Monthly theme: Climate & Environmental Justice

February is Climate & Environmental Justice Month. Learn about how climate change will impact marginalized groups disproportionately, and how you can take steps to minimize these impacts. And make sure to sign up for the Waste Wise News e-newsletter and follow Waste Wise Lane County on Facebook and Instagram to stay in-the-know!

This information came directly from The Climate Reality Project. 

• People of color in the U.S. are exposed to up to 63% more pollution than they produce – while white people are exposed to 17% less.
  
• Fossil fuel air pollution contributed to nearly one in five premature deaths in 2018.
  
• Pollution is contributing to people of color dying from COVID at up to 3.6 times the rate of white people in the U.S.
• Rising temperatures have made poor countries even poorer and rich countries richer.
• Developing nations are the most affected by stronger hurricanes, rising seas, spreading diseases and other impacts – and the least able to afford it.
• Climate change is projected to contribute to an additional 250,000 deaths each year by 2030, primarily in developing nations.
• People of color in the U.S. support ambitious climate action and take action at higher rates than white people. Activists of color in the Southeast and across the U.S are developing new models of equity in energy.
• Indigenous communities are showing governments the value of effective forest management to help reduce wildfires and emissions.

Test your Climate & Environmental Justice Knowledge

PLEASE NOTE: The game will be active throughout the month. Good luck!

Quiz information provided by: 

* UNICEF: Recap and Reflections -- Climate Justice Roundtable
* University of Michigan: Center for Sustainable Systems - Environmental Justice Factsheet
* Julie's Bicycle: Creative Climate Justice Guide 2022
* Climate Change and the Health of Socially Vulnerable People

Waste Wise Tip: Get involved to support & protect unhoused communities from the impacts of climate change

Kelly Bell, Lane County Master Recycler Program Coordinator, encourages you to get involved with initiatives that help support and protect unhoused communities from the impacts of climate change. Read the Texas Homeless Network article.

Climate & Environmental Justice Resources

Beyond Toxics beyondtoxics.org Breach Collective breachcollective.org Cascadia Wildlands cascwild.org Centro Latino Americano centrolatinoamericano.org Climate Justice League UO climatejusticeleague.weebly.com Eugene/Springfield NAACP naacplanecounty.org Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide https://www.elaw.org/ Fossil Free Eugene fossilfreeeugene.org Lane County Climate Action Plan https://ow.ly/Giae50Qz035 League of Women Voters of Lane County lwvlc.org Our Children's Trust ourchildrenstrust.org Our Climate Our Future ourclimateourfuture.org Our Future: Oregon's High School Climate Leadership Network ourfutureoregon.org Partners for Sustainable Schools partnersforsustainableschools.org Siuslaw Chapter: Surfrider Foundation siuslaw.surfrider.org Sunrise Movement Eugene actionnetwork.org/groups/sunrise-eug Take the Jump takethejump.org The Nature Conservancy nature.org/en-us 350 Eugene 350eugene.org