Our Current Initiatives

What we’re working on, right now

This Semester’s Theme:

HEALTHY PLANET, HEALTHY PEOPLE

Prioritizing reduction of carbon emissions to mitigate disproportionate impacts of air pollution and climate change on community health.

GreenBelt Alliance

This Semester’s Partnership

Greenbelt Alliance is dedicated to educating, advocating, and collaborating to ensure the Bay Area's lands and communities are resilient to climate change. With over 60 years of stewardship, nearly 3.3 million acres of open spaces across the Bay Area's nine counties have been protected, promoting growth for thriving communities. Greenbelt Alliance aims to create a climate-resilient Bay Area where communities thrive, stay safe during climate disasters, and recover quickly from wildfires, floods, and droughts.

Through climate-smart housing, outreach, education, and advocacy, numerous volunteer opportunities are offered to help build a resilient Bay Area where everyone lives in harmony with nature for generations to come.

For more information, visit their website. Follow them on Instagram (@greenbeltalliance) to stay up to date on their events and projects.

THE PROBLEM

A 2021 study found that in West and Downtown Oakland, where more than 70% of the population is people of color, up to 1 in 2 new childhood asthma cases were due to traffic-related air pollution. By contrast, in an Oakland Hills neighborhood where more than 70% of the population is white, the fraction of childhood asthma from pollution is much lower—about 1 in every 5 cases. In Richmond, where more than 80% of residents are people of color and the median household income is below the California state average, children have roughly twice the rate of asthma as their neighbors countywide. (The Guardian, Richmond v Chevron: the California city taking on its most powerful polluter)

Environmental Health Perspectives, Assessing the Distribution of Air Pollution Health Risks within Cities: A neighborhood-scale Analysis Leveraging High-Resolution Data Sets in the Bay Area, California)

THE SOLUTION

To achieve a healthier and more equitable future, we must take a practical, educational, and sustainability-driven approach that emphasizes reducing carbon emissions and addressing the root causes of environmental injustice. By promoting policies and practices that reduce pollution and improve air quality, we can protect the health of vulnerable communities and foster a sustainable environment for all.

Join us in our mission to create a healthier planet and improve the well-being of all communities. Stay updated with EthiCAL Apparel this semester to learn more!