By: Meisei Gonzalez, GreenLatinos Climate Justice and Clean Air Advocate
Caption: View of Rocky Mountain Power's Gadsby Plant in Salt Lake City on Thursday, August 7, 2024
Utah is a state of contrasts. It’s home to breathtaking landscapes— towering peaks of the Wasatch Mountains, the vibrant sunsets over the Great Salt Lake, and the picturesque red rock formations in our southern corners. This is the Beehive State, a place I proudly call home. Yet, as I grew up across the Salt Lake Valley, I witnessed firsthand the stark disparities between neighborhoods. I was one of many kids who had to commute across the freeway to attend school on the East side of Salt Lake County due to the lack of resources and investment in neighborhoods like mine on the West side. The differences were stark—not just in opportunities and resources, but in the very air we breathed.
Utah is becoming notorious for its air pollution. Our valleys often trap pollutants, creating a “bowl effect” where the air stagnates and pollution levels rise, but the concentrations and impacts are not evenly distributed. Report after report has shown that air quality in predominantly Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities is worse than that of their white counterparts. In neighborhoods like the ones I grew up in, the air quality is often ranked among the worst in the nation—sometimes, even the world.
This is not just a natural phenomenon; human actions worsen it. Our state's push for industrialization, often at the expense of the environment, has led to new threats—most alarmingly, the drying of the Great Salt Lake. This crisis has been a wake-up call to our leaders, highlighting the serious consequences of the climate emergency.
Caption: Great Salt Lake view from Antelope Island State Park on October 8, 2022
Living in Utah, I’ve observed the ongoing battle between preserving the natural beauty of our home and the relentless pursuit of private interests that degrade our environment and compromise our health. These experiences have fueled my commitment to advocating for clean air and a healthier environment, with a focus on the disproportionate impacts felt by marginalized communities like mine.
Sadly, my story is far from unique. Across the United States, a disproportionate percentage of BIPOC communities live in frontline environmental impact zones. A 2018 study highlights that Latino communities are more likely to live in areas with poor air quality and inadequate infrastructure, leading to a higher prevalence of respiratory issues and greater vulnerability to extreme weather events—an alarming reality with serious consequences for those impacted.
This summer, as Utah faced record-high temperatures, wildfire smoke pollution, and dangerously high ozone levels, other states endured severe hurricanes and catastrophic flooding. Environmental injustices are being felt in every corner of our country.
My journey into environmental justice advocacy was born out of necessity, driven by the lack of representation and lived experience in the decisions that affected my community. The environmental movement has historically been dominated by voices that are not reflective of my community, often making decisions for our communities rather than with them. This top-down approach has too often sacrificed our well-being or unknowingly caused new harms. While my focus now lies in environmental issues, I recognize that many members of my community do not have the luxury to advocate for these causes when basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare are not being met—realities I have personally faced.
I am committed to incorporating these intersections into my work, ensuring that our fight for environmental justice embraces all the challenges our communities face. As GreenLatinos’ Climate Justice and Clean Air Advocate, I look forward to advocating for solutions together with you. I encourage you to continue voicing your concerns—never be intimidated by so-called 'expertise.' Your lived experience is invaluable and essential in shaping the solutions we need.
Stay up-to-date with our Climate Justice and Clean air work by joining our colectivo.
El congresista Raúl Grijalva defiende proyecto de ley para cerrar la brecha natural en las afueras de Phoenix
WASHINGTON — En respuesta a la introducción de la Ley de Establecimiento del Monumento Nacional de la Gran Recodo del Gila, el presidente fundador y director ejecutivo de GreenLatinos, Mark Magaña, emite la siguiente declaración:
“GreenLatinos aplaude el compromiso inquebrantable del Representante Grijalva con las tribus y los miembros de la comunidad local por la presentación de este proyecto de ley fundamental. Agradecemos a los Representantes Huffman, Carson, Stansbury, Titus, Blumenauer y Neguse por copatrocinar esta legislación ampliamente apoyada. El 51% de los residentes de color de Arizona y el 41% de los residentes de bajos ingresos de Arizona viven en un área que carece de naturaleza. La conservación duradera de la Gran Recodo del Gila permitiría que los recursos y la programación federales conectaran a los lugareños con este asombroso paisaje, mejoraran la salud pública y fomentaran la administración de sus vastas cualidades culturales y ecológicas.
“Numerosas leyes para la conservación equitativa de las tierras públicas ha languidecido en este Congreso. El avance de la Ley de Establecimiento del Monumento Nacional de la Gran Recodo del Gila es la oportunidad del Congreso de demostrar a los electores que es capaz de actuar en base a una legislación que cuenta con el apoyo ferviente de las tribus, otras partes interesadas locales y miembros del público de todo el país. La Gran Recodo del Gila es una región histórica, con una biodiversidad críticamente amenazada que pertenece a nuestro sistema nacional de tierras de conservación. Instamos al Congreso a que establezca el Monumento Nacional de la Gran Recodo del Gila y restablezca la confianza pública en su capacidad para cumplir con las prioridades de tierras públicas que cuentan con un amplio apoyo”.
