SEI Update
February, 2024
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PFAS - the forever chemicals that are everywhere
by George Leddy
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Toxicity is not an easy field of study in America, given US regulatory rules. Unlike in the European Union, chemicals are “innocent ‘til proven guilty.” There has to be a measurable negative impact on a human population to trigger even the most cursory examination by a government agency.
Only two percent of new compounds launched on the market receive adequate testing, since the government must rely on industry to test its own products. However, California’s Dept. of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) reports that 2,000 new chemicals are introduced each year, and many of these raise important health concerns that the DTSC should be monitoring but cannot. The EPA is forced to focus on those of immediate concern while not knowing about those whose impacts have not been tested.
“PFAS” (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances), are also known as “forever chemicals.” They are used in a broad range of consumer and commercial products, from non-stick frying pans to food wrappers, raincoats, and the protective gear used by firefighters. PFAS are, in fact, everywhere and are now found in humans all over the world. At least 60% of the US population may consume ‘forever chemicals’ in tap water, according to the EPA.
Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine at USC are looking at PFAS’ impacts on underserved and vulnerable populations in urban Los Angeles. Led by Dr. Lida Chatzi, the researchers are looking at health problems in mainly Latino neighborhoods, and two main concerns have emerged from their study: the impact of PFAS on the bone density of minors and liver damage in adults.
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Black History Month and the Environmental Justice Movement
by George Leddy
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In the birthplace of the environmental justice movement, protesters march against the proposal of a PCB landfill in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Warren County, N.C., in 1982.
In honor of Black History Month 2024, we want to highlight the contributions of African American activists, artists, writers, journalists, and teachers in redefining what environmental and climate activism mean today.
One birthplace of the environmental justice movement began in 1982 in Warren County, N.C., where a small, predominately Black and poor town staged large protests against the dumping of toxic chemicals in the area. Despite ultimately losing the battle, these protests demonstrated the collective power of affected communities and sparked environmental justice research. Now, more than forty years later, the struggle continues.
Robert Bullard is often called the “father of the environmental justice movement” because of the impact he had on government policy following the publication of his famous 1990 book “Dumping in Dixie” (now in its third edition). Thanks to his research, the EPA must now look at the disproportionate impacts of environmental hazards on communities of color. Closer to home, a recent LA Times article by Erika Smith highlighted the trajectory of the environmental justice movement from Martin Luther King to the present. In particular, she looked at the interest that many Black celebrities have shown in exposing the dangers facing Black communities.
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Update on the Divestment Campaign |
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On Saturday, February 3, members of the SEI met with the AFT student interns. Our interns are a fantastic group of young people who are being trained in labor organizing. They will be in attendance at the March in March (March 7) where faculty and students together will march in Sacramento to demand justice for education as well as demand solutions to climate change catastrophe.
Dr. Denise Robb, an SEI member and member of the COPE political committee for the AFT 1521 spoke about AFT’s commitment to divesting our pensions (CalSTRS/PERS) the largest pensions in the country, from fossil fuels by the year 2031. Executive Director of AFT 1521, Leslie Simon has been organizing the effort for SB 252 for many months, along with Prof. Andrew Walzer, AFT organizer Sam Sukaton, Luis Martinez from Fossil Fuel California and our Government Relations Director Chris Cofer.
Two weeks ago the group was invited to present to Southwest College thanks to their AFT chapter President Dr. Sandra Lee. SWC is especially important because Assemblymember McKinnor, the Chair of the Public Employee Retirement Committee represents this district, and she is the person we really need to lobby most,since Asm. McKinnor put the bill on hold for one year!
Contact Dr. Robb at denise@panix.com for more information or to get involved.
Please sign this faculty petition that was created just for our district.
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Little Tujunga Cyn.,
Los Angeles
You can find the February Gold Creek site report here (February, 2024)
thank you Mike Farrell.
Gold Creek is holding a Faculty Workshop for those who would like to bring students to the Gold Creek Ecological Reserve
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Faculty at this workshop will gain skills to confidently and safely lead field trips at the Gold Creek Ecological Reserve.
• Our morning First Aid instruction will be from ELAC Fire Technology Faculty.
• After lunch, current and former site coordinators will demonstrate site security best practices.
