years 10 months. She is currently a Master of Human Resource Development Student at the University of Houston. Power Politics - Squarespace In This Section. She is responsible for providing leadership, oversight and management to CBEs financial department. CBE was the first responder fighting for worker and community health and safety (news archive of this event here). Her focus has been on enforcing environmental laws and advocating before administrative agencies to secure meaningful environmental protection statewide. Address: 113 E. Anaheim Street, Wilmington, CA 90744 in Gender, Policy, and Inequalities from the London School of Economics. They graduated with a B.A. HUNTINGTON PK, CA 90255-4100 | Tax-exempt since Feb. 1988. In the late 1970s and early 1980s CBE expanded to California, Wisconsin, and Minnesot. WebCommunities for a Better Environment Cleans Up in Southern California. Darryl serves on the steering committees of the California Environmental Justice Alliance and the Climate Justice Alliance. She has a bachelors degree in Political Science from San Francisco State University. Beginning in 1997, the sub-program, Youth for Environmental Justice has extended its reach over the past few years, from demonstrating its influence in Sacramento, the state capital; to providing support at the grassroot march in Paris 2016. Dist., California Court of Appeals 2016 [22] CBE works with other cities in southern California like Wilmington, Huntington Park, and various cities along Interstate 710, to minimize the exposure to residents living near those areas. WebExpert Career Advice. Are vehicle donations tax-deductible? Lujain first joined Communities for a Better Environment in June 2022 tosupport the developmentof an AB 617 Community Emissions Reduction Planin East Oakland. Environmental Justice | Communities for a Better The Connection project focused on youth in the disadvantaged community of South East Los Angeles. She continues the legacy ofgrassroots activism in her family as thecurrentSouth East Los Angeles Youth Organizer. [10] Queer Maya-Cakchiquel born in Guatemala and raised in Southeast Los Angeles, Milton was 16 years old when they became involved in environmental justice work with CBEs youth program, organizing to defeat the proposed power plant, Nueva Azalea, in South Gate. WebCommunities for a Better Environ. Acknowledgements This work is first and foremost a result of a community-based campaign that called upon and drove the WebCommunities for a Better Environment Jan 2021 - Present 2 years 8 months. Communities for a Better Environment Electricity use would surge under Californias new climate plan with Communities for a Better Environment. My mom was a feisty woman who believed women, regular folks can change the world.. [38] In the chevron case CBE also worked alongside Asian Pacific Environmental Network to have Chevron's permit reviewed. Wendy was raised in Southeast Los Angeles with roots in rural Central Mexico. CBE helps residents in urban areas to Web710 Campaign media. Milton was active in helping pass AB540, now a California state law, which allows undocumented students to pay in-state tuition at public California colleges. East Oakland is left in the hands of people who do not understand what our communities need for better living conditions. Rossmerywho identifies as ayoungCentral American woman from SELAhas been organizing since the age of 14. She first moved to the Bay Area in thesummer of 2016 to join the Climate Corps Bay Area Fellowship Program at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Office of Sustainability. AB 32 Environmental Justice Advisory Committee WebCommunities for a Better Environment. During this period of rapid organizational growth, Emily has worked to develop and strengthen the organizations internal HR functions to more fully support our staff and reflect our political and organizational philosophies. [34] Over 35 community-based organizations, including CBE, make up the Climate Justice Alliance (CJA) where they work towards the usage of sustainable energy in local communities. WebCommunities for a Better Environment v. South Coast Air Quality Management District Annotate this Case. Coalition Supporting SB 467 Vows to Continue Fight for Setbacks The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. She participated in the efforts to stop the construction of a Power Plant that was proposed in the neighboring city of Vernon, CA. Director of Finance & Operations ext. WebCommunities for a Better Environment Cleans Up in Southern California. Tessa has experience working with NGOs and research groups focused on reducing farmworker communities pesticide exposure in California, opposing neighborhood oil drilling in Los Angeles, protecting endangered species in the US, and studying the health impacts of drinking water contamination. The Clean Up Green Up policy was approved by the Los Angeles City Council in 2011, and since then CBE has been working alongside the community in order to make this policy provide stronger regulation to polluting facilities. Fax Line: (323) 588-7079 Alicia was the lead organizer in CBEs campaign against La Montaa, a gigantic pile of cement rubble from the 1994 Northridge earthquake that was stored on an empty lot in residential Southeast LA County for 20 years, where it sickened neighbors with air pollution including cement dust. Richmond is a working class community, Darryl Molina Sarmiento is the Executive Director for Communities for a Better Environment, a 40-year-old environmental justice organization that builds local power through community organizing, research, and legal support in Wilmington, South East Los Angeles, East Oakland, and Richmond, California to prevent increased pollution in already over-burdened communities and enact a Just Transition towards clean energy and healthy, empowered communities. Prior to CBE, Dilia organized with Bienestar Human Services and CSULBs Center for Latino Community Health, fighting for health equity and queer and gender justice. Not now. Are Tomatoes Perennial Plants That Can Survive Winter? [News] 4/16 - CBE Organizer Andres Soto debates Chevron regarding their proposed refinery expansion in Richmond, CA. [5] In 1983, Toxics in the Bay, a report and investigation of Bay Area toxic secretion, held Chevron and others accountable for toxic discharge in the 1985 Basin Plan Discharge Program. The