Andrew Lee Nicole Cardoza Andrew Lee Nicole Cardoza

Take action on the IPCC report.

This week, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a sobering report predicting that global temperatures will exceed the 2015 Paris Climate Accords’s limits in just 20 years regardless of government action. The Arctic is expected to be free of ice in the summer at least once by mid-century. In the worst-case scenario, the ocean will rise over six feet by century’s end (New Scientist).

TAKE ACTION

  • Review the action items below, curated in part by youth environmental activists of color.

GET EDUCATED

This week, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a sobering report predicting that global temperatures will exceed the 2015 Paris Climate Accords’s limits in just 20 years regardless of government action. The Arctic is expected to be free of ice in the summer at least once by mid-century. In the worst-case scenario, the ocean will rise over six feet by century’s end (New Scientist).

We’ve compiled some of our previous coverage highlighting the disproportionate effects environmental degradation has on communities of color in the United States and around the world. But our reporting also highlights that climate disaster isn’t inevitable. People are coming together to resist and transform the oppressive, extractive systems propelling the destruction of the ecological systems that sustain us all. Many of those at the forefront of these movements are from the marginalized communities who bear the brunt of climate change, pollution, and environmental degradation. As recent news demonstrates the urgency of taking action to preserve our world, these are the organizations we should all take time to support.

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​1. Confront Rising Temperatures​

“To preserve a habitable world for all of us and our descendants may require a fundamental shift in how we produce things and structure social and international relations. In the short term, a blanket approach to environmentalism will not suffice. Even major philanthropic foundations are starting to recognize that environmental racism and climate change affect poor nations and communities of color first (AP). Supporting the leadership of these communities in opposing the destructive systems that threaten life as we know it is a human imperative.”

Take Action

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2. Quannah ChasingHorse on Generational Change​

“Back when I was ten years old, we would get about 60 fish a day in our net or fish wheel. Now we only get, like, eight, and half of them aren't good to eat because of how toxic the waters have become due to the oil and gas development up North, and the mining… So that’s why I push for advocacy. I think sometimes I’m a rude awakening because not many people accept the fact that the climate crisis affects our way of life and our future generations. I’m afraid that our future generations won’t get the opportunity to learn hands-on, just from books and pictures.”

Take Action

3. Reimagine Earth Week​

“Saving the Earth isn’t a single-focus issue. Progress lies at the intersection of nearly every human rights issue. Incarceration, immigration, disability justice, global security, landback initiatives – we can’t address any of these until we are willing to analyze how climate change encourages and exacerbates each. In addition, we must understand that the brunt of the adverse impact of climate change will be felt by those most marginalized – not necessarily those that forget to recycle – creating a never-ending cycle of cause and effect. The voices most impacted are often left out of the conversation, developing policies and practices that don’t center those most harmed.”

Take Action

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4. Anya Dillard on Effective Organizing​

“I would say that racism and climate change have a lot in common. People love to debate both of their existences, people love to say how either does or doesn’t affect one group, when in reality it affects everyone in the long term. It’s interesting to think about it this way because when we think about racism, we think we’ll be good after we fix our law enforcement system and initiate a reparation system. But in reality, there are a lot of trickle-down effects of racism, and at least one of those falls under the umbrella of environmental change.”

Take Action

  • ​Donate to WeGotNext, which amplifies individual stories of adventure and activism from communities that have been underrepresented in outdoor and environmental spaces.
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5. Jana Jandal Alrifai on Intersectional Change​

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“We don't just need to reverse climate change and the climate crisis. We need to make sure that it doesn't happen again. We have to tackle environmental racism, that everyone is not equally impacted by climate change, and that BIPOC communities often have factories and machinery located in their neighborhoods, affecting their health. Their neighborhoods are more likely to flood.”

Take Action

  • ​Sign the petition advocating for No More Empty Summits, urging the Biden administration to take more action to address climate change.
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6. Support Climate Justice​

“Importantly, climate justice is a grassroots movement. Climate Justice Alliance, for example, comprises frontline organizations. Engagement centered in the communities— not top-down policies created by disengaged congressmen—is necessary. But for BIPOC activists, it can also be dangerous. Jayce Chiblow, a leader at the Canadian organization Indigenous Climate Actions, noted that while ‘Youth are leading us and taking on frontline activity,” many of them experienced violence and were arrested and removed as a result of their activism (Resilience.org). Read some profiles of Indigenous activists here.”

