Environment

Watch the live stream of the 2019 Knight Media Forum on February, 26 and 27 hosted by Hari Sreenivasan of the PBS NewsHour.

The Knight Media Forum is the most important annual gathering of journalists, funders, information theorists and others interested in the future of the news media in this country.

Featured speakers this year are Danah Boyd, Founder and President, Data & Society; Tim Hwang, Harvard-MIT Ethics and Governance of AI Initiative; and David Brooks, New York Times columnist and commentator on PBS NewsHour.

The forum, held in Miami, will be convening leading experts at both the local and national level to explore solutions to assure that all citizens receive accurate, reliable news and information that serves the needs of their diverse communities. The forum will address how changes in technology affect the news we receive, encouraging new models for gathering and disseminating the news and the future of community access to information. See the forum’s two-day agenda.

Tuesday, February 26, 9:30-10:30 a.m. ET
Danah Boyd, Founder and President, Data & Society. Data & Society is a research institute in New York City that is focused on the social and cultural issues arising from data-centric and automated technologies.
Replicating the success of the Texas Tribune through the American Journalism Project

Tuesday, February 26, 2 – 3 p.m. ET

Evan Smith, Texas Tribune, Jennifer Preston, Knight Foundation and John Thornton, America Journalism Project. Moderated by Jeff Cohen, Arnold Ventures; Scribe: LuAnn Lovlin, The Winnipeg Foundation.
Artificial Intelligence: What You Need To Know Right Now

Tuesday, February 26, 3-4 p.m. ET
Tim Hwang, Harvard-MIT Ethics and Governance of AI Initiative; Craig Newmark, Craig Newmark Philanthropies; Julia Angwin, The Markup. Moderated by Paul Cheung, Knight Foundation.
The Aspen Institute/Knight Commission: A Roadmap to Rebuilding Trust in the Media

Wednesday, February 27, 8:30 – 9:45 a.m. ET

Charlie Sykes, The Bulwark, Raney Aronson, FRONTLINE, Joanne Lipman, author, journalist, Mizell Stewart III, USA Today Network. Moderated by Jennifer Preston, Knight Foundation.
Funding Local News: Community Models for Success

Wednesday, February 27, 10 – 11 a.m. ET

Kathy Im, MacArthur Foundation and Darryl Holliday, City Bureau; Jim Friedlich, Lenfest andJean Friedman-Rudovsky, Resolve Philadelphia; Mariam Noland, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan and John Bebow, Center for Michigan; John Thornton, American Journalism Project. Moderated by Lilly Weinberg, Knight Foundation.
Embedding information as a strategic component of a community foundation’s work

Wednesday, February 27, 11:20 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. ET

Michael Murphy, Cleveland Foundation; Chris Barge, Community Foundation Boulder County, Mauricio Palma, Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Moderated by: Lilly Weinberg, Knight Foundation; Scribe: LuAnn Lovlin, The Winnipeg Foundation.

Wednesday, February 27, 12:30-2 p.m. ET
Closing. David Brooks, columnist, The New York Times and commentator for the PBS NewsHour.
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TOMS indonesia smog lrg The peat swamp forests of Borneo are the site of a failed agricultural experiment. Planners believed that rice should grow in the swamps, but it couldn't. Even today, experiments with growing oil palms and other trees are changing the forests, with little positive to show for these efforts.

As indigenous people lost their livelihood, carbon poured into the atmosphere from uncontrolled fires.

Daniel Grossman reports:

Learn more about peat fires in Indonesia.

Read an article by The New York Times on the same region of Indonesia.

