Earth Day: Housing and the Environment

Earth Day gatherings happen every April. But how did it start?

Hidden in the recent ballyhoo over the Oppenheimer film and the Cold War, were the grassroots movements during the 1950s.

The Civil Rights movement led the way. The We Charge Genocide petition presented to the United Nations in 1951 exposed to the world the lynching and the police brutality of African Americans in the USA.

The Ban The Bomb petitions and movement were also gaining speed. Peace groups circulated petitions on the streets.

Quietly stirring among environmental groups like the Audubon Society was concern over pesticide use. Some chemicals were having a deadly impact on birds.

It was Rachel Carson who brought the dangers of pesticide use to a broader audience. In her book Silent Spring, she helped readers understand that what was happening to some wildlife were due to chemicals that would also negatively impact them and their children.

Carson taught us to look for connections between land, water, wildlife, company profits, and people. One such connection being made by activists now is between housing and climate mitigation needs.

This is particularly true with the desperate need for affordable housing. At least 68% of Connecticut renters spend half their income on rent. This crisis leads to evictions and generates homelessness. Connecticut is the tenth least affordable housing state.

Climate change is manifesting itself in Connecticut with severe storms and flooding. Connecticut is particularly vulnerable with 61% of our population living along the ocean. The effect inland is shown by a flood in Naugatuck that cut off a multiracial working class housing complex from emergency services.

Housing and environmental activists are looking for corrective win-win solutions. They are discussing how to save passive open space that takes in carbon and also support affordable housing.

Three bills before the state legislature would move all land, air, water, climate justice and housing struggles forward.

The Connecticut Environmental Rights Amendment (ERA) Senate Bill 193, would add to the State Constitution the fundamental rights to a clean and healthy environment for all residents.

Climate House Bill 5004 would reduce greenhouse gas emissions with investments in renewable energy and a green economy to mitigate climate change.

Senate Bill 143 would expand just cause eviction protections to all renters.

Most important is to be at Earth Day activities and raise these solutions.