Angel Bautista
What Can We Learn from Social Policy to Advance Climate Justice?
Increasing the capacity of frontline communities to meet the current and future challenges brought about by climate change will require a significant future expansion of assistance programs and resources. There are decades worth of lessons to be learned from the design and implementation of past laws and policies that are intended to improve the lives…
Language Justice in Climate Disasters: State Models Addressing Title VI Gaps
In the face of climate-related disasters, effective communication around evacuation orders and recovery resources can mean the difference between life and death. Unfortunately, individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP), who are at the front lines of climate change and climate-related disasters, are often excluded from these lifesaving communications— further compounding their vulnerability to climate change.…
How a public option for basic financial transactions supports household climate resilience
Climate justice is inextricably linked with economic justice, and individual and household economic precarity is increasingly important in the context of the climate crisis. As in so many other aspects of climate change, the household finances of low-income and communities of color are already experiencing impacts “first and worst.” Last fall, the U.S. Department of…
Introducing the “Michigan Solutions for All” Campaign
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) represent significant federal investments in climate and infrastructure. To ensure these benefits reach the communities that need them most, targeted efforts are essential. Just Solutions is proud to partner with the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition (MEJC) to co-lead the “Michigan Solutions for…
Just Essays: Reflections on the atomic destruction of Hiroshima and the present nuclear resurgence
Author: Arjun Makhijani, PhD, Senior Fellow, Just Solutions. President Institute for Energy and Environmental Research. Hiroshima was obliterated on August 6, 1945 razed to the ground by just one bomb from a single plane. That day, Mitsuno Ochi had been waiting to withdraw money from a bank; she was instantly evaporated into a mere shadow…
State and Federal Whole Home Repair Programs: Can They Solve the Weatherization Assistance Program Deferrals Problem?
Investment in weatherization is sound public policy. Weatherization checks all the boxes of improving energy efficiency among low-income households, easing the strain on household budgets, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Residents experience improved health and well-being as a result of a more comfortable living environment, with benefits for mental and physical health. Residents also enjoy…
BRIEF: Housing & Climate Equity – An analysis of climate and housing policies that benefit environmental justice communities and low-income tenants
Just Solutions’ latest brief analyzes two Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) programs that provide targeted investments in housing, the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP) and Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). This brief also examines four innovative model policies from California, New York, Oregon, and Pennsylvania that are filling the…
New EPA Data Sheds Light on Communities Affected by Polluted Drinking Water
This month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a new drinking water dataset that has now been incorporated into the Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool (EJScreen). For the first time, environmental justice communities will be able to link Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) violations to affected populations. Prior to this release, there was…
From Harvey to Beryl – Northeast Houstonians Are Tackling Environmental Injustice in Disaster Recovery
Northeast Houston residents are not just confronting Hurricane Beryl’s aftermath; they’re forging a path to resilience and environmental justice through community-driven solutions. On Monday July 8, tropical Storm Beryl made its landfall as a Category 1 hurricane in Texas, producing flash flooding and tornadoes. In addition, 2.5million lost power and at least 7 people died.…
Unpacking Climate Solutions with The Just Solutions Podcast
The Just Solutions Podcast Season 2, will bring you even more interviews with experts from various industries, sharing their knowledge on critical climate and environmental issues.