Take Action

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7. Alexis Saenz and Community Care​

“Our mission is to protect land and water, and to help Indigenous youth become leaders of their communities. We are the International Indigenous Youth Council, which means we include Indigenous people from everywhere, from Mexico, from Panama, from Guatemala, all over. And the goal is to eventually have IIYC chapters across Unči Maka, Mother Earth. Initially, we were focused on frontline non-violent direct action. That's how we started at Standing Rock.”

Take Action

8. Mohammad Ahmadi on Environmental Activism​

“I'm hoping to leave behind a world that is not ravaged by the climate crisis. So we avoid 1.5 degrees Celsius or two degrees of warming each year. I’m just trying to leave behind a more educated population. The youth is the next generation, so if we can educate them, they will demand change from the government faster when they’re older – whether it’s climate justice, racial justice, or anything else.”

Take Action

Key Takeaways

  • 43% of white Americans say that they are “very confident” in their tap water, while only 24% of Black Americans and 19% of Hispanic Americans indicate the same degree of confidence.

  • Corporations are often allowed to bottle and resell municipal tap water at a high mark-up, skirting rules and regulations that disproportionately affect lower-income communities.

  • We need to mobilize around protecting the source of clean water, and center Indigenous communities who steward the land and waters.

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Nicole Cardoza Nicole Cardoza Nicole Cardoza Nicole Cardoza

Protect access to drinking water.

The pandemic only accelerated a growing market: bottled water is a trending beverage, fueled by not just water skepticism, but a rise in health-conscious consumer habits. Michael C. Bellas, chairman and CEO of Beverage Marketing Corporation noted that the pandemic “showed how consumers have come to depend on bottled water for healthy, calorie-free hydration and refreshment” (Beverage Marketing). But is it fair that so many people are forced to rely on buying bottled water for their well-being?

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GET EDUCATED

By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)

The pandemic only accelerated a growing market: bottled water is a trending beverage, fueled by not just water skepticism, but a rise in health-conscious consumer habits. Michael C. Bellas, chairman and CEO of Beverage Marketing Corporation noted that the pandemic “showed how consumers have come to depend on bottled water for healthy, calorie-free hydration and refreshment” (Beverage Marketing). But is it fair that so many people are forced to rely on buying bottled water for their well-being?

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According to a survey by SOURCE Global PBC, 43% of white Americans say that they are “very confident” in their tap water, while only 24% of Black Americans and 19% of Hispanic Americans indicate the same degree of confidence. And this sentiment was only enforced by the onset of the pandemic. In March 2020, bottled water sales increased by 57% as people stocked up – whether preparing for water shut-offs, stockpiling in the face of uncertainty, or as a result of worsening infrastructure. 25% of Black Americans indicate that they’ve been drinking more bottled water since the pandemic started. In contrast, 62% of white Americans state they haven’t changed their consumption at all (Forbes).
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This sharp difference in bottled water consumption is rooted in the systemic inequities found in access to clean water. According to environmental advocacy group, Clean Water Action, 75% of Black Americans are more likely to live near polluting facilities than the general population. In addition, Hispanic American people are twice as likely to live in communities where the drinking water violates contamination laws (Forbes). These communities are often crippled by poor infrastructure that’s only worsening due to the impact of the pandemic.

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In Lowndes County, Alabama, there are dozens of residents that have septic tanks in disrepair, with no ability to connect to municipal sewer lines. As a result, raw sewage is backing up into local homes or flowing directly into open-air pits, contaminating drinking water and spreading E. Coli and hookworm. Lowndes County’s Perman Hardy spent “hundreds of hours” advocating for her community until she finally got almost $3 million pledged for wastewater treatment (AL). But a technicality at the County Commission level caused the grant money to be returned in its entirety, leaving residents without recourse (AL). Earlier this year, we also highlighted the issues that homes in Jackson, MS are experiencing; to this day, they are still undergoing boil alerts.

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As a result, corporations get to profit off of skepticism and scarcity. Initially, most of the bottled water sold in the U.S. came from natural springs. But as purification processes improved and demand grew, many brands moved to selling bottled tap water collected from the plant’s local utilities provider. Today, most of the bottled water in the U.S. is actually bottled from tap water (The Guardian). When residents in Detroit started to fall behind on their utilities bills during the pandemic, their water was shut off, forcing many to buy bottled water as a fallback. But Coca-Cola, who bottles Dasani water at the company’s Detroit plant, was allowed to rack up past-due bills while they bottled and sold the same water to citizens at a 133x markup (The Guardian). Although major bottled water distributors have been lauded for donating bottled water for those in need, it’s worth scrutinizing the business practices that enable them to be that generous.
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The latest infrastructure bill currently under consideration in the Senate includes $15 billion dedicated to improving water quality over the next five years, with some funds specifically allocated to “small and disadvantaged communities” (NYTimes). This bill will be the largest federal investment in clean water in our nation’s history, and designed to address some of the major infrastructure issues affecting people across the U.S. (PBS). But we also need to see more action from the federal government on creating more equity with how major companies can hoard this resource.

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We also need more concerted efforts to protect the sources of our water supply, which is increasingly under threat. Consider the current initiative to stop the Line 3 Pipeline, which is expected to funnel nearly a million barrels of tar sands (one of the dirtiest fossil fuels) through Indigenous lands between Alberta, Canada and Wisconsin, trampling through untouched wetlands and the Mississippi River headwaters (Stop Line 3). If we continue to allow corporations to control our relationship to water, rather than listening to the wisdom of Indigenous people that steward our land and water, it’s likely we will have nothing left.

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When we talk about the rise of bottled water consumption, the onus is often placed on the individual, blaming them for the environmental impact of all that plastic “going to waste”. Yes, we can all do our part to minimize plastic consumption, and there’s a clear environmental impact (The Guardian). But all that attention is shielding ourselves from the real issue – that significant environmental issues contribute to the consumption of bottled water, not simply caused by them. And it’s going to take significant policy work – both on the local, state and federal level – to address the underlying issues that make clean water inaccessible.

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We also need to work on shifting the deep distrust that these disparities have created. My grandmother was raised in a city where they didn’t trust tap water. As a result, she didn’t encourage her children to drink water. Consequently, mom didn’t encourage it with us (while we were young, at least. Her habits have since changed). All this despite the fact that we moved to a rural environment where the water is more trustworthy. In Flint, MI, the lack of trust between residents and city leader after willful neglect during their water crisis influenced public perception of the vaccine (NBC News).

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As we continue to advocate for proper infrastructure, support local individuals and organizations doing their best to provide others with clean water, and protect this precious resource. Many of these efforts are grassroots, mutual-aid driven initiatives, organized by brave people uncompromising for change. Maybe you can be that person for your community.

Key Takeaways

  • 43% of white Americans say that they are “very confident” in their tap water, while only 24% of Black Americans and 19% of Hispanic Americans indicate the same degree of confidence.

  • Corporations are often allowed to bottle and resell municipal tap water at a high mark-up, skirting rules and regulations that disproportionately affect lower-income communities.

  • We need to mobilize around protecting the source of clean water, and center Indigenous communities who steward the land and waters.

Read More
Tiffany Onyejiaka Nicole Cardoza Tiffany Onyejiaka Nicole Cardoza

Protect Indigenous water rights.

March 22 commemorated World Water Day, and each year people use this day to reflect on and celebrate water, the world’s most vital natural resources. People also aim to use this time to raise awareness that 2.2 billion people across the globe lack access to clean water. For certain Americans, this day can conjure up images of people in low-and middle-income countries. However, more than two million Americans live without running water (US Water Alliance). One of the biggest culprits behind the water crisis stems from vulnerable communities’ unprotected water rights.