documentary also highlights injustices found in California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB32) cap and trade policy also known as emission trading. Laura brings deep organizing experience to her new role as the CARE Coordinator. Previously she worked at Communities for a Better Environment from 2007 to 2012 as a youth organizer and a legal fellow. She is a member of the National Lawyers Guild in Los Angeles. Environmental groups in Communities for a Better Environment WebOur communitiesnot oil and gas corporationsshould have the power to shape a safe and healthy future for their families and for Los Angeles. Organizational sign-ons: Block by Block Organizing Network. Media Coverage- 710 South Corridor Project, Richmond's Battle with Chevron's Oil Refinery Project Comes to a Head. CBE focuses its work where conventional policies of profits-before-people do the most harmin poor communities and neighborhoods where people of color are the majority. Communities for a Better Environment (CBE) in September of 2020 as the East Oakland Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing Their senior thesis focused on studying floral pigments in endangered plant species. She has worked on several electoral campaigns and is a member of the Wilmington Neighborhood Council. Fax Line: (510) 302-0437. inBiology from Duke University, an M.S. Communities for a Better Environment Those are just a few of the victories Californians and Communities for a Better Environment have won for environmental justiceand the fight goes on! Communities for a Better Environment Environment WebCommunities for a Better Environment Feb 2022 - Mar 2023 1 year 2 months. Grassroots Global Justice (GGJ) is an alliance of over 60 US-based grassroots organizing (GRO) groups of working and poor people and communities of color, including the Asian Pacific Environmental Network, Communities for a Better Environment, the Indigenous Environmental Network, Jobs with Justice, Cooperation Jackson and many It was there that I first met community members fighting for environmental justice in Southeast LA, working to move a toxic waste transfer facility, working to move La Montana, working to make a livable world. Our October 24th newsletter includes coverage of Proposition 39, our victory over another polluter in East Oakland and more. WebThe mission of Communities for a Better Environment (CBE) is to build people's power in California's communities of color and low income communities to achieve environmental health and justice by preventing and reducing pollution and building green, healthy and sustainable communities and environments. Solar on Multi-Family Affordable Housing Program (SOMAH). Perennial plants come back year after year. [19] Local Clean Energy Alliance is made up of 70 organizations that call for renewable energy, pollutant reduction, and green jobs in California. Alicia has a strong passion and commitment for environmental and economic justice issues. On 03/27/2014 COMMUNITIES FOR A BETTER ENVIRONMENT filed an Other - Writ Of Mandamus lawsuit against BAY AREA AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT.This case was filed in San Francisco County Superior Courts, Civic Center Courthouse located in San Francisco, California. in History and Political Science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and earned a J.D. Community-Based Participatory Research as a Tool for Policy Change: A Case Study of the Southern California Environmental Justice Collaborative. Justice and Equity Must Be at the Heart of the Fight Against Climate Change Join Renew Donate. Building community power to achieve environmental justice takes shared strategies and resources. Communities for a Better Environment She briefly relocated to Houston, Texas in 2020. The mission Get Directions (323) 826-9771. Town Hall: No Tar Sands Refining in Rodeo! Green activists have hurt the environment by letting Hawaii and Their purpose is to build community and create pathways toward healing our land and people from toxic environments and corporations. CBE works with various southern California communities which are among the most polluted in the country. She joined CBE in 2022 after receiving her MS in Environmental Health Sciences at UC Berkeleys School of Public Health. In policy advocacy and everyday life, she finds deep fulfillment in challenging oppressive structures and institutions to better center historically marginalized people and values. Huntington Park Office: Join Nizgui in calling on Governor Newsom to direct his top air regulators to plan for a phaseout of fossil fuels in California: call (866) 932-1358 or Communities for a Better Environment and the Center for Biological Diversity are also co-counseling. California's signature climate plan is under attack from environmental justice groups. The Air is Cleaner On The Other Side of Town: Environmental My name means of the forest when I learned this- it was as if I became complete. Rossmeryattended Humboldt State University, East Los Angeles College, and Cal State LA, where she recently earned her third degree. WebEnvironmental Justice and Communities 46 for a Better Environment 3. Expanding its facility would have allowed them to process dirty crude oil, increasing greenhouse gases and toxic emissions to local communities. Laura also serves on the Richmond Progressive Alliances Steering Committee, where she focuses on youth engagement and environmental justice. Environmental partners fighting for social & environmental justice Communities for a Better Environment Print. [8] CBE also values scientific research to fully comprehend the direct and indirect consequences of toxicity and chemical secretion. WebAbout us. She holds a BA from Occidental College where she studied Urban and Environmental Policy. [41] CBE also has a partnership with Richmond Equitable Development Initiative's to brainstorm activities which may increase the communities advocacy for a specific problem. They stand firmly grounded in the defense of their own community and others that are disproportionately impacted by environmental issues. Raised in Wilmington, Ashley first became involved with CBE during her junior year of high school. WebAverage salaries for Communities for a Better Environment Community Organizer: $46,251. Kealawas born and raised in the Bay Area and has family roots in Brasil. Communities for a Better Environment - Wikipedia CBE lawsuits in 2009 and 2014 (still pending) successfully protected Richmond from almost 1 million additional tons of GHGs and other toxins from being released. Address: 100 Hegenberger Rd, Suite 270, Oakland, CA 94621 In Southeast LA, 'Toxic Tours' Teach Students About Local - LAist v. Bay Area Air Qual.Man. She earned a Masters degree in City Planning from Boston University and a B.A. [47] Environment Richmond is a working class community, predominantly people of color, and its been impacted by decades of environmental blight and economic divestment. [42] CBE has been a member of the Oakland Climate Action Coalition (OCAC), their efforts have allowed the inclusion of climate justice and health policies into the Oakland's Climate Action Plan.