As the current novel coronavirus continues to spread, one fact has become clear: Governments around the globe were not prepared — especially concerning environmental impacts. While there is no direct link between pollution and the risk of developing COVID-19, yet, studies have shown that poor air quality can raise one's susceptibility to disease. Worse, high rates of toxic exposure can lead to poorer outcomes of those illnesses. Disadvantaged groups, including Latinos, are in greater jeopardy as they are the ones who live in the areas with more significant amounts of air pollution. "There's lots of evidence that air pollution increases the chances that someone will get pneumonia, and if they get pneumonia, will be sicker with it," Aaron Bernstein, interim director of the ...
Amid a global pandemic, most find themselves inside their homes more than ever. While this is tough for some and easier for others, one thing is apparent: Many are asking some tough questions, including, are the systems that are currently in place operating in the best interest of everyone? One system in question is how our local, state, and federal governments—as well as every citizen in the country—practices sustainability. In January, we sat down with government officials from ReWorks San Antonio, an agency of the city's Solid Waste Management Department, that aims to connect businesses to cost-effective recycling solutions and promote those businesses among consumers who value social responsibility. Check out this discussion on the Salud Talks Podcast, Episode 23, ...
The coronavirus outbreak is making it harder for Latino and other families to get enough food to feed their families, a condition also called food insecurity. People are stocking up on groceries and buying online in hopes of hunkering down and limiting social interactions, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. But families who rely on nutrition aid can’t stock up. They also can’t buy online. With many schools and farmer’s markets also closing, many families are struggling to replace school meals at home for their children. This is especially impacting Latino and black households, who are more likely to suffer food insecurity (16.2% and 21.2%, respectively) than the national average (11.1%).
SNAP Benefits Not Adapting to Coronavirus Crisis
As many families are piling up ...
Everyone deserves a safe and reliable way to get to healthy food—whether a supermarket, farmers market, or food bank. Without nearby grocery stores, people must travel further or rely on corner stores, which often sell food that is poorer in quality and more expensive, and without crosswalks, sidewalks, and bike lanes, people walking and biking are at increased risk of injury or death. The Safe Routes National Partnership released a new report with policy implications, opportunities, and recommendations to help you advance safe routes to healthy food in your community. Let’s use #SaludTues on March 31, 2020, to tweet about the problem, opportunities, and policy recommendations to improve access to healthy foods, particularly for people without cars. WHAT: #SaludTues ...
As families practice social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19 and as governments close non-essential businesses, employees are losing their jobs and transit is losing ridership. Economists estimate that nearly three million Americans could lose their jobs by summer. Many of these are low-wage workers in service industries with little savings to get through a recession. Recently President Trump warned Senate Republicans that the coronavirus pandemic could cause the unemployment rate to reach 20%, according to NBC News. This is double the highest unemployment rate from the Great Recession. On March 25, 2020, U.S. legislators agreed to a $2 trillion coronavirus economic stimulus bill. “Without federal financial assistance, many transit agencies and paratransit service ...
Elva Yañez—with her neighbors and allies—waged a campaign that has lasted over 15 years to preserve one of the last unprotected open green spaces in her Northeast Los Angeles community of El Sereno. Before working on healthy equitable land use issues, she worked in tobacco control. When she recognized similarities in the way tobacco companies and land developers fought to protect private interests from government regulation, she began using tobacco control tactics to fight for environmental justice. With the help of others, she led an effort to stop one particularly harmful residential development in her community that had serious public health and safety consequences. Throughout the campaign she knew she wanted to go upstream and address the systemic conditions that allowed ...
Everyone deserves a safe and reliable way to get to healthy food—whether a supermarket, corner store, food bank, farmers market, or community garden. Unfortunately, many Latinos and people in low-income communities, rural communities, and communities of color are disproportionately burdened by long and unreliable commutes, as well as unsafe routes to nutritious food. That’s why the Safe Routes to Healthy Food Task Force worked for two years to refine the concept of safe routes to healthy food. Now they’ve released a new report with policy implications, opportunities, and recommendations. “This collaboration demonstrated that improving access to healthy foods for people without cars can be improved by a variety of sectors, including: transportation, healthy food access, ...
Proposed changes to the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) could bring back redlining, relax affordable housing definitions, and reduce the number of bank loans, investments, and services in low- and moderate-income communities and those of color, experts say. The CRA was developed in 1977 to curb redlining—discriminatory lending—and push banks to better serve communities. Now, federal agencies are proposing changes to modernize the complex law. But housing advocate Miriam Axel-Lute and others worry it weakens the CRA and is a “clear invitation to return to redlining.” “In addition, some investments in infrastructure and sports stadiums in low- and moderate-income communities would now qualify for CRA credit without any requirement that they primarily benefit low- and ...
Sitting around a fire can be a great source of warmth and fun for most; however, it also has the potential to cause a host of health complications. Tiny toxins—PM2.5 (pollution particles measuring 2.5 micrometers or less)—commonly known as “combustion particles” come from these fires and can cause some severe health impacts, research shows. Even worse, those using wood-burning stoves can face some of the worst effects. "We are increasingly concerned about particulate matter air pollution and other forms of air pollution," Dr. Joel Kaufman, professor of environmental and occupational health sciences, medicine and epidemiology at the University of Washington in Seattle, told the American Heart Association. "There's increasing evidence that certain pollutants are associated ...
