Published inIsland Press·May 2Queens’ 34th Avenue Shows What Open Streets Can Do for PeopleBy Alison Sant Around 2 p.m. on a school day, thousands of students spill onto 34th Avenue in Jackson Heights, Queens. As local resident Jim Burke describes, they start small at first, as elementary schoolers end their day, and then the children get taller as 2 p.m. turns to 2:20 and 2:40, with…15 min read15 min read
May 1Black rides matter: Diverse cycling groups show that biking is for everyoneMay is National Bike Month. Celebrate with Island Press by entering to win a brand new electric bike! By Jen Hawse Close your eyes and picture a cyclist. What do you see? A skinny white dude decked out in spandex conspicuously leaning over his handlebars at a red light? Perhaps you envision a…Biking3 min readBiking3 min read
Published inIsland Press·Apr 12Lowering the death toll in natural disastersBy Kyria Stephens In my hometown of Buffalo, New York, a deadly blizzard on Christmas weekend left more than 40 people dead. Across the country, torrential rainstorms in California claimed at least 20 lives. …Climate Change3 min readClimate Change3 min read
Published inIsland Press·Apr 4Time to take action to protect people from PFAS contaminated fishBy Betsy Southerland The federal Clean Water Act was established by Congress in 1972 to ensure that the nation’s waters would be “fishable and swimmable.” Today, more than 50 years later, that goal is unachievable because of unregulated discharges of toxic PFAS chemicals into rivers, lakes and streams. These hazardous chemicals have contaminated…Fish4 min readFish4 min read
Published inIsland Press·Mar 22To protect our health, tell the truth about the fossil fuel industryBy Linda Rudolph Climate change and fossil fuel pollution are two sides of the same health emergency. Air pollution from burning fossil fuels caused about 8 million deaths in 2018, nearly 1 in 5 deaths worldwide. …Fossil Fuels4 min readFossil Fuels4 min read
Published inIsland Press·Mar 16Environmental justice investors: It’s the demand-side, stupid!By Joe Evans Many of us want to see clean energy, energy efficiency, climate resiliency and sustainability take root in communities of color and low-wealth communities. We could get there quickly if the Biden administration, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund invest as much in project readiness as…Climate Change4 min readClimate Change4 min read
Published inIsland Press·Mar 16It Takes a Village to Get Rid of Lead Service LinesBy Laurie Mazur Dante Sawyer had a problem. As manager of the Village of Hazel Crest, a working-class suburb south of Chicago, Sawyer suspected that many homes in his village had lead service lines. Those lines could be leaching lead, a potent neurotoxin, into residents’ drinking water. …5 min read5 min read
Published inIsland Press·Feb 28Frontline 360° Is Helping Grassroots Groups Land Federal Dollars — and Building a MovementBy Laurie Mazur It takes money to make money, as the saying goes. The same is true of raising money. Successful fundraising requires resources that are in short supply for many small, community-based nonprofits. That means many groups could miss out on new federal funding that is targeted to front-line, historically marginalized communities. …Environment7 min readEnvironment7 min read
Feb 22Free E-Book Showcases Collective Action for Healthy, Resilient CommunitiesBy Laurie Mazur For those who care about sustainability and equity, 2022 brought plenty of good news. Notably, the Biden Administration is rolling out its Justice40 initiative, which targets 40 percent of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities. …Ebook Publishing3 min readEbook Publishing3 min read
Published inIsland Press·Feb 21Sustainability can (and must) be beautifulBy Sandra Lubarsky On a road trip to Friesland in the north of Holland, my friend Ans pulled off the highway to admire the much beloved belted bovines grazing in a field. In this part of the country, the barns are as beautiful as the houses and the cows are prized as much…6 min read6 min read