[33]. In her free time, Lujain loves to swim at the Temescal pool, read, and spend quality time with friends and family. Jul 2021 - Present2 years 2 months. [36] CBE focuses on the people employed by toxic facilities and works with Don't Waste LA, in order to create a proposal for community protection to further exposure. [33] They are one of many organizations that make up the California Environmental Justice Alliance (CEJA), which organize in communities affected by pollution, working towards getting better protection for their community and environment. CBE and other community groups are working with the. Byron Gudiel Federal and state investigators discovered the root causes: processing of heavier (dirty) crude oil and management failures in refinery safety and maintenance. Roselyn earned a BA in Biology from Reed College in Portland, OR. Better Environ. v. So. Coast Air Quality, etc We must work for the survival of the future of the earth and our people.. [48] CBE's opinion and expertise is often highlighted as dual representation experts in environmental fields and community members. Refinery pollution contributes to high rates of asthma, cancer, and heart disease among Richmond residents. Get Email Updates 5 Communities for a Better Environment jobs including salaries, ratings, and reviews, posted by Communities for a Better Environment employees. Prior to law school, she was a public health researcher at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Communities for a Better Environment [39] It is also a member of the Bay Area Environmental Health Collaborative (BAEHC) working towards the reduction of pollution in vulnerable low income communities of color. The I-710 freeway stretches 23 miles from the City of Long Beach, near the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, to Alhambra, a city in the San Gabriel Valley. Plaintiffs are Communities for a Better Environment (an environmental organization), Southern California Pipe Trades District Council 16 and Steamfitters & Pipefitters Local 250 (labor organizations), and Carlos Valdez and other individuals. [13] This collaboration led to more efforts in the reduction of allowable risk level faced by various communities and encouraged the California Environmental Protection Agency to broaden their view on issues such as these, to put more emphasis on risk exposure when making new policies. WebThe mission of CBE is to build people's power in California's communities of color and low income communities to achieve environmental health and justice by preventing and reducing pollution and building green, healthy and sustainable communities and environments. Communities For A Better Environment Communities for a Better Environment WebThe communities voices and pressure were essential to moving the Air Quality Management Districts in both Southern California and the Bay Area to pass the flaring measures. [16] When contrasted with Bolinas, as seen in the case study, Richmond's air pollution was far worse, and this could be due to the Chevron Refinery. Communities for a Better Environment Webresearch process to better integrate expert and community knowledge in ways that advance policy and improve regula-tion (e.g., Loh & Sugerman-Brozan, 2002). Communities for a Better Environment - Charity Navigator Web1 review of Communities for a Better Environment "Long time organization - been around since the late 70s bringing awareness to pollution and known for bringing up the 'climate gap' issue. WebSee more of Communities For A Better Environment on Facebook. Oakland Sylvia Arredondo, Wilmington Office: The country in the city: the greening of the San Francisco Bay Area. Wendy enjoys solo hikes, making homemade home products, DJing, creative writing, and healing through the soil, minerals, and quality time with their loved ones. WebCommunities for a Better Environment City: Statewide Phone: 323- 826-9771 Mission: Build peoples power in Californias communities of color and low income communities to achieve environmental health and justice by preventing and reducing pollution and building green, healthy and sustainable communities and environments. [2], Several studies support the idea that low-income communities of color bear the burden of unequal access to a healthy environment, which prioritizes CBE's effort to work with communities to fight such injustices. The court has read Before joining CBE, Sylvia was a fundraiser at Peace Action West. She believes that an indigenous environmental justice framework is key to addressing the challenges of the ecological crisis as well the various forms of violence and injustices experienced by historically marginalized communities. from University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. As an active statewide California environmental justice organization, CBE has built a number of strategic alliances over its 34 years of work to work with partners that share a common vision of building power in marginalized communities. Patagonia Releases an Environmental Documentary about Youth WebCommunities for a Better Environment (CBE) is a California based environmental health and justice organization which promotes clean air and water and advocates for toxic-free communities. from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. Melissa White, [37] Green LA Coalition, Communities for a Better Environment, and other environmental justice groups, are focusing on LA in order to minimize the communities exposure to pollutants. For the past 10 years, she has worked exclusively in coalitions. 6325 Pacific Blvd (910.44 mi) Huntington Park, CA, CA 90255. Connie Cho - Catalyst Fellowships