(Image: Smog and smoke over Borneo and Indonesia, 1997. Credit: NASA)

Seeking Justice: On Repeat, In Every Language, Unceasingly

For this final Living Downstream episode of the season, we're dropping in on three recent webinars: One gathering considered Social and Environmental Justice at Upaya Zen Center in New Mexico. Another knitted together poetry and a powerful environmental film. It was put on by the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Program. And a third event was cheekily called Toxics are a Drag, and was billed as a panel discussion on toxic beauty products in the queer community. That was hosted by one of the most important grass roots environmental groups in the country: New York City's WEACT for Environmental Justice. Find more information about all these events in the Resources section of our website at https://norcalpublicmedia.org/resources/living-downstream-resource-guide First, this show has an update on what's happening right now, the last week of October…

Health, Wealth and Race in Today's Louisiana

This season, we’re looking at environmental racism across the country, and today that takes us to the sugarcane covered, oil-rich region at the intersection of southern Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico: Iberia Parish. In this episode of Living Downstream, we will hear from people who say they are fighting over something that their families have already fought for generations to maintain: wealth. In this case, we’re talking about land: what grows on it and what lies under it. We’ll hear from Black sugarcane farmers who say it’s become impossible to stay within the industry. These farmers describe the challenges of keeping their businesses afloat in an atmosphere of overwhelming racism, and they share with us how the stress is affecting their minds and bodies. And we'll hear the poignant story of a woman who documents how oil was taken…

The Sea Next Door

From Northern California Public Media and Mensch Media, this edition of Living Downstream is guest hosted by Molly Peterson. This time, from the Coachella Valley, east of Los Angeles, we’re talking about the biggest lake in California — now starved of water — and the people who live around The Sea Next Door. The Salton Sea sits in a depression of land 30 miles from the Mexican border — and it poses a growing threat to public health. In this episode, two young women from the Eastern Coachella Valley introduce us to their neighbor. We begin with Adriana Torres, who lives in a rural community there: an area called North Shore. We'll also hear from her classmate Rosa Gonzalez.

The Little Town That Would Transform the World

On this episode of Living Downstream, we take you to a little city with big plans for changing the world. While we’re there, we ask what role local governments can play in the movement for climate justice — that’s where climate activism and the fight for social justice meet. Ithaca, New York sees itself as a living laboratory for climate justice. Climate justice is based on the recognition that the people whose lives are most disrupted by climate change — the people who tend to die in the storms and heat waves, or to lose their homes in the fires and floods — are generally the people with the least money, the most precarious jobs, the least access to health care, the shabbiest housing, and the least reliable transportation. So if you want to do something about the climate emergency, the thinking goes, you can’t just focus on things like…

Degrees of Injustice: The Social Inequity of Urban Heat Islands

On this episode of Living Downstream, Texas Public Radio’s Yvette Benavides takes us to Central and South Texas where summer days are frequently in the upper 90’s, but where in many low income neighborhoods the mercury climbs even higher. And with climate change, these areas will be experiencing more extreme temperatures, more frequently and for longer durations. New research shows how these hotter temperatures are taking a toll on the people who live in some city neighborhoods — typically in communities of color. The heat is affecting their bodies and minds — effectively shortening their lives. We'll be hearing from some Spanish-speaking residents as they explain how they coexist with the heat. Yvette will translate, but we’ll make room for these Texans to have their voices heard in their own language. What's the connection between…

Chicken Country, North Carolina: Justice on the Factory Floor

On this episode of Living Downstream: The Environmental Justice Podcast, Victoria Bouloubasis visits a rural county where the multicultural workforce kept America fed during the pandemic. We'll meet Esmeralda, who has become a community health worker, and her mother Marta, who works in a poultry plant. In the face of blatant mistreatment and inadequate protection, food factory workers in North Carolina became sick, and died, in unacceptably high numbers. This mother-daughter team stepped up to protect the health of their neighbors and coworkers, efforts they continue today.

West Oakland's 'Diesel Death Zone'

For decades, community members and allies have complained about the diesel truck traffic around the Port of Oakland. People who live in this neighborhood, between several freeways and backing up to one of the busiest ports in the nation, have elevated instances of asthma, and shorter life spans, than others in the county. We meet the activists who are trying to change this reality, and we hear about the complex politics and alliances that have resulted in some hope that change is coming. The phrase "diesel death zone" is used more often with areas in Southern California, but we believe it applies here as well. Sarah Holtz reports.

Generations in Houston's 5th Ward Contend With Contamination, Cancer Clusters

On this episode of Living Downstream, we visit Houston's Greater Fifth Ward, to learn how creosote contamination has degraded the health of people living near a rail yard. We talk with residents, who describe all the cancer cases in the neighborhood and with Dr. Robert Bullard, widely considered the father of environmental justice. Residents have organized to advocate for compensation from the railroad company that owns the yard. What will stay with you is the story of "Mister" — a young neighborhood resident who dreams of becoming a veterinarian. Laura Isensee reports.

New Growth in the Birthplace of Environmental Justice - Encore

The 40th anniversary of PCB protests in North Carolina is about to be commemorated. To mark the occasion, we revisit one of the most listened-to episodes from our first season. This story comes from Warren County. In the early 1980s, Warren County became a flash point in the fight for something that didn’t even have a commonly used name at the time: environmental justice. These days, members of this community are not only marking that history, they are taking new approaches to raising environmental awareness. Their work begins with support for small farmers, particularly those of color. Jereann King Johnson and Joe O’Connell have teamed up to tell the story of local environmentalism in the present day. As we continue this second season of Living Downstream, make sure to subscribe, wherever you get your podcasts. Please leave comments and…

Catherine Coleman Flowers: Warrior for Environmental Justice

On this episode of Living Downstream, we meet Catherine Coleman Flowers. In 2020, she released her first book, Waste: One Woman's Fight Against America's Dirtiest Secret. The book documents her two-decade crusade to expose the shameful conditions that many of her Alabama neighbors endure. Some Americans take for granted that when they flush the toilet their waste will travel to a place where it can be safely and effectively treated. But for others, the sewage may go only as far as their back yards, to become breeding grounds for insects and disease. In 2020, Flowers became a MacArthur Foundation Fellow - an award colloquially known as the "genius" grant for her work in Alabama and around the world. She also is the founder of CREEJ, the Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice, and a current vice chair of the White House…

Struggling to Breathe in the Bronx

More than a year into the pandemic, the Bronx is still the New York City borough with the highest death rate from COVID-19. That's where we begin the second season of our Living Downstream podcast. Last year, Ese Olumhense, former Bronx reporter at THE CITY, explored why residents there were dying…

Living Downstream Podcast: Season 2 Preview

Season 2 of Living Downstream: The Environmental Justice Podcast premieres Earth Day (4/22/21). Producers are checking in from around the country, from California to North Carolina. And we'll talk with EJ warrior Catherine Coleman Flowers. Here's a preview.

'Living Downstream' Exposes Agent Orange Plight in Florida

Last year we brought you the story of civilian workers at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, who tested the defoliant Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. Today these workers are in their 70s and 80s and suffer from the same diseases that Vietnam veterans have shown were caused by their exposure to…

Environmental Justice for Non-Recognized Tribes

Non-Federally Recognized Tribes Struggle to Protect Environmental and Cultural Assets By Debra Utacia Krol and Allison Herrera Read more about federally non-recognized tribes. Valentin Lopez was handed a dilemma: how to honor his elders’ admonition to fulfill an ancestral directive to guard and…

Firing Forests to Save Them: Could Native Traditions Save Lives?

When we imagined a podcast about environmental justice – it was before the Tubbs fire here in Sonoma County – and the deadly fire seasons of 2017 and 2018. Even so, we wouldn’t have thought of Indians and their relationship to fire as a matter of environmental justice. But producers Allison Herrera…

Living Downstream: The Klamath Water Wars

This is the story of a 15-year conflict over what would be the biggest dam removal ever, a modern cowboys and Indians tale that shows how victories for Native American rights still come with fits of racism and armed conflict, and how rural folks learned to make peace (and collaborate on an…

Living Downstream Visits Birthplace of Environmental Justice

This story comes from Warren County, North Carolina. In the early 1980s, Warren County became a flash point in the fight for something that didn’t have a commonly used name at the time: environmental justice. These days, members of this small, “majority-minority” community are taking new approaches…

Fire and Rain: Living Downstream Reports from Borneo

The peat swamp forests of Borneo are the site of a failed agricultural experiment. Planners believed that rice should grow in the swamps, but it couldn't. Even today, experiments with growing oil palms and other trees are changing the forests, with little positive to show for these efforts. As…

