A new project is set to help North Carolina communities address environmental justice and climate equity.

The city of Charlotte, in collaboration with environmental groups, is launching the GreenPrints Initiative - to promote sustainable housing, improve air quality and develop green infrastructure in under-resourced neighborhoods.

CleanAIRE NC is among the key organizations involved.

According to the group's community engagement coordinator Kennedy Williams, the initiative's goal is to address the lack of sustainability and educate communities that need it the most - and are often overlooked.

"A lot of people are experiencing issues related to climate change that they don't know what climate change is or necessarily what sustainability looks like," said Williams. "So making sure that we're introducing sustainability and then also making sure that every aspect of every resident's lifestyle has sustainability at its core."

Williams explained that much of the initiative's efforts will be concentrated in what are known as the Opportunity Corridors of Beatties Ford Road and Freedom Drive, as well as Wilkinson Boulevard.

These areas have been identified as priorities for the deployment of sustainable solutions and community engagement.

A key component of the GreenPrints Initiative is air-quality monitoring, a project spearheaded by CleanAIRE NC.

Williams said sensors will be placed throughout the target neighborhoods to provide valuable data to community members, nonprofits and regulatory agencies.

"Low-cost air pollution sensors will be distributed to air keepers, who are basically like volunteer community members who are interested in maintaining air monitoring," said Williams. "The data from these sensors will be available through CleanAIRE's air-keeper dashboard, and this will really help better understand their geographic data and also their environmental data."

Williams noted that the GreenPrints Initiative is not just about implementing changes but also about listening to the community.

CleanAIRE NC plans to hold a forum on October 19 to gather input from residents about their sustainability concerns and priorities, ensuring that the initiative meets the needs of those most affected.




get more stories like this via email

In a rare unifying and bipartisan rebuke, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has postponed tomorrow's meetings to discuss a controversial proposal to add golf courses, pickleball courts, and lodges throughout the state park system.

Julie Wraithmell, executive director of Audubon Florida, expressed relief at the delay - describing it as a victory for conservation efforts in the state.

"I think it's really exciting that," said Wraithmell, "in response to the overwhelming concern expressed by Floridians, as well as bipartisan representation from Florida's legislature and congressional delegation, both Senators, DEP announced that they are postponing the hearings."

Originally scheduled for tomorrow afternoon from three until four o'clock in small venues, the meetings were criticized for their limited capacity to accommodate the many Floridians eager to voice their concerns.

The agency has since acknowledged the need for larger venues and created a dedicated webpage for public input ahead of the rescheduled sessions in early September.

The proposed developments include a golf course at Jonathan Dickinson State Park and lodges with 350-room capacities at Anastasia and Topsail Hill Preserve state parks.

Writhmell said the backlash shows that many are concerned developments could undermine the natural beauty and environmental significance of these treasured public lands.

"That's powerful," said Wraithmell. "Conservation in Florida - the environment - has always enjoyed bipartisan support because the environment is the foundation of our economy in Florida, it's key to our quality of life. And so it's been gratifying to see everyone come together. "

Considering the pushback, many still question why the DeSantis administration is still considering the plans.

Last week, a spokesman for the governor said in response to criticism that, "Teddy Roosevelt believed that public parks were for the benefit and enjoyment of the people, and we agree with him."




get more stories like this via email

Fracking is on the rise in southwestern Pennsylvania, leading to more plastic production and harsh consequences for residents.

Washington County is heavily fracked, with almost 4,000 fracking wells on top of current and legacy coal mines.

Sarah Martik, executive director of the Center for Coalfield Justice, said conversations are happening at the national and global level about fracking, affecting the way the fossil fuel industry wants to operate in the area. She added the demand for more plastic is driving some of the increased fracking in the area.

"As plastic production becomes more and more part of the fossil fuel industry strategy to protect themselves and their profits from what they would see as a decrease in profits from going towards renewable energy, we're seeing more communities impacted by both the plastic production side of it and on the petrochemical end," Martik explained.

Ninety-nine percent of plastics are made from fossil fuels, including fracked gas. Southwestern Pennsylvania is a major U.S. hotspot for gas extraction with fracking.

Jodi Borello, Washington County community organizer at the Center for Coalfield Justice, said natural gas sites cause air and water pollution in her rural community. She pointed out a new study from the University of Pittsburgh detailing the effects of fracking in the region.

"What they found was that if a child lives within one mile of an oil and gas facility, they have a five to seven greater chance of getting lymphoma, which is a major concern for our communities," Borello emphasized. "Because these well pads are everywhere."

Borello testified at the 43rd statewide grand jury hearing on the unconventional oil and gas industry. She noted the grand jury report proposed eight recommendations and her group is pushing for enhanced regulations, especially for single-use plastics.

"Expanding no drill zones in Pennsylvania from the required 500 feet to 2500 feet," Borello urged. "This is something that many of our residents are facing, 500 feet, a well pad next to their home. This is one of the most important recommendations."

Borello added another recommendation is for fracking companies to publicly disclose all chemicals used in drilling and hydraulic fracturing before using them on-site.

Michigan environmental justice group Citizens' Resistance at Fermi Two did not get everything on its wish list. Still, the group is celebrating long-awaited changes to the permit for DTE Energy's Fermi Two nuclear plant.

The facility's new permit now includes what environmental groups called important safeguards. One of the most notable modifications is a thermal limit for the first time. Advocates said it will stop the Monroe County plant from overheating local waters, protecting aquatic life from potential harm.

Nicholas Schroeck, interim dean of the University of Mercy School of Law and an environmental attorney who represented Citizens Resistance at Fermi 2, said it is a significant step forward.

"We're already concerned about water temperatures on Lake Erie," Schroeck pointed out. "It's continuing to warm with climate change, and this facility is a major contributor to higher temperatures on Lake Erie. And so monitoring of that is important because if you're not monitoring you don't know."

The group also successfully secured a public hearing on the permit and extended the public comment period, ensuring more community involvement in the decision-making process.

DTE Energy admitted the plant's design is the main issue but environmental groups believe the company has not done enough to reduce its effects. Schroeck noted the group will continue monitoring pollution data.

"CRAFT is really tracking that and sharing that information with the public," Schroeck pointed out. "And also reviewing whether or not there might be potential for challenging certain pointed of the permit. I'll just share that CRAFT's reviewing their options but they haven't made any decisions you know on whether to raise any legal challenges."

Environmental justice advocates hope the upcoming administration will take action on their concerns at the federal level.