Through our Sustainable Development Program LIF works to ensure that all members of California’s present and future generations have access to healthy environments, economic prosperity and social-well being. Our work specifically aims to:
Protect and improve the quality of the natural resources that are essential to building healthy communities, including air, water and land;
Increase public and private investments in low-income communities that expand economic opportunity, improve social infrastructure and protect natural resources; and
Ensure that public agencies and decision makers who are responsible for these issues are accountable to the Latino community.
Over the last fifty years California’s population has more than tripled, growing from just 13 million people to over 36 million. While population growth has occurred across ethnic groups, California’s Latino population has undergone the most rapid growth. In 1980 there were 4.5 million Latinos living in California. Today, just twenty-five years later, there are over 12 million Latinos living throughout the State. By 2030, California’s Latino population is expected to reach over 22.5 million people and will represent nearly half of all Californians.
This rapid population growth has profoundly affected the social, political, economic and physical landscape of California. Shortsighted policy and poor planning have lead to development patterns that damage our natural resources and promote unhealthy, unsustainable communities. The cost of this shortsightedness has disproportionately fallen on the shoulders of California’s low-income communities and communities of color. Today, Latinos are more likely to live immediately adjacent to polluting industries and in areas failing to meet national pollution standards. One study found that 80 percent of Latinos live in areas that failed to meet a federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) air quality standard, compared to 65 percent of African Americans and 57 percent of Whites.[1]
Unfortunately, air quality is not the only environmental problem impacting California’s Latinos. Throughout the state, Latino communities are increasingly being faced with a range of environmental problems. Severe air pollution, lack of access to affordable and safe drinking water, insufficient public transportation services and lack of access to outdoor and wilderness experiences are just a few of the environmental problems affecting the quality of life for California’s Latino communities. Despite this, and a large body of research that confirms the high value Latino’s place on the environment, traditional environmental leaders and state politicians have failed to champion the environmental issues impacting Latino communities. Furthermore, Latinos have had an extremely limited role in shaping the future of California and have had few opportunities to participate in critical debates and decision making processes that govern the future of California’s environmental resources. When Latinos have engaged on environmental issues it is often in reaction to proposals with negative impacts. It is rare for Latinos to have an opportunity to engage in a more proactive manner – articulating and shaping a positive vision for their environment.
As the future majority of California, it is clear that Latinos are positioned to become a powerful force in the State’s decision-making process. With this in mind it is critical to develop the capacity of current and future Latino leaders to advance environmental policy that protects public health and promotes a healthy and sustainable California.
Today, LIF utilizes research and policy analysis, community education and mobilizing, public policy and media advocacy and coalition building to enable Latinos and other low-income communities and communities of color to address California’s environmental challenges and promote sustainable and healthy communities. Our current work focuses on:
Latino Environmental Health Leadership Institute (LEHLI)
The Latino Environmental Health Leadership Institute (LEHLI) is a hands-on leadership development program for Latino residents of the San Joaquin Valley. Through an intensive series of trainings, workshops and real world advocacy activities taking place over six months, participants build their understanding of critical environmental health issues, develop their capacity to identify and advance solutions to these problems, and gain practical experience advocating on behalf of their communities. Currently, LEHLI is taking place in the City of Huron and in the Addams neighborhood of the City of Fresno. There are over 40 residents of these two communities enrolled in LEHLI.
Latino Environmental Health Network (LEHN)
Through the LEHN LIF is working to build a statewide network of Latino leaders to advance solutions to the environmental health problems impacting our communities. As part of this project, LIF hosts community forums, roundtables and trainings aimed at building environmental health issue expertise amongst community members and leaders (including medical professionals, educators and service providers), and increasing community capacity to engage in environmental health decision making processes. Closely related to this, LIF has begun to develop an Advocates Tool-Kit. This free, bilingual resource provides community members with valuable tools to help them engage in environmental health decision making at the local, regional and state level. Finally, through the LEHN LIF issues action alerts on important pending policy decisions and publishes quarterly newsletters.
