The Love Canal disaster of 1970s
The publication of Toxic Wastes and Race in the United States in 1987 by the United Church of Christ Commission.
The rapid growth of the AAPI Population in the United States.
California’s environmental justice legislation.
The Covid-19 Pandemic.
The 1980s and 1990s were a period of momentum for the Environmental Justice movement in the U.S. There was a wave of awareness that communities of color began to realize the disproportionate exposure to environmental hazards such as toxic waste sites, air pollution, and contaminated water in their neighborhoods. APENs founders recognized that AAPI communities were often overlooked or ignored within the discussions around environmental justice. APEN saw this as an opportunity to build power and bring attention to these issues by organizing within the AAPI community.
The APEN was founded in the early 1990s. The website details its history from 1991, when following the attendance of the First National People of Color Environmental Justice Leadership Summit; the APEN sprouted into a full-blown idea. By 1993 the Asian Pacific Environmental Network was officiated as a non-profit organization. Its founding purpose was to address the environmental justice issues faced by Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in the United States. The early structure of APEN consisted of small groups of organizers who worked to build relationships with AAPI communities in the Bay Area.
It would be great to interview current and former staff members of CBE to gain insight into what it is like to work on major campaigns and among a team who is victorious in practical issues. I would ask what are the most impactful strategies in community organizing that have proven effective in various campaigns facilitated by the CBE.
CBE’s mission focuses on the belief that everyone has the right to live in a healthy environment, free from the harmful effects of pollution and other environmental hazards. They also believe mobilizing community engagement leads to their empowerment and includes them in critical policy and decision-making conversations. Finally, by holding polluters accountable and promoting environmental regulatory laws, the CBE can ensure that polluters abide by necessary restrictions.
The CBE is regarded as one of California's most important and influential environmental justice organizations and the nation. Given the victories in critical cases throughout the years, it has a solid reputation for its advocacy work and is well respected by policymakers, environmental advocates, and community members.
Within the media, CBE has been covered extensively in credible local and national media outlets. The organization is often quoted and featured as a credible and effective EiJ org. Its work has been recognized and celebrated.
Communities for a Better Environment functions within the nonprofit sector, specifically within social justice and advocacy subsectors.
Among the CBE’s board of directors sits Caroline Farrell, the Executive Director of the Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment (CRPE)
The CBE collaborates with other local, state, and national grassroots organizations.
Additionally, the CBE has a history of working with labor unions representing workers closely tied to environmental issues, such as employees from refineries and power plants.
Climate Justice – CBE efforts are focused on the intersection of environmental issues, emphasizing the significance of the disproportionate impacts on low-income communities of color.
Racial Justice – The CBE is committed to amplifying the voices of Black and Brown communities in their work. Their work can be considered an effort to dismantle systems of oppression and inequality.
Corporate Power – CBE can be seen as a counterbalance to corporate interests and is proactive in holding polluters accountable by promoting policies that prioritize public health and environmental protection over corporate profits.
Community-led initiatives emphasize the importance of community members providing input central to their needs.
Intersectionality is also key to describing the interconnectedness of environmental and social injustices.
At times they focus on narrow and specific issues such as air pollution or toxic waste disposal.