27 Jul Latinx Conservation Week Wrap-Up

“Remember saving and reusing plastic bags? Remember not being able to leave the table until you finished all of your dinners? These things are all methods of conservation”

This last week we turned our attention to Latinx Conservation Week. We had candid conversations about the impact of climate change and our place within the environmental justice space. We took a deep dive into the ways that climate impacts our community and how we impact the climate in our daily lives. We explored the valley and took action all week to get into nature and to give back to the environment that cares for us. We joined partners across the country to bring awareness to the many aspects of the environment that need our protection and support. 

Our gente is directly impacted by climate change, but we are busy worrying about other immediate things and we don’t think about the environmental impact of our actions too often, however, there are so many things that we already do within our Latinx community that folks overlook as being methods of conservation. We’ve been conservationists since childhood, but are only now understanding the full scope of impact that our little actions have. Remember the butter container? Remember saving and reusing plastic bags? Remember not being able to leave the table until you finished all of your dinners? These things are all methods of conservation; recycling old containers keeps them out of landfills and reduces the need/usage of fossil fuels that are needed to break that material down, finishing all of the food on your plate reduces the number of greenhouse gasses that are produced by the decaying process of your foods. 

Our gente is out in the streets on a daily basis making ends meet by selling flowers, elotes, and other goods. The heat is a direct indicator that our environment needs more help and the impact the heat has on our folks goes further than just a little sweat. Heat-related illnesses run rampant through our community during the summers and with so many folks without healthcare, this puts a strain on our health and on our families who depend on the income that comes from street vending. More can be done to protect our gente in the street and to protect our environment. Join our Facebook group to learn about more ways you can get involved in the environmental justice efforts and to learn more about the environment. 

We are having those conversations with our directly impacted community, take a look: