Environmental & Social Justice

Fellow Story

Regan Patterson: Electric trucks could save lives

“This really has to do with discriminatory planning processes in which communities of color and low-income communities are often located near ports, major roadways and distribution centers, and so therefore are disproportionately exposed to diesel exhaust,” Regan says.
February 9, 2022
Fellow Story

Espinoza hired as Senior Program Associate at The Erol Foundation

In this new role, Demi will support The Erol Foundation's climate action and climate solution philanthropic portfolios.
February 9, 2022
Fellow Story

Clara Fang: Can a carbon tax support environmental justice?

This past summer, homes in Detroit were flooded with up to five feet of sewage backup after heavy rains dumped six inches of water overnight. It took weeks and more than $10,000 (not reimbursed by insurance) for my home in East English Village to be restored to a livable condition.
February 3, 2022
Fellow Story

Gutierrez accepts Environmental Justice Planner position at WA State Dept. of Ecology

Grant's new role will help implement a new environmental justice law passed in Washington, the HEAL Act, and join an interagency environmental justice council.
January 27, 2022
Fellow Story

2021 Switzer Fellows Book List

Check out the books authored, edited or co-authored by Switzer Fellows in 2021 and dive into topics such as Indigenous teachings, the biology of climate change and sustainable urban planning.
January 27, 2022
Foundation News

Switzer Foundation transitions to fossil-free and socially responsible bank

Last year, the foundation committed to transitioning our checking account and credit cards to a new bank as part of an ongoing effort to align all of our practices, from programmatic to administrative, with our values to improve...
January 27, 2022
Fellow Story

Patterson quoted in Grist about Detroit highway removal and reparations

“Throughout the country, urban freeways were routed through Black neighborhoods, resulting in the malicious division and forced displacement of Black neighborhoods, as well as local Black economies,” said Regan Patterson.
January 6, 2022
Fellow Story

Milkowski co-creates curriculum for Energy Justice Course at Dartmouth

The new course "Energy Justice: Fostering More Equitable Energy Futures" is free to audit via Coursera.
December 14, 2021
Fellow Story

Morello-Frosch and Cushing map more than 400 toxic sites in California at risk of flooding from sea level rise

This three-year project, dubbed Toxic Tides, is the first systematic look at the environmental justice ramifications of sea level rise and hazardous sites along the entire coast of California.
December 1, 2021
Fellow Story

Colonialism, the climate crisis, and the need to center Indigenous voices

As world leaders gather at COP26, we need acknowledge the historical root causes of the climate crisis.
November 17, 2021