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Acerca de GreenLatinos
GreenLatinos (NOTA: GreenLatinos es UNA PALABRA) es una comunidad activa de líderes latinos/a/e, envalentonados por el poder y la sabiduría de nuestra cultura, unidos para exigir equidad y desmantelar el racismo, con recursos para ganar nuestra justicia ambiental, batallas de conservación, climáticas e impulsados a asegurar nuestra liberación política, económica, cultural y ambiental.
Congressman Raúl Grijalva champions bill to close the nature gap outside of Phoenix
WASHINGTON — In response to the introduction of the Great Bend of the Gila National Monument Establishment Act, GreenLatinos Founding President and CEO Mark Magaña issues the following statement:
“GreenLatinos applauds Representative Grijalva’s unwavering commitment to Tribes and local community members for the introduction of this critical bill. We thank Representatives Huffman, Carson, Stansbury, Titus, Blumenauer and Neguse for cosponsoring this widely supported legislation. 51% of Arizona’s residents of color and 41% of Arizona’s low income residents live in an area that is nature deprived. The Great Bend of the Gila’s enduring conservation would allow for federal resources and programming to connect locals with this astonishing landscape, improve public health and foster stewardship of its vast cultural and ecological qualities.
Numerous pieces of legislation for equitable public land conservation have languished in this Congress. Advancement of the Great Bend of the Gila National Monument Establishment Act is Congress’s opportunity to demonstrate to constituents that it is capable of acting on legislation ardently supported by tribes, other local stakeholders and members of the public nationwide. The Great Bend of the Gila is a critically threatened, biodiverse and historic region that belongs in our national conservation lands system. We urge Congress to establish the Great Bend of the Gila National Monument and restore public confidence in their ability to fulfill widely supported public land priorities.”
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About GreenLatinos
GreenLatinos (NOTE: GreenLatinos is ONE WORD) is an active comunidad of Latino/a/e leaders, emboldened by the power and wisdom of our culture, united to demand equity and dismantle racism, resourced to win our environmental, conservation, and climate justice battles, and driven to secure our political, economic, cultural, and environmental liberation.
GreenLatinos Highlights How the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 Weakens Environmental Protections and Favors Fossil Fuels
Washington, D.C. — Earlier today, the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy voted 15 to 4 to move forward with the Energy Permitting Reform Act. Despite strong opposition from environmental groups, with over 360 groups signing an opposition letter, the bill was pushed forward, favoring the fast-tracking of fossil fuel projects while undermining critical environmental protections and public input.
Following the vote during the committee hearing, GreenLatinos Climate Justice & Clean Air Program Director Irene Burga released the following statement:
“GreenLatinos expresses our deep disappointment with the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy's decision to move forward with the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024. We thank Senators Hirono, Sanders, and Wyden for their votes against this legislation.
Any favorable aspects of the bill related to clean energy and transmission buildout are overshadowed by the blatant fossil fuel handouts and come at the expense of communities. This bill aims to open major areas of our public lands and waters for drilling, gut judicial review to let mining companies dump even more waste on our public lands, and reverse President Biden's pause on LNG exports. We will fight against this bill, and we call on the Senate Leader Schumer and the rest of the Senate Democrats to reject this bill as it advances to the next steps.”
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About GreenLatinos
GreenLatinos (NOTE: GreenLatinos is ONE WORD) is an active comunidad of Latino/a/e leaders, emboldened by the power and wisdom of our culture, united to demand equity and dismantle racism, resourced to win our environmental, conservation, and climate justice battles, and driven to secure our political, economic, cultural, and environmental liberation.
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Budget Undermine Decades of Environmental Protections
Washington, DC–Yesterday the U.S. House of Representatives passed dozens of Project 2025-esque policy riders in their Fiscal Year 2025 bill to fund the U.S. government. The Republican majority unabashedly turned the regular budgetary process into a venue for culture wars and dismantling of bedrock environmental policies that keep every American safe by preserving their drinking water, air quality, irreplaceable cultural resources, and access to nature.
With climate change and ecosystem collapse accelerating at unprecedented rates in urban and rural communities alike, Congress must work in good faith to protect their constituents from the damaging effects of climate catastrophe.
This bill will set United States environmental stewardship back decades in a historic moment where we have zero time to waste. In 2024 alone, the United States has already experienced 15 extreme weather events totaling over $1 billion in damages each and many states have experienced record-breaking heat with cascading adverse impacts on public health.
Whereas the House bill cuts funding for critical programs and agencies stewarding environmental health and cultural preservation, today the Senate has passed the chamber's companion bill which would appropriate necessary increases for environmental stewardship, tribal programs, and cultural programs.
GreenLatinos urges Congress to move forward with sensible and responsible budgetary negotiations that will correct the trajectory of this nation on course to environmental devastation and prevent a government shutdown.
About GreenLatinos
GreenLatinos (NOTE: GreenLatinos is ONE WORD) is an active comunidad of Latino/a/e leaders, emboldened by the power and wisdom of our culture, united to demand equity and dismantle racism, resourced to win our environmental, conservation, and climate justice battles, and driven to secure our political, economic, cultural, and environmental liberation.