Happy Wednesday! Earlier this month, dozens of countries worldwide signed the 30x30, a pledge to protect at least 30 percent of the Earth’s land and water (NYTimes). Indigenous communities already protect these resources and have so for generations. It's critical they have a seat at the table as these conversations unfold, especially because of a legacy of displacement and disenfranchisement. Today, Tiffany offers more context.

This newsletter is a free resource made possible by our supporters. We'd love you to consider making a monthly recurring donation on our website or Patreon. You can also give one-time on PayPal or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza). Thank you for all your support!

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

  • Donate to or volunteer with the Navajo Water Project, an Indigenous-led community organization dedicated to increasing water access for residents of the Navajo Nation.

  • Donate to the Native American Rights Fund, which has dedicated actions to improve water rights for Indigenous tribes across America.

  • Look at the Navajo Safe Water Maps, to find what areas in Navajo Nation provide safe water use for individuals without water during Covid-19.

GET EDUCATED

By Tiffany Onyejiaka (she/her)

March 22 commemorated World Water Day, and each year people use this day to reflect on and celebrate water, the world’s most vital natural resources. People also aim to use this time to raise awareness that 2.2 billion people across the globe lack access to clean water. For certain Americans, this day can conjure up images of people in low-and middle-income countries. However, more than two million Americans live without running water (US Water Alliance). One of the biggest culprits behind the water crisis stems from vulnerable communities’ unprotected water rights.

Water rights refer to legislation that gives an individual or an entity the right to use water from a specific source of water (US Legal); it does not exist in an infinite capacity. Individuals, communities, developments, and corporations in society all have to use a finite water supply to power their lives or processes. Water rights help to delineate who can and cannot use specific bodies of water. Sadly, water rights for communities of color get ignored and disregarded by the U.S. government and big corporations.

Historically, the United States government has stripped, ignored, infringed on the water rights of Indigenous Reservations to the water supplies that help their people believe. Informally, the government has granted corporations permission to abuse and pollute the water supply in Black and Latino neighborhoods. The lack of protecting the water rights of vulnerable communities of color directly impacts these communities’ ability to have access to clean water.

Legislation regarding water rights has existed since the emergence of European settlers in America. Starting in the 1800s, the federal government began confining Indigenous Americans to a fraction of their native lands in reservations (Congressional Research Services). The US government often carved out the driest lands for Indigenous people to live on (GAR). Despite the legal dedication of land to Indigenous tribes, the water was not limited to their use. European settlers would use water around the reservation, and they created an infrastructure that would block or minimize how much water reached the tribe.  In 1908, the Winters v. The United States case gave Indigenous communities the first law that stated they had essentially had first rights to the water surrounding their reservation lands (Water Keeper). This was not properly followed. Through the 1940s, the United States government's infrastructure projects continued to decimate the water supply near reservation lands (High Country News). In the 1960s, the expansion of cities like Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Tucson used generator technologies that diverted water away from Indigenous communities towards these booming new cities (High Country News).

Not many gains in the realm of water rights have occurred for disadvantaged communities in the twenty-first century. Many tribal communities still have legal fights with the United States government over water rights for their lands.

In High Country News, author Andrew Curley wrote, “water settlements between tribes and states are a source of much of this continued underdevelopment. For Indigenous people, these settlements also represent colonial dispossession because they often suspend allocation of water rights and funding for water infrastructure until tribal leaders give in to the state’s demands” (High Country News). 

Some states have had more positive water rights interactions. In 2020, the Senate passed the Utah Navajo Water Rights Settlement Act (Salt Lake Tribune). This recognized and legitimized the Navajo Nation’s rights to 81,500 acres of water in the Colorado River Basin. It’s not only Indigenous communities in America suffering from water rights violations. The construction of dams by the Chinese government in the Upper Mekong River Basin has negatively impacted Indigenous Cambodian communities’ wellbeing that live downstream of the River Basin (International Rivers). 

Water equals life and vitality. World Water Day means so much because it helps us to reflect and re-center how much water affects our ability to survive and thrive. Take the Navajo Nation, for example. The Navajo Nation had the highest-per-capita coronavirus infection rate across the United States (CNN). This disproportionately high coronavirus rate was likely impacted by low access to clean water in these communities. In the Navajo Nation, a third of all citizens lack access to regular running water or indoor plumbing (Urban Institute) while the average American uses almost nine gallons of water daily. The average Navajo Nation resident uses less than ten percent (Urban Institute). 
 

