Environmental Justice

"On a twilight so calm the red and white pines are reflected in the waters of northern Wisconsin’s Chippewa Flowage, John Baker plans to go spearfishing — a traditional Ojibwe method of harvesting walleye. But before he sets out, he detours his boat to land on a sandy shore, hops out and crosses the tree line, crunching through dead leaves. “This is my sanctuary,” he says, recalling childhood visits in his dad’s rowboat."

"The Fair Food Program works to boost farmworker safety by appealing directly to major brands and consumers".

It’s a relatively quiet — and hot — afternoon at Sunland Park’s Fire Department Station 1. ... Suddenly, a loud radio call blasts through the station’s speakers. ... Four firefighters rush to get ready, which includes loading ice into a cooler. The ice is essential — it's used to lower the body temperature of someone in distress from extreme heat."

"Incarcerated people in southern states had the greatest exposure to extreme temperatures, yet do not have access to universal air conditioning, researchers found."

"A single line included in the proposed annual appropriations bill for the U.S. Department of Labor and other agencies could — if adopted by congress later this year — halt the implementation of a newly finalized rule limiting the amount of silica dust miners are exposed to while working underground."

"President Joe Biden on Tuesday proposed a new rule to address excessive heat in the workplace, warning — as tens of millions of people in the U.S. are under heat advisories — that high temperatures are the country’s leading weather-related killer."

"The long-awaited rule could be finalized before November, but it faces political hurdles either way."

"The oil industry withdrew its $40 million campaign to kill a historic law to protect neighborhoods from oil drilling’s toxic effects, but is threatening to challenge the measure in court."

"The Environment Agency is refusing to provide campaigners with details of potential conflicts of interests with water companies held by its directors across England."

"The putrid smell of burning garbage wafts for miles from the landfill on the outskirts of Jammu in a potentially toxic miasma fed by the plastics, industrial, medical and other waste generated by a city of some 740,000 people. But a handful of waste pickers ignore both the fumes and suffocating heat to sort through the rubbish, seeking anything they can sell to earn at best the equivalent of $4 a day."