Three significant events took place recently that should improve the quality of life for residents in the San Joaquin Valley.
First, the Central Valley Air Quality Coalition (CVAQ) successfully requested an audit from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) of emission reduction credits that are held in a bank operated by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. This has been brought up in the past, but this time the CARB agreed.
These credits allow new sources of air pollution to be established without mitigation…
News
This page features excerpts from news about environmental justice advocacy in the San Joaquin Valley and links to their original sources. Use the features on the right to sort by topic, news source, date, key word or author. You may also subscribe to receive the news by e-mail or through an rss reader. Please note that links to original sources may expire over time.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom revealed new details of his plans to charge water customers in the state a new tax to fund safe drinking water for disadvantaged communities.
He announced Wednesday his plans to charge water customers an extra amount ranging from 95 cents to $10 a month — money that, combined with fees on animal farmers, dairies and fertilizer sellers, he projects would raise $140 million a year that could be put toward testing wells, aiding public water systems and treating contaminated water. The amount paid would depend on the size of one’s water meter…
Today’s World Water Day, which falls on March 22 each year and is often an occasion for plenty of “doom and gloom,” says Scott Bryan. That’s why Bryan, president of ImagineH2O, a nonprofit organization that runs a startup accelerator and other programs aimed at solving water challenges around the globe, holds his organization’s demo day and gala event in the run-up to the day, “in hopes that there might be a story out there that’s a little more positive.”
Looking over ImagineH2O’s 10th cohort—which includes a baker’s dozen of startups offering everything from high-efficiency faucets and showerheads to handheld water-quality scanners, devices to reduce water loss in cooling towers, trenchless water-pipe replacement technology, and more—there is certainly reason for optimism…
Governor Gavin Newsom wants to charge California water customers an extra fee to help clean tainted water in low-income and rural communities.
Erica Fernandez, with Community Water Center, explained she supports this fee.
She said there are about 1 million people without safe, clean drinking water.
“Having safe drinking water is a human right not a privilege,” she said…
Just outside Fresno’s southeastern border lies a road in which the urban rolls into the rural in a juxtaposition common in California’s central San Joaquin Valley.
A trucking yard sits a few dozen feet from residential homes. Children play at an elementary school flanked by farmland – tangled, empty vines and trees sprinkled with white blossoms. The snow-capped Sierra Nevada are unusually visible after February storms pushed out Valley smog…
Farmworker supporters from the Central Valley Air Quality Coalition and the Coalition Advocating for Pesticide Safety announced they believe hazardous pesticide violations are happening in Fresno and Tulare counties on March 20, 2019…
Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by restricted interests, repetitive behaviors, and deficits in social communication and interaction. Although the condition was previously considered rare, recent prevalence estimates suggest that 1.7%1 to 2.6%2 of children in the developed world are currently affected by autism…
As women, it is true that we like to be pampered. Every once in a while we need a beauty pick-me-up, and what better way than by going to a salon? We all have an excuse to get our nails done, maybe for a wedding, or an interview, or even just to have pretty hands. But have you ever wondered why salon workers wear gloves and face masks while tending to your needs? I can assure you, it doesn’t so much have to do with your nail hygiene, but more so with toxic chemicals in the products. In California, nail technicians have finally figured out why their coughs are relentless and why cancer rates were increasing, but the EPA no longer recognizes this as an environmental justice issue, and that is a problem all in itself…
On a recent evening, a group of frustrated adults sounded off inside the Boys and Girls Club gymnasium on Cedar Avenue in southeast Fresno.
“I’m really questioning what we’re doing here,” said one.
“I feel like my time is being wasted,” said another, speaking in Spanish.
“Treat us with respect,” added a third. “I feel like you’re not even taking what we’re saying into account.”…
The push for better air quality in the San Joaquin Valley has a new team of advocates – doctors – who are taking a more active role in demanding clean air for the region.
The Central California Asthma Collaborative has partnered with Unmask My City, a global air pollution initiative, with health professionals at the forefront of calling for change.
Fresno is the first city in California to join the initiative, said Jeni Miller, executive director of The Global Climate and Health Alliance, during a news conference Wednesday outside a Boys & Girls Club in southeast Fresno…
