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EJ Program In Action: 
Across the country, the Sierra Club Environmental Justice program is actively working with communities to ensure that the new, green economy is also a just and equitable economy. In Washington, DC Irv Sheffey is working with local groups such as the Ward 8 Environmental Council to provide opportunities for residents to be a part of the building green jobs movement in their city. In February, 2008 Irv cosponsored an event entitled "Planting Seeds for a Green DC" that not only presented attendees with information about the wave of new construction and engineering jobs coming to the District, but provided them with the opportunity to meet with employers and in some cases, get a job on site! Irv plans to continue working with local neighborhoods and government to bring green apprenticeship programs, in trades such as energy auditing and planning, to the city. In New Orleans, long-time Sierra Club activist and Environmental Justice Organizer Darryl Malek-Wiley is working hand in hand with the communities of the Lower Ninth Ward to ensure that their communities are not just rebuilt, but rebuilt sustainably using the latest in green building and design techniques. In partnership with the Lower Ninth Ward Neighborhood Association, the Mary Queen of Vietnam Church, and initiatives such as the Make it Right campaign, Darryl is working to bring new, green jobs and opportunities to New Orleans as they rebuild cleaner and greener. In Minneapolis, EJ Organizer Karen Monahan is at the forefront of efforts to promote Climate Justice. Karen is actively involved with Environmental Justice Advocates of Minnesota (EJAM) who just put out "Ten Principles for Just Climate Change Policies in Minnesota". EJAM's Global Warming Working Group, a weekly open gathering, provides a space for people of color and low income communities to engage, network and be empowered for self-advocacy around climate change impacts/solutions that affect their communities. Up to Top |
