What Environmental Justice Issues Matter To You? NC Policymakers Are Listening!

Governor Roy Cooper wants to hear about the environmental justice issues that matter to you and your community. This month, state leaders are holding a series of Community Input Sessions, and the first one will be held virtually on Wednesday, December 14th.

No one knows your story better than you. But you can share your unique perspective on the issues that impact you, your family, and your community. When policymakers better understand the problem, they can create more informed solutions.

Community Input Needed

The upcoming listening series is the product of an executive order issued by Gov. Cooper earlier this year (E.O. 246, or “North Carolina’s Transformation to a Clean, Equitable Economy”), calling for community input and recommendations to advance environmental justice.

CleanAIRE NC submitted comments with recommendations for strengthening E.O. 246 to truly prioritize environmental justice in NC. You can read those comments here.

This is the perfect time for North Carolinians who have lived with environmental injustices to tell their stories and be heard. Storytelling is one of the most effective ways of sharing culture and tradition, and making persuasive arguments to move an issue. Stories encourage us to share our lived experiences authentically to inspire positive change and action.

There is no shortage of fact-based evidence to back up the stories communities have been telling for generations. But all this data won’t move the needle if policymakers don’t hear the lived experience of advocates on the ground, helping them put names, faces, and stories to the numbers on the page.

What Story Will You Tell?

Not sure what to say? Our partners at Toxic Free will host a storytelling workshop on Monday, December 12th to help community members prepare for the listening session and hone their storytelling skills.

This is a fantastic opportunity to learn how to discuss the ways pollution impacts your health, finances, and general well-being in a compelling and engaging manner. So join us and our partners Monday evening for help crafting your comment and answering your questions! Spanish/English interpretation will be provided.

And if you’re looking for talking points to use, check out these recommendations for policymakers to strengthen environmental justice. Pick one or two to focus on in your public comment.

We hope our members who are living with environmental injustices will join this important event with Toxic Free on December 12th, and take part in DEQ’s listening sessions on the 14th. Together we can advocate and empower action, one story at a time.

For more on E.O. 246 and why it matters for environmental justice, check out our video conversation from earlier this year.