Meet the NOLA Site Leaders!
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Katy Miles (she/her)
4th Year Marketing Major Contact: kcm46049@uga.edu How did I get involved with IMPACT? At the beginning of my freshman year, a close friend and mentor encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and sign up for an IMPACT trip. That spring, I went on the youth empowerment trip to Orlando, and it was without a doubt the highlight of my year! Since then, I have continued my involvement with IMPACT because there is truly nothing like experiencing a week of learning and growth through service with some of the most kind and passionate people at UGA. Why am I interested in Environmental Justice? If you were to ask me about environmental justice a few years ago, I would have thought mostly about topics related to conservation, waste reduction, climate change, etc. While each of these are important facets of environmental justice, I have learned that there are so many human rights issues related to the environment that so few people ever talk about! Learning about and exposing injustices such as environmental racism, or the disproportionate impact of environmental hazards on people of color, is what I hope to do this year as a site leader for the NOLA trip. Fun Fact? My family was once on an episode of Family Feud. |
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Jas Monique Anderson (She/They)
4th year Entertainment/Media Studies Major
Contact: jma48422@uga.edu
How did I get involved with IMPACT?
Prior to IMPACT, my least few school breaks were uneventful, to say the least. I first heard about IMPACT through the social media of my friends; scrolling through instagram to fill the void in my life during one of these oh so exciting holiday breaks; I saw how fulfilled and satisfied the people that I knew were partaking on service trips. I asked a few of them about their experience and the overwhelming thread woven into all of their responses was how transformative IMPACT was for them. I made it my mission to participate in a trip the following Spring Break, and grew unquantifiable on my trip to Nashville for the Gender Appreciation focus.
Why am I interested in Environmental Justice?
*Cue Prince Moses from the Prince of Egypt singing
‘This is my home’ from All I Ever Wanted* In short, no-one should be treated as strangers in their home, and although the environment is home to everyone, the quality of the environment in which people inhabit is widely determined by racial and ethnic identity, and socioeconomic status. This needs to change, and individuals should be aware about it.
Fun Fact?
This past May on my study abroad trip to Costa Rica I was quasi-chased by a bull atop a mountain in Monteverde. I sought refuge in a mini-mart and charaded/sputtered in frantic, broken Spanish my situation to a sweet lady who drove me back to campus. Was this Fun? Arguable. Fact? Absolutely.
4th year Entertainment/Media Studies Major
Contact: jma48422@uga.edu
How did I get involved with IMPACT?
Prior to IMPACT, my least few school breaks were uneventful, to say the least. I first heard about IMPACT through the social media of my friends; scrolling through instagram to fill the void in my life during one of these oh so exciting holiday breaks; I saw how fulfilled and satisfied the people that I knew were partaking on service trips. I asked a few of them about their experience and the overwhelming thread woven into all of their responses was how transformative IMPACT was for them. I made it my mission to participate in a trip the following Spring Break, and grew unquantifiable on my trip to Nashville for the Gender Appreciation focus.
Why am I interested in Environmental Justice?
*Cue Prince Moses from the Prince of Egypt singing
‘This is my home’ from All I Ever Wanted* In short, no-one should be treated as strangers in their home, and although the environment is home to everyone, the quality of the environment in which people inhabit is widely determined by racial and ethnic identity, and socioeconomic status. This needs to change, and individuals should be aware about it.
Fun Fact?
This past May on my study abroad trip to Costa Rica I was quasi-chased by a bull atop a mountain in Monteverde. I sought refuge in a mini-mart and charaded/sputtered in frantic, broken Spanish my situation to a sweet lady who drove me back to campus. Was this Fun? Arguable. Fact? Absolutely.
What is Environmental Justice?
According to the EPA’s official website, Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, culture, national origin, income, and educational levels with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of protective environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
Key Terms
Environmental Racism: Racial discrimination in the development and implementation of environmental policy, especially as manifested in the concentration of hazardous waste disposal sites in or near areas with a relatively large minority population
Environmental Justice/Overburdened Communities: Minority, low-income, tribal, or indigenous populations or geographic locations in the United States that experience disproportionate environmental harms and risks. This disproportionality can be a result of greater vulnerability to environmental hazards, lack of opportunity for public participation, or other factors. The term describes situations where multiple factors, including both environmental and socioeconomic stressors, may act cumulatively to affect health and the environment and contribute to persistent environmental health disparities.