Trailer Park Activists of Coachella Valley Fight for Health

You may be familiar with Coachella from hearing about the annual music festival there. But for 10 years, journalist Ruxandra Guidi has been visiting farmworkers in the area, learning about the deplorable conditions in which they live. There’s now some hope that community health workers are making a…

Uranium: A Toxic Legacy at Red Water Pond Road

For the Navajo people Mother Earth is sacred. She places her mineral riches below ground. That’s where they’re meant to stay. If the Earth’s elements are hauled up to the surface, Navajos believe they can turn monstrous -- or they can unleash the monsters in humankind. Uranium mining produces…

Smackdown: City Hall vs. Big Oil

"Smackdown" tells the story of Richmond California, a working class town that grew up in the shadow of a massive Chevron refinery. The refinery emits a toxic soup of chemicals and residents suffer an asthma rate that is double the national average. Explosions and fires have periodically shaken the…

Forgotten Civilians of Eglin Air Force Base

During the Vietnam War the U.S. military defoliated large swaths of Vietnam with Agent Orange to deprive enemy forces of jungle cover. In the process it exposed American soldiers to this toxic chemical as well. Our own civilians back in the U.S. were also exposed to Agent Orange, along with other…

Preview: Living Downstream Addresses Environmental Justice

Here's a preview of our 12-part podcast, featuring stories from California and the rest of the country (and the world). We're doing a deep dive on environmental justice issues. The timing couldn't be better, as the media is now turning its attention to this issue with full force. Most recently, the…

Living with Lead: Public Housing on a Superfund Site

In East Chicago, Indiana, authorities built a public housing project on land once occupied by a lead smelting operation. The area has been declared a Superfund site, and residents of the housing project, but not the surrounding area, have been moved. After we produced this episode of our podcast,…

LandSmart

LandSmart® is a regional collaborative program that helps land managers meet their natural resource management goals while supporting productive lands and thriving streams. LandSmart® was developed by the Sonoma Resource Conservation District (RCD), Napa County RCD, Mendocino County RCD and Gold Ridge RCD in collaboration with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), land managers, and environmental agencies. For more information: http://landsmart.org

Napa County Resource Conservation District

The Napa County Resource Conservation District (RCD) was formed in 1945. It is a “Special District,” a legal subdivision of the state, organized under Division 9 of the California Public Resources Code. Examples of other independent, special districts are Park and Open Space Districts, Mosquito Abatement Districts, and Flood Control and Water Conservation Districts. For more information: http://naparcd.org

Sonoma Resource Conversation District

The Sonoma Resource Conservation District (RCD) is a local non-regulatory organization whose mission is to promote responsible natural resource management through voluntary community stewardship and technical assistance. Since 1946, the RCD has facilitated natural resource conservation through community involvement, education, technical expertise and scientific research. The RCD is committed to utilizing voluntary, cooperative and scientifically sound methods to ensure that the natural resources of the watersheds within the District are sustained, conserved, restored and protected within a landscape of productive agriculture, growing cities, and wild lands. For more information: http://sonomarcd.org

Russian Riverkeeper

Russian Riverkeeper actively pursues conservation and protection of the River’s mainstem, tributaries and watershed through public education, citizen action, scientific research and advocacy. Russian Riverkeeper works towards this through by reviewing issues that could affect the health of the River, organizing River cleanups/ restoration projects at Riverkeeper Stewardship Park, and informing the community about how everyday activities that can harm the rivers health. The Russian River is 110 miles long with headwaters North of Ukiah, near Willits, that flow southward to Forestville where it runs West and empties into the Pacific at Jenner. Today the Russian River provides water to over 600,000 residents. More Information At: http://russianriverkeeper.org

Sonoma Land Trust

For 30 years, the Sonoma Land Trust has been a vehicle for people with passion, persistence and a love of the land to come together to protect forever one of the most beautiful counties in America. Sonoma Land Trust works to conserves the scenic, natural, agricultural and open land of Sonoma County by developing long term land protection strategies, Acquiring land and conservation easements, Stewardship including the restoration of conservation properties, and by promoting a sense of place and a land ethic through activities, education and outreach. Since it was founded in 1976, Sonoma Land Trust has protected more than 50,000 acres of productive and environmentally significant land in and around Sonoma County. For More Information: https://www.sonomalandtrust.org

