Environmental & Social Justice

As a doctoral student at UC Santa Cruz studying the impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement, Ann Lopez was touched by the struggles of migrant workers and the relatives they left behind in Mexico. In response, she founded the Center for Farmworker Families in 2008 to provide education and economic assistance and advocacy. But the Felton resident and San Jose City College environmental science professor knew little about the business of operating a nonprofit so she turned to the International Humanities Center for help in handling donations and accounting services.

Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC) representative Dustin Mulvaney, an Assistant Professor at San Jose State University, works with SVTC to see that materials in computers and solar panels are safely handled and recycled. Mulvaney said First Solar is required to handle PV modules in a way that minimizes any accidental cadmium leakage at other sites. Most likely, he added, the biggest occupational hazard First Solar has encountered on the AVSR1 site is “workers being cut by broken glass.”

After compiling data from 21 Silicon Valley companies, Wilson and his co-authors Heather Madison and Steven Healy discovered that 57 percent of the companies surveyed did not have a confined space safety plan in place other than to call the fire department. As a result, the companies resort to calling 911 in the case of any confined space emergency. “The employers need to take responsibility for having a way to rescue their employees in the event of a confined space emergency before the firefighters arrive,” Wilson said.

“By next September and October there will be 22 new community gardens, school gardens and library gardens because of this work,” said Hugh Hogan, executive director of the North Star Fund, which helps allocate the grants to nonprofit groups. “Only 2% of this area is green open space.” Read the full article

Vermonters speak their piece about local issues on Town Meeting Day, but some people want to be heard on controversial national issues. This year more than 50 towns are taking up a resolution on corporate personhood, and in past years the war in Iraq and genetically modified foods have been on Town Meeting warnings, or they've been debated under "other business." Monday on Vermont Edition, we'll discuss whether town meeting is the right place to debate issues that reach far beyond your town line.

On this Switzer Network News report, we learn about the intersection between global climate change and agriculture, why current "solutions" are inadequate and where we need to go next globally.

“There is a far-reaching impact from freight transportation in these neighborhoods,” said Catalina Garzón of the Pacific Institute. “Toxic diesel pollution is a harmful substance that has been shown to contribute to additional cancer risk in these communities and which has contributed to respiratory conditions like asthma.” Read the full story

Susan Ornelas stepped down as Mayor of Arcata, California, recently. Her husband, former mayor Bob Ornelas, was seriously injured in a cycling accident a month earlier (in November 2011), and the following email was in response to our best wishes for his speedy recovery. When we asked Susan's permission to share it with the Switzer Network she wrote: "Yes! One of the things I love the most about being involved with the Switzer Foundation is the network of wonderful people, where so many people are both soulful and scientific.

Polluted aquifers in the San Joaquin Valley deprive dozens of communities of safe tap water. Switzer Fellow Carolina Balazs is working with local residents to help understand and address the problem. Produced by 2003 Switzer Fellow Jim Downing. (See related post.)