Environmental Justice/Overburdened Communities: Minority, low-income, tribal, or indigenous populations or geographic locations in the United States that experience disproportionate environmental harms and risks. This disproportionality can be a result of greater vulnerability to environmental hazards, lack of opportunity for public participation, or other factors. The term describes situations where multiple factors, including both environmental and socioeconomic stressors, may act cumulatively to affect health and the environment and contribute to persistent environmental health disparities.
Environmental Justice History
Although community groups have complained about unwanted land use for decades, the environmental justice movement became a national social and racial protest in the 1980s after a small, predominantly African American community in Warren County, North Carolina collectively protested the dumping of PCB-contaminated soil along their roadways.
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Environmental Justice in Louisiana
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Cancer Alley: Formerly known as the “petrochemical corridor”, Cancer Alley is an area along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans which contains numerous industrial plants. Locations in this area with clusters of cancer patients have been covered by the news media, leading to the name "Cancer Alley". The communities closest to these plants are predominantly black, have lower levels of education, and have a higher ratio of families living below the poverty line. |
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Louisiana ITEP: The Louisiana Industrial Tax Exemption Program is an original state incentive program that allows manufacturers who make a commitment to jobs and payroll in the state an 80% property tax abatement for ten years. Because of this incentive, it is estimated that between 2008 and 2015, the state lost nearly $10 billion in tax revenue that would have gone toward funding under-resourced schools, infrastructure development, etc.
Hurricane Katrina: A Category 5 hurricane that made landfall on Florida and Louisiana in August 2005, causing catastrophic damage, particularly in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas.
In the documentary When the Levees Broke, residents of New Orleans discuss how they were impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and the ways in which the community is trying to rebuild.
Hurricane Katrina: A Category 5 hurricane that made landfall on Florida and Louisiana in August 2005, causing catastrophic damage, particularly in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas.
In the documentary When the Levees Broke, residents of New Orleans discuss how they were impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and the ways in which the community is trying to rebuild.
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This interactive site allows you to view different lots before and after Hurricane Katrina.
Environmental Justice in Georgia
In early 2019, proposals were made to build a 50-acre solid waste transfer station in Loganville, GA (Gwinnett County). Loganville residents quickly volunteered their time, energy, and resources to oppose this proposal. Namely, they created a Facebook page, a change.org petition, and a Gofundme. The proposal was eventually overturned - Loganville residents (predominantly white and of the middle class) had won their NIMBY rally. It is important to note here that this is not always the case - many people with less resources, political leverage, etc. do not have the option to fight back when new construction threatens their quality of life.
Where else are there Environmental Justice issues?
Environmental hazards are constantly occurring all over the world. Check out this interactive map to learn more.
Get Connected in Athens
Athens Land Trust: In collaboration with the Athens community, ALT approaches sustainable development with a look toward addressing environmental, economic, and community needs. They aim to combine the tools of conservation land trusts with those of community land trusts to create healthy neighborhoods across Athens and the state of Georgia.
Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful: For more than 20 years, KACCB has worked to educate and empower citizens and businesses with the resources to take action as environmental stewards of litter prevention, waste reduction, and beautification.
The Lunchbox Garden Project: This campus organization strives to engage children in conversations about nutrition, agriculture, and sustainability. Twice a week, volunteers go to Barnett Shoals Elementary School and help children build and tend to a garden as well as teach a lesson related to food and/or the environment.
Georgia Climate Change Coalition: Through education, advocacy and action, GCCC aims to increase awareness about climate change and its projected impacts; work in partnership with all Georgians and stakeholders to promote solutions and adaptations to the climate crisis; actively support local, state, national and international energy/climate change initiatives and legislation; serve as a clearing house for climate information.
Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful: For more than 20 years, KACCB has worked to educate and empower citizens and businesses with the resources to take action as environmental stewards of litter prevention, waste reduction, and beautification.
The Lunchbox Garden Project: This campus organization strives to engage children in conversations about nutrition, agriculture, and sustainability. Twice a week, volunteers go to Barnett Shoals Elementary School and help children build and tend to a garden as well as teach a lesson related to food and/or the environment.
Georgia Climate Change Coalition: Through education, advocacy and action, GCCC aims to increase awareness about climate change and its projected impacts; work in partnership with all Georgians and stakeholders to promote solutions and adaptations to the climate crisis; actively support local, state, national and international energy/climate change initiatives and legislation; serve as a clearing house for climate information.
