Green Living: Green Living Guides
Environmentalism, Then and Now
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Albert Huang
Environmental justice attorney, urban program
Year joined NRDC: 2005
Then:
"I grew up in New Jersey, where there were a host of environmental problems, and when I went away for summer camp I was always teased about being from the "toxic waste" state. I also grew up feeling a strong connection with the earth, probably from my mom's Buddhist influence. So I always had a passion for environmental work, but hadn't decided how to make a career of it. When I learned about the tragedy of Ken Saro-Wiwa, the Ogoni activist who lost his life protesting against Shell Oil in Nigeria, that's when things clicked in my head. That environmental issues weren't just about preserving the natural world, but they were linked to all the other issues I cared about, human rights, civil rights, public health, and social justice. That epiphany lead me down the path to becoming an environmental justice attorney.
"After law school, I went to work for a community-based grassroots environmental justice organization in San Diego, where, to be honest, people were a little suspicious of big environmental groups. There was a perception that these groups, despite their good intentions, were so focused on solving a particular problem that they didn't respect the wishes of the community in whose backyard they were working. That experience gave me some insight on how to close the gap between the work of national and community-based groups."
Now:
"I work with NRDC because I think that even though environmental justice is by definition community-based, national green groups and communities should be working together toward common goals. Groups like NRDC started small, but now they have a wealth of expertise and resources that communities can tap into to create social change on a grassroots level. Our work in New Orleans, for example, is becoming a model for how national groups can work on environmental justice issues. After Katrina hit, we had our experts on the ground working with local groups to test for toxic contaminants and mold. And in the long term, we're building people-to-people relationships that can hopefully lend a hand in empowering local communities. For example, NRDC helped sponsor an event called "A Safe Way Home," where the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice worked with United Steelworkers to train local people to safely clean up their devastated neighborhoods from toxic contamination -- something government agencies have failed to do. To me, that's what environmental justice is about, building power by working together in a way that respects communities."
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