California Native Plant Society

California Native Plant Society works to conserve California native plants and their natural habitats, and increase understanding, appreciation, and horticultural use of native plant - dedicated to the preservation of California native flora. CNPS chapter’s activities are organized at the chapter level where local members can directly influence programs and projects to meet varied interests and needs. Many chapters engage in weed eradication, conservation projects, rare plant monitoring, plant community sampling, speaker programs, and educational outreach. CNPS was formed in 1965 in the east bay region, today CNSP host’s nearly 10,000 members through their five statewide programs and 34 regional chapters. More information at: http://www.cnps.org

Larkfield Community Garden

The Larkfield community garden aims to raise awareness of the practices and methods of local market farming, while also offering students and members of the local community an opportunity to understand how organic food is grown. The Larkfield Community Garden Project operates as an outdoor classroom, facilitated by Farmers, in collaboration with Community Soil Foundation’s Garden Coordinator, and faculty from Mark West Union School District, focusing on natural resource protection and environmental education in the realm of small-scale organic farming and habitat protection. The Larkfield Community Garden is a demonstration garden that is intended to teach and show residents how to grow food organic food in Sonoma County. More information: http://www.communitysoil.com/pages/larkfield-community-garden/

Food for Thought

At Food For Thought they believe in healing with food and love- to nourish and serve our community by providing healthy food and compassion to people living with HIV/AIDS and other critical illnesses. Food For Thought services are confidential and are provided to clients at no cost, FFT provides weekly groceries and fresh produce; vitamins and nutritional supplements; nutritional counseling; organic gardening project; cooking and nutrition classes; recipes and nutritional updates, and occasional social gatherings. Food For Though offers a unique grocery store-style set-up providing produce harvested from their organic gardening located on site. More information at: http://fftfoodbank.org

Sonoma County Water Agency

Created as a special district in 1949 by the California Legislature to provide flood protection and water supply services, legislation enacted in 1995 added treatment and waste disposal. The Water Agency serves Cotati, Marin Municipal Water District, North Marin Water District, City of Petaluma, City of Rohnert Park, City of Santa Rosa, City of Sonoma, Valley of the Moon Water District, and the Town of Windsor. The Sonoma County Water Agency believes in the idea of supporting environmental stewardship and sustainability to improve quality of life, providing an array of services including naturally-filtered drinking water, flood protection services, recreational opportunities and wastewater treatment. More information at www.scwa.ca.gov

Sonoma County Agriculture & Open Space District

In 1990, Sonoma County residents created the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District to permanently protect the greenbelts, scenic viewsheds, farms and ranches and natural areas of Sonoma County. The Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District goals include supporting the economic vitality of working farms to preserve agricultural heritage, protect ridgetops, coastal bluffs, hillsides and waterways, preserve natural areas that provide habitat for wildlife, partner with local agencies and organizations to leverage funding for land protection, and foster stewardship. The District achieves its mission via four programs, Conservation Planning; Community Relations and Stakeholder Engagement; Legislative Program and Land Acquisition. The Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District…

Petaluma Poultry

Petaluma Poultry is dedicated to sustainable farming practices to ensure animal welfare and environmental stewardship and are validated by a 3rd-party audit including the Global Animal Partnership. Petaluma Poultry also employs Nutrient Management Conservation which plans for each farm to have land…

Marin Open Garden Project

MOGP, a sponsored project of MarinLink, organizes weekly meetings of backyard gardeners to exchange excess fruit, vegetables from gardens in Mill Valley, Novato, San Rafael and San Anselmo. The Project will harvest unwanted fruit from your garden and distribute it to other neighbors and community…

Marin Agricultural Land Trust

MALT is a member-supported non-profit organization that permanently protects working farms in Marin County by purchasing agricultural conservation easements, which is a voluntary legal agreement between MALT and a landowner. MALT easements prohibit non-agricultural residential and commercial…

Marin Resource Conservation District

The mission of MRCD is to conserve and enhance Marin’s natural resources, including its soil, water, vegetation and wildlife. www.marinrcd.org

