FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 15, 2021
MEDIA CONTACT
Andrew Whelan, CleanAIRE NC, (919) 408-7031, [email protected]
Clean Air Carolina Expands Mission, Changes Name to CleanAIRE NC
The organization is rebranding itself to coincide with a broader mission scope that emphasizes climate change and environmental justice.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Clean Air Carolina, a North Carolina-based environmental nonprofit organization, announced a major rebranding campaign today, changing its name to CleanAIRE NC. The company intends its new brand to reflect its expanding goals and a broader scope of work that focuses on three powerful determinants of public health: air quality, climate change, and environmental justice.
CleanAIRE NC, which stands for Action and Innovation to Restore the Environment, is restructuring to incorporate climate solutions and health equity in all its programming and initiatives.
“Over the years it’s become more and more apparent that we cannot treat air pollution as an isolated problem and our advocacy work has expanded to include both climate change and environmental justice. We wanted a new brand that reflects this broader mission while still honoring our history as North Carolina’s advocates for healthy air,” said June Blotnick, Executive Director of CleanAIRE NC.
In addition to a new name and mission statement, CleanAIRE NC also unveiled a top-to-bottom redesign of the company’s website, graphics, and communications. The company’s new logo represents the interconnectivity between people and our environment – we rely on access to clean environments for our health, but restoring our environment will require dedicated action and innovation from across society.
“With our new name and brand, our programs will have a renewed emphasis on addressing systemic issues affecting communities of color,” said Blotnick. “Our new Environmental Justice Manager will work closely with residents of under-resourced communities to mitigate disparate climate impacts and the health effects of pollution from nearby interstates and freeways.”
CleanAIRE NC was founded in 2002 when a group of volunteers banded together to improve air quality for Mecklenburg County residents. Originally known as Carolinas Clean Air Coalition before renaming itself Clean Air Carolina, the organization began to broaden the scope of its work in response to the growing evidence of the links between air quality, climate change, public health, and social equity.
Today CleanAIRE NC is a statewide solutions-driven advocacy organization that aims to improve the health and wellbeing of all North Carolinians by slowing climate change and improving air quality throughout the state. It supports innovative programming aimed at empowering North Carolinians to take action in their communities and in the political sphere.
This programming includes a Citizen Science Program that partners with communities to collect data on hyper-local levels of pollution and an Advocacy Program that mobilizes North Carolinians to advance solutions through government action and policy. CleanAIRE NC also maintains North Carolina Clinicians for Climate Action (formerly Medical Advocates for Healthy Air), a statewide network of doctors, nurses, and health professionals using their trusted voices to speak out about the health impacts of air pollution and climate change. Their Clean Construction Partnership works with some of the largest university and hospital systems in the state to adopt construction best practices that reduce air pollution exposure and its adverse health effects. They also sponsor the NC Climate Ambassadors Program which equips community advocates with the tools they need to speak confidently on climate change solutions.
“CleanAIRE NC will expand on Clean Air Carolina’s long-standing commitments to the health and wellness of people across North Carolina through environmental justice initiatives, education, and citizen science programs,” said Kwame Alexander, Chairperson of CleanAIRE NC’s Board of Directors. “This new brand takes us into the future by building greater awareness of our mission, encouraging new membership, and making us stronger advocates for North Carolina’s people and environment.”
More information about CleanAIRE NC and their current initiatives can be found on their website, www.cleanairenc.org.