Rural Water Collaborative
Originally initiated in 2005 in partnership with Clean Water Fund, the Rural Water Collaborative seeks to address water quality, reliability and affordability in rural communities of the San Joaquin Valley. Through this project LIF is working to develop rural water leaders and advance policies to ensure that rural communities have access to safe and affordable water. Current partners of the rural water collaborative include Centro La Familia, the Coalition of Rural Pueblos Economic Development, Clean Water Fund and Latino Issues Forum.
Latino Policy Agenda for the Environment
Through a series of regional strategy sessions, this new project will bring together Latino leaders from across the state, to develop regional and state level policy agendas for the environment. These strategy sessions and the resulting policy agendas will lay the groundwork for LIF’s environmental policy work over the next several years. In November 2006 the California legislature will undergo a dramatic change in its composition as existing legislators are termed out and new legislators are elected in. We anticipate that at this time a significant number of new Latino leaders will be elected to the California legislature. This project will lay the groundwork for a comprehensive campaign to foster new Latino leaders who are committed to championing an agenda for sustainability that joins environment and community health.
Through our Sustainable Development program, LIF works to develop and advance policy solutions to ensure that all communities have access to a safe and healthy environment, that the State’s natural resources benefit all California communities, and that low-income and people of color communities do not continue to bear the costs of the States development patterns and economic prosperity while being excluded from the benefits.
LIF recognizes that we cannot do our work alone. To realize the change we seek we must build broader partnerships and coalitions with that reinforce, strengthen and expand the impact of our work. As such we are active in a number of regional and statewide coalitions.
California Asthma Partners (CAP)
CAP is statewide partnership of California non-governmental organizations, agencies, institutions, coalitions, collaborative, and other programs working to implement the Strategic Plan for Asthma in California. The Plan was developed by a multidisciplinary group of stakeholders throughout California, addressing multiple aspects of asthma and disparities among those affected by this disease. To find out more about CAP visit www.asthmapartners.org
Californians for Pesticide Reform (CPR)
LIF currently serves as an Executive Steering Committee member of CPR. CPR is a statewide coalition of more than 175 organizations, founded in 1996 to fundamentally shift the way pesticides are used in California. CPR's mission is to protect public health, improve environmental quality and expand a sustainable and just agriculture system by building a diverse movement across California to change statewide and local pesticide policies and practices. For more information about CPR visit www.pesticidereform.org
Central Valley Air Quality (CVAQ) Coalition
The CVAQ coalition is a partnership of more than 50 community, medical, public health, environmental and environmental justice organizations, representing thousands of residents in the San Joaquin Valley, that are unified in their commitment to improve the health of Californians by (a) seeking full and vigorous enforcement of the federal Clean Air Act in the San Joaquin Valley, (b) strengthening State law and District regulations relating to air quality, and (c) educating the public about the serious health impacts of air pollution. LIF is an active member of the CVAQ coalition and serves as Co-Chair. For more information about CVAQ visit: www.calcleanair.org
Environmental Health Legislative Working Group (EHLWG)
The Environmental Health Legislative Working Group is a statewide coalition of 80 public health, environmental health, and environmental justice organizations working to advance legislative change on environmental health issues. Initiated in 2003, when over 25 groups collaborated to share information on legislative priorities and convened the first-ever Environmental Health Lobby Day, EHLWG members now conduct legislative trainings, share and prioritize legislative agendas and coordinate and facilitate Environmental Health Lobby Days for community members and advocates.
Environmental Justice Coalition for Water (EJCW)
The Environmental Justice Coalition for Water is a statewide coalition of more than fifty grassroots and intermediary organizations. EJCW works to empower community members to become strong voices for water justice in their communities. EJCW enables community members to take control of their water resources by participating in water policy, planning and decisions. The Coalition works to ensure that policy makers are listening to the concerns of community members and to hold policy makers accountable for the heavy impacts of water policy on low-income communities and communities of color. LIF is a founding member of EJCW and continues to provide leadership to the Coalition by serving on EJCW’s Leadership Council. For more information about EJCW visit www.ejcw.org
[1] Metzger R, Delgado JL, Herrell R. Environmental Health and Hispanic Children. Environmental Health Perspectives. 1995 Sept; 103(6)
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