Center On Race Poverty & Environment

OUR MISSION IS TO ACHIEVE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND HEALTHY, SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES THROUGH COLLECTIVE ACTION AND THE LAW.

FORGOTTEN VOICESENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICES ARE COMPLEX ISSUES THAT NOT ONLY SIT AT THE INTERSECTION OF CLASS AND RACE, BUT ALSO NEED TO BE EXAMINED AND APPROACHED AT EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT: FEDERAL, STATE, COUNTY AND CITY. IN ADDITION TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH IMPACTS OF POLLUTING INDUSTRIES, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITIES IN CALIFORNIA ALSO DEAL WITH A LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND ACCESS TO RESOURCES. HISTORICALLY, CITY AND COUNTY GOVERNMENTS HAVE USED LOCAL LAND USE POLICIES TO RACIALLY SEGREGATE COMMUNITIES THROUGH REDLINING WHICH RESTRICTED WHERE PEOPLE OF COLOR COULD OWN PROPERTY. OFTEN THESE AREAS WERE WITHIN OR NEXT TO AREAS ZONED FOR INDUSTRIAL USE, DESIGNATED FOR HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION, OR FOR WASTE DISPOSAL. AS PART OF LONG-RANGE PLANS, CITIES AND COUNTIES [CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O]

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT/MOVEMENT BUILDINGCRPE IS UNIQUE IN HOW WE CARRY OUT OUR MISSION OF ACHIEVING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND HEALTHY SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES BECAUSE OF OUR MODEL TO DEVELOP OF COMMUNITY LEADERS AND GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS ALONG AT A LOCAL LEVEL, ALONG WITH BUILDING POWER AT THE STATE AND NATIONAL LEVEL. LOCALLY, WE OUR PROGRAMS BUILD THE INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY OF COMMUNITY RESIDENTS, FOSTER COMMUNITY POWER VIS--VIS DECISION-MAKERS AND ADDRESS THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES FACING THE COMMUNITY. WE COMBINE COMMUNITY EDUCATION, COMMUNITY ORGANIZING, LEGAL REPRESENTATION AND POLICY ADVOCACY TO ASSIST COMMUNITIES FACING ENVIRONMENTAL HARMS SUCH AS CLIMATE CHANGE, OIL EXTRACTION, INDUSTRIALIZED AGRICULTURE, AIR QUALITY ISSUES AND TOXIC WASTE SITING. MUCH OF OUR ADVOCACY IS FOCUSED IN CALIFORNIAS SAN JOAQUIN [CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O]

CLIMATE JUSTICECLIMATE CHANGE IS AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS OUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. ITS IMPACTS ARE ALREADY BEING FELT ACROSS THE GLOBE AND IN CALIFORNIA, YET THEY DO NOT AFFECT EVERYONE EQUALLY. CRPE APPROACHES THE ISSUES OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY THROUGH THE LENS OF CLIMATE JUSTICE. WE ADDRESS THESE ISSUES BY FOCUSING ON THE RACIAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC INEQUITIES OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND BY PRIORITIZING LOCAL SOLUTIONS TO THIS GLOBAL PROBLEM.CRPE USES ITS UNIQUE BLEND OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZING, LITIGATION AND POLICY ADVOCACY TO ADDRESS THE DUAL THREATS THAT LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR FACE: DISPROPORTIONATELY SUFFERING FROM THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, AND THE EFFECTS OF POLICY DECISIONS TO ADDRESS GLOBAL WARMING. [CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O]