Without clean water, communities suffer. The lack of water rights exuberates many other conditions that negatively hurt communities of color. Protecting water rights helps protect Indigenous communities from harmful disparities that deny them the right to a full life.

Anyone can find a way to help communities protect their water rights and increase access to clean water. If you live in a place with lots of access to water, begin to converse water. Turn off your sink while brushing your teeth. Opt for some baths instead of showers every day. Conserving water can help decrease the diversion of water from disadvantaged communities. People can opt to look into legislation involving water rights for vulnerable communities. We all need water to live, and negative ramifications in one society will eventually catch up to others. Helping Indigenous communities protect their water rights can lead to positive changes that ensure the security and safety of clean water for us all.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • More than two million Americans live without running water.

  • One of the biggest culprits behind the water crisis stems from vulnerable communities’ unprotected water rights.

  • Historically, the United States government has stripped, ignored, infringed on the water rights of Indigenous Reservations to the water supplies that help their people believe.

  • The lack of protecting the water rights of vulnerable communities of color directly impacts these communities’ ability to have access to clean water.

RELATED ISSUES

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Kashea McCowan Nicole Cardoza Kashea McCowan Nicole Cardoza

Advocate for clean water.

Water is a necessary natural resource needed to live a sustainable life. Humans are made up of about sixty percent of water and, in addition to it being essential for the body, it is the most important substance for cleaning, bathing, washing, and many other things. When it comes to cities that are mostly comprised of Black and Brown citizens, proper maintenance and availability to the basic necessities—such as water, in this case—are sometimes overlooked or deemed as unimportant or not as urgent as those living in predominantly white neighborhoods. Blatant disregard for these Black and Brown populations shows up more often than not but mostly during some sort of environmental crisis or natural disaster.

Happy Wednesday and welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily! Today we're focusing our attention on the water crisis in Jackson, MS, which hasn't received adequate coverage for the scope of the issue. But water crises throughout the U.S. are certainly not new. But the lack of infrastructure to support clean water is often concentrated in Black and brown communities, and, when combined with a global pandemic, only exacerbates the health and safety issues it causes. Kashea breaks down what's happening in Jackson and offers action items we can replicate in any community in crisis.

This newsletter is a free resource and that's made possible by our paying subscribers. Consider giving $7/month on Patreon. Or you can give one-time on our website, PayPal, or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza). You can also support us by joining our curated digital community. Thank you to all those that support!

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

  • Donate to organizations supporting those without water, including Shower Power and the Immigrant Alliance for Justice and Equity MS (Venmo @IAJEofMS). ,

  • Stay up-to-date with current news and live city council meetings concerning the water outages on the City of Jackson, Mississippi Facebook page. 

  • Help local Jackson residents push for long-term local and federal support by reporting the damages they have undergone. A cumulative threshold of $4.5 million in reported damages must be reached for the city to declare a federal emergency (Mississippi Today).

  • Consider: are their neighborhoods in your town with critical infrastructure needs? How can you advocate for them in your local government, and in support of organizers advocating for change?

GET EDUCATED

By Andrew Lee (he/him)

Water is a necessary natural resource needed to live a sustainable life. Humans are made up of about sixty percent of water and, in addition to it being essential for the body, it is the most important substance for cleaning, bathing, washing, and many other things. When it comes to cities that are mostly comprised of Black and Brown citizens, proper maintenance and availability to the basic necessities—such as water, in this case—are sometimes overlooked or deemed as unimportant or not as urgent as those living in predominantly white neighborhoods. Blatant disregard for these Black and Brown populations shows up more often than not but mostly during some sort of environmental crisis or natural disaster. 
 