Please let a member of the committee know if you are coming. FLEX credit is available. CITY: Michael Farrell SOUTHWEST: Kang Kim VALLEY: Lisa Zung EAST: Rob West HARBOR: Tissa Munasinghe MISSION: Elizabeth Jordan PIERCE: Shannon DeVaney WEST: Vered Mirmovitch ESC: Nestor Martinez TRADE-TECH: Marissa Pantastico Caldas
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at WLAC
Jo Tavares, Director of the CCCCE
CCCCE has partnered with WLAC’s Black Scholar United to celebrate Black History month and raise awareness about the intersections between the Black causes and climate justice.
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On Feb 24, the Climate Center co-hosted a Sustainable Fashion event at West called Beyond Trends. Beyond Trends draws connections between sustainability, fashion justice, animal rights, and mindful consumption featuring activists, thought leaders, and innovators. It took place during Black Climate Week and was hosted by the California Center for Climate Change Education at WLAC and co-organized by Bodhisattvism, Black Girl Environmentalist, Seeding Sovereignty, The Solutions Project, and Collective Fashion Justice.
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On Feb 15th we hosted “Change your Hood”, an event by students for students, meant to support collective reimagining of what Black neighborhoods in LA can be like if we invest in our communities and climate resilience. Our special guest was Youth Climate Strike LA director Sim Bilal: https://www.ycsla.org/
- On Feb 13 we hosted an event called Green Roots, Black Leaders: celebrating urban farming and climate resilience. with the Niles Foundation’s CEO Shante Walker and their Halo EV grocery truck. They champion and distribute locally grown organic produce from BIPOC owned farms. The Climate Center sponsored the distribution of 200 bags of produce to students and community members and also a panel with Black environmental and social justice leaders who spoke about the importance of building community around climate resilience.
- On Feb 12, climate center Director Jo Tavares presented at the 2024 Higher Education Climate Leadership in Long Beach. Jo served on a panel with Kauleen Menard (LA Cleantech Incubator, LACI), Prof. Tania Anders (Sustainability Coordinator, Mt SAC) and Ferris Kawar (Sustainability Director, SMC) about Climate Action and Sustainability initiatives (curriculum and workforce development) taking place in Community Colleges of the LA Region.
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Every Career is a Climate Career Green and Blue Workforce Development Program
The Climate Center and WLAC’s Career Center teams, are launching a new Training and Internship Program, called Every Career is a Climate Career. The program includes paid and/ free of cost training opportunities that students complete during the spring to qualify for paid summer internships in organizations working to advance cleantech, soil and habitat restoration, tree planting, decarbonization, electrification, and climate justice in various sectors. More info can be found on our website https://www.wlac.edu/academics/climate-center and our Internship Contact Program Coordinator and Career Center Director, Andrea Rodriguez- Blanco rodrigaa3@wlac.edu
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Books and Films
Staying with the Trouble
Making Kin in the Chthulucene
Published: September 2016
Sometimes its important to step away from doom scrolling. In the midst of spiraling ecological devastation, multispecies feminist theorist Donna J. Haraway offers provocative new ways to reconfigure our relations to the earth and all its inhabitants. She eschews referring to our current epoch as the Anthropocene, preferring to conceptualize it as what she calls the Chthulucene, as it more aptly and fully describes our epoch as one in which the human and nonhuman are inextricably linked in tentacular practices. The Chthulucene, Haraway explains, requires sym-poiesis, or making-with, rather than auto-poiesis, or self-making.
Beth Abels
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SEI Spring Semester Events
February 29 Public health equity/USC PFAFS 11-12:30 on zoom
March 15 Discipline Day
March 21 Climate anxiety
April 25 The Soil Sponge in conjunction with CCCCE
Month of April Film festival
May 16- Embedding climate literacy in curriculum across disciplines
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from the editors…
As always we invite your submissions to this newsletter. Write about environmental issues that are important to you. Let us know what projects you or your students are working on. Tell us what is happening on your campus or in your community,
Email the SEI staff with your proposed article or news brief, or calendar event.
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SEI@LACCD.Edu,
abelsbh@LACCD.edu, leddygs@LACCD.Edu, behlenxl@laccd.edu
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