It's clear that the country is going through a housing crisis, which is impacting Latinos and all Americans. In many communities, housing costs have outpaced local incomes — many cannot afford to live in major cities. It is a problem facing many local governments, including Atlanta (4.6% Latino). In 2017, that city was the third fastest-growing metropolitan region in the U.S. Over the past 19 years, Atlanta’s population has increased by 17%, or more than 486,000 people, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. As our population grows, many of our long-term residents are experiencing challenges. The average rent in Atlanta is nearly $1,400 a month for a one-bedroom, according to Rent Café. However, the U.S. Census Bureau shows that over 20% of residents are making ...
From air contamination to water pollution, current white house officials are taking sizable steps to reduce the government’s role in environmental protection. Now the EPA implemented new rules that rescind Obama-era green energy regulations set on the coal industry—a promise the President made on the campaign trail. These rules cut initiatives to reduce America’s emissions levels and allow plants to operate longer hours, according to the New York Times. Andrew Wheeler, Chief the Environmental Protection Agency administrator and a former coal lobbyist, said his agency implemented the rollback to correct the previous administration’s overreach in climate change issues. Still, many researchers and advocates oppose the new rule for “dirty power.” “No matter how you ...
From popcorn bags to pizza boxes, firefighting chemicals—that link to cancer development—contaminate food packages and seep into food. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) contamination is a wide-spread problem. Researchers have discovered their presence in products, water, and food. They are also severely impacting the U.S. military and families. Now PFAS in food packaging is an emerging threat, according to a recent report. “Since the chemicals can migrate into food, and contaminate landfills and compost after disposal, the use of PFAS to treat food packaging can lead to unnecessary long-term exposure to harmful chemicals," according to "Take Out Toxics: PFAS Chemicals in Food Packaging” by Safer Chemicals Healthy Families, Toxic-Free Future, and Mind the ...
Every segment of American society—individuals, families, communities, and businesses—benefits from public transit. However, there is a lack of equity in these services. Latinos, for example, often report bus routes are unreliable, infrequent, or even unsafe, contributing to disparities in health and wealth, according to a Salud America! Research Review. An equitable transit network for Latino and all families starts with an equity analysis. That’s why transportation advocacy group, LINK Houston, conducted its Equity in Transit 2018 Report. They found that nearly one million residents in Houston, Texas (44.5% Latino) are living in areas with high-transit needs, but do not have access to frequent weekday, weekend, and evening services. Do you know who has access to ...
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is trying to cut off federal housing aid and evict “mixed-status" immigrant families. HUD is proposing a rule change to the Section 8 program on public housing, published in the federal registrar May 10, that would remove aid and evict families with one or more members who don't have certain residency documents, according to the National Housing Law Project (NHLP), which is organizing a commenting campaign. The move could displace thousands of families and children, who could become separated from their families or homeless. "If this rule is passed will affect more than 25,000 families and more than 55,000 children across the country," said Diane Yentel, NHLP's president and CEO. Fortunately, you can speak up to HUD ...
Walkable urban places correlate with economic, social equity, and environmental benefits, according to a new report. The new report, Foot Traffic Ahead 2019, ranks the amount and characteristics of walkable urban places in the 30 largest U.S. metropolitan areas. Unfortunately, just 0.04-1.2% of land in these cities counts as walkable urban places. The new report explores the reasons for this deficiency and outlines how cities can stimulate more walkable urbanism and its many benefits. “U.S. metros where the public and private sectors work together to adapt and deliver increased supply of walkable urban places will be the economic and social justice winners of the next generation,” according to the Foot Traffic Ahead report, released in June 2019 by Smart Growth ...
Roundup manufacturer, Bayer, has faced countless lawsuits over their products’ toxic link to cancer development — now, they’ve begun a $5.6 billion research project to find safer alternatives. The company announced this 10-year plan last week, urging they have heard consumer concerns and vow to make concrete changes going forward. The statement comes as Bayer fights over 13,000 court cases and large payouts to families who claim they got cancer from exposure to Roundup. “We are now starting to implement a series of measures to drive transparency and sustainability across our business,” Bayer’s CEO, Werner Baumann, said in a statement.
Plans for the Future
The company aims to find safe alternatives to harmful chemicals, such as glyphosate, and promote honesty, ...
As part of their more significant trend of weakening environmental rules, the EPA announced a reduction in groundwater protections on April 15. Yet, 24,088 people and organizations submitted a public comment to the agency — including 2,028 emails, about 10% of all comments, from SaludAmerica! network members. Many of these statements urge government officials to rethink the act of allowing corporations more flexibility to eliminate toxic waste by polluting groundwater. Other groups, such as Clean Water Action, also sent data and expert opinion to show how EPA’s plans could continue to harm our waters and climate. "This is a reckless departure from past practice and agency precedent. It’s a senseless handout to polluting industries, at the expense of our water and health," ...
The impacts of climate change will significantly affect the lives of Latinos and all Americans — including drowning their cities. By 2100, 35 towns and cities in the U.S. could experience such extreme flooding that those places could become inhabitable, according to an in-depth news report published in USA Today from 24/7 Wallstreet. Latinos, who make up between 23% to 67.7% of the population in 10 of these areas, face substantial risks if climate-change trends continue. “The steady rise in global surface temperatures is largely attributed to human-caused greenhouse gas emissions,” writes report authors Michael B. Sauter and Thomas C. Frohlich. “With rising temperatures, the world’s ice has been melting and sea levels have been rising. As a result, barring major ...
