We are angry and we are anguished, yet again. We are anguished because the unjust killing of George Floyd has again laid bare the oppression and racism that lead to daily harassment, injury, and death of our black and brown neighbors. We are angry because people who are crying out for justice and peacefully demanding accountability have been met with violence and arrest across the nation, and the President is threatening to deploy the military on the streets of our cities.
Did you know that Fort Detrick's medical waste incinerator was shut down two years ago, and that a new one may be rebuilt? Join a public meeting Thursday night to learn more and provide your input to this proposal before its Environmental Assessment is finalized:
Congress should fully fund for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) by passing the Great Americans Outdoor Act. As we all have experienced, access to parks is incredibly important for our mental and physical health, and remain a low risk activity even while we are social distancing. Unfortunately, for years Congress has diverted money out of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, leaving us with critically underfunded parks when we need them most.
Maryland's primary election is one week from today - have you received your ballot in the mail? If so, don't forget to mark it in black ink, and sign and date the back before sending it in!
We have a week and a half to go until Election Day, and voters across Baltimore City are finally receiving their ballots in the mail.
The future of Baltimore City will be decided in the next few weeks, as voters receive their ballots by mail and fill them out at home - for most of us, for the first time. (As you may have seen in the news, mailing ballots to Baltimore City was significantly delayed.
Mosquito season is upon us yet again! There are some steps you can take to minimize your exposure to mosquitoes without relying on mosquito spray programs. While pesticide spray programs may seem like the best choice, they do pose health and environmental risks even when used as directed. Synthetic pyrethroids can worsen respiratory symptoms, organophosphates are linked to neurodegenerative diseases, and these pesticides are toxic to bees, pollinators, and other beneficial insects (as well as birds, fish, and amphibians - natural predators of mosquitoes!).
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) and other toxic chemicals found in many products, such as clothing, carpets, furniture, firefighting foam, adhesives, and food and beverage containers. PFAS-treated food packaging is a major source of human exposure to PFAS via contaminated food and drinking water.
Clean Water Action joined the Moving Forward Network in holding a World Asthma Day Virtual Town Hall featuring elected officials, health professionals and grassroots leaders working on the front lines to address the root cause in “asthma hotspots” like Newark, Elizabeth, Camden, California as well as state legislators promoting environmental justice legislation. Watch here.