Slide Ranch

The mission of Slide Ranch is to connect children to nature. By farming, cooking, caring for animals and exploring wilderness and the coast, they teach people to see the connection between their own healthy, a healthy food system and a healthy environment. www.slideranch.org

Marin Organic Certified Agriculture (MOCA)

The Marin County Department of Agriculture is accredited by the USDA as an official organic certification agency. MOCA serves the local agricultural community who are promoting sustainable farming practices. The main duty of MOCA is to uphold the standards of the USDA National Organic Program and…

Agricultural Institute of Marin

Their mission is to educate the public about the nutritional and economic benefits of buying locally grown food directly from farmers, and to connect and support communities and agriculture. Their goals include supporting regional sustainable producers by providing them with direct access to…

Marin Organic

An association of organic farmers, ranchers, and food artisans in Marin County, whose livelihoods are based on a respect for nature and a sense of place. By engaging the community, Marin Organic is cultivating a thriving, sustainable food system that promotes environmental stewardship and human…

Napa Green

A comprehensive environmental certification program for vineyards and wineries in the Napa Valley. A voluntary program focused on independently certified, environmentally sound farming and production methods that meet and exceed more than twenty local, state and federal “best practices”. Napa…

Sustainable Napa County

A non-profit organization bringing together Napa County businesses, agriculture, non-profit and government for a long-term environmental, economic and social sustainability including, green businesses, green buildings, energy, water, recycle and waste, agriculture, air and transportation.…

Master Gardeners

The Master Gardener program is a volunteer organization associated with the University of California Cooperative Extension. Their mission is to provide educational and outreach programs that meet Napa county residents’ horticultural, pest management and sustainable landscape needs using…

Napa Local Food

This website was created by the Napa County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office and the Napa Local Food Advisory Council (LFAC) to provide an easy way for Napa residents and visitors to find locally grown, sustainable food, learn more about local food resources and come together as a community to…

Community Seed Exchange

The mission of Community Seed Exchange is to create a grassroots community seed bank that supports Sonoma County gardeners with free, locally grown, open-pollinated, pesticide and GMO-free seeds. More information at: https://www.communityseedexchange.org

Ag Innovations

Provides facilitators, process designers and project management in food systems and natural resource management. They are dedicated to creating a food system that creates economic prosperity. www.aginnovations.org

FarmsReach

Works to help small and medium-scale farms to be viable, ecologically-minded, and happy in their vocation. They help farmers buy things like input, supplies, services, value-added products, CSA deliveries. FarmsReach provides practical tools, services, and connections so farmers can learn from each…

Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District

Provides free, non-discriminatory assistance and educational opportunities to agricultural providers, land users, educators and anyone with land-based resource conservation needs, on a strictly volunteer basis. Conservation projects include: conservation education, soil erosion control, water…

Farm Stewards

Farm Stewards offers design, planning and consultations in ecological restoration, sustainable farming and land stewardship. www.farmstewards.com

FarmShorts

FarmShorts is creating the online visual landscape of sustainable agriculture, one amazing farmer at a time. Kala Philo, Sonoma County Videographer and Producer, and her team created the project as a gift in celebration of our local sustainable farmers, food and agri-tourism. Our first region,…

Daily Acts

Our work is grounded in the principle that simple, mindful choices significantly enrich our lives and world. By highlighting amazing people and efforts that demonstrate sustainability, we share the powerful relationships, skills and tools needed for healthy lives and a resilient world. We support…

Ceres Community Project

Ceres Community Project energizes communities by linking what we eat and how we care for each other with the health of people and planet. We create health for people, communities and the planet through love, healing food and empowering the next generation. What We Do: Food as Medicine, Teen…

Ecology Center of Sonoma

We address challenges related to water supply and quality, open space, rural character, biodiversity, energy, climate change, and quality of life.The mission of Sonoma Ecology Center is to work with our community to enhance and sustain ecological health in Sonoma Valley. Since 1990, we’ve worked to…

Farmers Guild

The Farmers Guild is the newest wave of farmers, ranchers, and sustainable food system advocates. With a passion for feeding our local communities, they unite to share skills, knowledge and a meal after a day in the field. Founded by farmers for farmers, the Guild supports all healthy food…