And Now for Something Completely Different'

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And Now for Something Completely Different.
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Communicating Users Environmental Justice Needs
Communication Barriers and Strategies for Low
Income and Minority Audiences

• Emily Laidlaw
• WASIS Communication Panel
• July 15, 2006

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Environmental Justice An Overview

• ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE DEFINED
• The fair treatment and meaningful involvement
  of all people regardless of race, color, national
  origin, or income with respect to the
  development, implementation and enforcement of
  environmental laws, regulations, and policies
• ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE APPLIED
• No community should be subject to a
  disproportionate amount of environmental hazards
  regardless of socioeconomic status. Environmental
  justice assumes that if community members
  understand the environmental processes around
  them, can they make informed decisions to impact
  these processes.

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Environmental Justice Objectives

• ORIGINS
• Began in 1994 as an executive order signed by
  President Clinton to focus attention on the
  human health and environmental conditions in
  minority communities and low-income communities
• Applied exclusively to federal agencies working
  with low income and minority groups
• COMMUNICATION-RELEVENT OBJECTIVES
• To involve communities in environmental
  decision-making through effective outreach,
  accessible information, and by strengthening
  partnerships between government agencies,
  states, tribes, industry, and community members.
  
• To strengthen community capacity to address EJ
  issues through training, education, and
  effective grant management.

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Environmental Justice Projects

• ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE PROJECTS
• Large-scale lead poisoning prevention outreach
  events
• Ensuring safe drinking water at migrant camps
  through testing and education
• Anti-idling campaign for diesel trucks
• Healthy Air for Northeast Denver campaign
• Brownfields redevelopment

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Environmental Justice Migrant Worker Facts
COLORADOS MIGRANT WORKERS

• 50,000 Migrant Workers in Colorado during
  growing season
• Average income of 8,000 per year
• Considered one of the least powerful and most
  vulnerable groups in the state
• High exposure to pesticides and other chemicals
• Typically have little access to good healthcare
  and insurance
• Often live in overcrowded, outdated housing that
  may have problems such as lead, asbestos and
  contaminated drinking water

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Environmental Justice Communication Barriers
SOME KEY BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

• Many do not speak any English
• Many do not have access to information about
  environmental hazards
• Many have limited or no access to information
  resources such as the internet and television
• Many are worried about basic necessities such as
  securing shelter, clothing and food
• Lack of models for developing effective
  relationships with migrant workers and farm
  owners
• Difficulty in generating sustained interest and
  awareness

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Environmental Justice Overcoming Barriers
SUGGESTED STRATEGIES

• Do your homework Know your audience before you
  communicate
• Always be sensitive to fears, concerns and
  questions, even if they seem trivial
• Be honest Dont sugarcoat, omit facts or go
  overboard
• Train the Trainer strategy
• Dont forget the kids
• Recognize and utilize all the resources around
  you
• Talk at your audience, not down to them General
  public reads at an 8th grade reading level

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Environmental Justice Lessons

• Theres no substitute for face-to-face
  information
• Dont assume you cant learn something from
  other agencies/perspectives Creative
  partnerships yield more effective results
• Dont overlook kids they can be your best
  source of education
• People will engage more readily in discussion if
  the subject is relevant to their experiences

A man who carries a cat by the tail learns
something he can learn in no other way. Mark
Twain