In 2014, Flint, Michigan was hit with a water crisis that left more than a hundred thousand people with unclean, lead-infused water. The problem wasn’t fixed until five years later in 2019. And today, people of color who reside in the South are being affected by a water crisis that has left tens of thousands of Black and Brown people without clean water for weeks due to the winter storm that swept across nearly every state in mid-February. Among those hit the hardest were Texas and Jackson, Mississippi. Residents from both states still are feeling the effects while Jackson residents are left to fend for themselves as most of them still are left without water. What these disasters have in common is that government officials do not act with a sense of urgency when it comes to these groups of people. 
 

It’s been nearly three weeks since the residents of Jackson, Mississippi have had access to clean, running water. The city of Jackson issued a boil water notice on February 18 in response to the water main breaks on the City of Jackson’s Well Water System which caused an inability to maintain system pressure resulting in some areas experiencing low to no water pressure (The City of Jackson, Mississippi). Residents still are having to scrounge for this essential natural resource. In addition to having to boil it, they are now being asked to limit their use of it. According to one of the city’s representatives, it is unclear how many people are without water as the system which services approximately forty-three thousand people is old (CBS News).
 

“The challenges of aging infrastructure are not new to Jackson, but this is different. This was an act of God that sent old systems into havoc resulting in severe water outages and trauma for our residents,” says Mayor Chokwe Lumumba. “Our systems were never meant to endure days of ice storms and sub-zero temperatures coupled by road conditions that prevented the delivery of critical supplies” (The Daily Beast).
 

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves agrees and says that fifty years of deferred maintenance is not something that can be fixed within hours. Mayor Lumumba is asking for people to have patience as it is clear that there is no definitive timeline as to when the water will be restored in the tanks (The Daily Beast). There are several sites in place for distribution of non-potable or flushing water, and Reeves activated the National Guard to help with water distribution efforts in the area. But many locals, including professional chef Enrika Williams and her family, are having to spend excessive amounts of money on bottled water to cook and clean with. Jackson’s total population is approximately 160,000 people with a 26.9 percent poverty rate. That means that most of the people don’t have the resources to go out and buy additional water for their homes. 
 

“Part of the problem is that it’s everywhere. Usually when we have an outage it’s in one neighborhood . . . ,” says Laurie Bertram Roberts, manager of the Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Fund. “But when it’s the whole damn city, where are the Black people supposed to go? It’s not like this is everywhere; it’s where the mostly Black population in Jackson lives. (The Daily Beast).
 

Not only has routine maintenance for these tanks and water lines been neglected, but it seems that communication between Governor Reeves and Mayor Lumumba about the issue also has fallen by the wayside as Lumumba is being accused of reaching out to Reeves too slowly, and Reeves’ camp retorting saying that he had no missed calls from the Mayor. 


As of Monday, Jackson Public Works Director Charles Williams says that the city’s water system is still in the process of stabilizing itself. It is unclear how many people are still without water but Williams stresses that crews are working as hard as they can to get water flowing to those areas as there still is no definitive timeline on when services will be fully restored (Clarion Ledger).
 

For fifty years, maintenance for Jackson’s water system has been put off. Even after the city approved a one percent tax increase six years ago, the goal of updating all of its aging infrastructures has yet to be retained. Lumumba says that the annual fifteen million dollars the city generates are only a fraction of the two billion dollars the city will need to fix the problem. This is an issue that city officials have neglected to put at the top of their to-do lists and as a result, people are suffering—specifically, the Black population. More than a few residents have noted that the crisis has hit South and West Jackson while Northeast Jackson, the one predominantly white corner of this eighty percent Black capital city, is left relatively unscathed (The Daily Beast).

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • When it comes to cities that are mostly comprised of Black and Brown citizens, proper maintenance and availability to the basic necessities are sometimes overlooked or deemed as unimportant compared to those living in predominantly white neighborhoods.

  • It’s been nearly three weeks since the residents of Jackson, Mississippi has had access to clean, running water.

  • Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves says that fifty years of deferred maintenance is not something that can be fixed within hours.

  • There still is no definitive timeline on when services will be fully restored.

RELATED ISSUES

PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT

Thank you for all your financial contributions! If you haven't already, consider making a monthly donation to this work. These funds will help me operationalize this work for greatest impact.

Subscribe on Patreon | Give one-time on PayPal | Venmo @nicoleacardoza

Read More