In his original plan for the city of Philadelphia, William Penn declared that every home should have ample space “for gardens or orchards or fields, that it may be a green country that will never be burnt and always be wholesome.” Before militiamen or throngs of protestors, the Boston Common nourished grazing cattle. Urban agriculture […]

View Full Article - How American Cities Can Promote Urban Agriculture

The Trump administration had been working hard to roll back the nation’s environmental regulations on the grounds that they are an economic burden on business. But evidence from California tells a very different story. For the past half century, California has been the richest U.S. state – even as it has led the United States […]

View Full Article - How Environmental Policies Can Promote Economic Growth

The rates of death and health burdens associated with air pollution are borne unequally and inequitably by people of color and those with lower household income and educational attainment in Washington, D.C., according to a new study. Air pollution is considered the leading environmental risk factor to health, and recent efforts have successfully brought down […]

View Full Article - Air Pollution Disproportionally Affects People of Color, Lower-Income Residents in DC

According to the “Bootleggers and Baptists” theory of politics, coalitions of groups whose interests are usually at odds are more likely to be successful than one-sided coalitions. The theory is named after a classic instance in which bootleggers engaged in illegally producing and selling alcohol teamed up with Baptists to pass laws requiring liquor stores close […]

View Full Article - How The Cannabis Industry Illuminates Changing Political Dynamics Between Private And Public Interests

Images of extensive flooding or fire-ravaged communities help us see how climate change is accelerating the severity of natural disasters. The devastation is obvious, but what is not as clear is the indirect effect of these disasters, or more generally of rapid climate change, on violence and aggression. That is what Craig Anderson sees. The […]

View Full Article - Climate Change Increases Potential for Conflict and Violence

“Logic clearly dictates the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few” – Dr. Spock (Star Trek) This quote is at the heart of a complex political debate; Dr. Spock doesn’t think it’s that complex.  Social justice is one of the tenants of social work practice. This often places social work on the […]

View Full Article - How Should Social Work Respond To The United States Leaving The Paris Agreement?

Year by year, hurricanes are growing stronger and more frequent. We are witness to these changes as we watch two catastrophic storms devastate the southeastern United States in as many weeks. This month, Hurricane Michael slammed the Florida Panhandle, southern Virginia, and the Carolinas. The massive storm killed at least 16 people, flooded cities, highways, and rivers, […]

View Full Article - Work Together to Prepare for the Next Big Storm

Plastic is everywhere in our lives these days. Water bottles, microbead skin products, disposable razors, shopping bags, and red solo cups.  It’s amazing how much of this ends up in the water systems, my dear Mississippi River and the Pacific Ocean. When this debris ends up in the oceanic system, they all get pulled around […]

View Full Article - Plastic Might Be Convenient, But Is It Worth It?

What is environmental justice? Dr. Robert Bullard, often called the father of the environmental justice movement, in an interview with the Union of Concerned Scientists described it as environmental justice centers on fairness, equity, and particularly racial justice. For decades, the movement has worked to make sure that all communities—especially communities of color and low-income […]

View Full Article - Environmental Social Work: A Call to Action

It is becoming increasingly more difficult to deny the effects that human activity has had on the earth. Decades of research and technological advances have given humans the opportunity to develop more viable alternatives as transitioned from an agrarian society to a more industrious one. Industrialization has allowed us to streamline and improve manufacturing processes […]

View Full Article - Can We Talk About Climate Change For A Moment?

Most scientific studies argue that the reduction of fossil fuel consumption is paramount to reduce the effects of climate change. We are no longer at the point where a single individual action can reduce the amount of pollution needed to make an impact. However, this should not diminish the importance of recycling, and if you […]

View Full Article - 6 Reasons to Start Recycling Today

Sometimes it is hard to continuously find motivation to reach your goals to conserve nature and work to help the environment.  Second thoughts may come up such as…Is it really worth carrying around all these reusable bags? or Can’t I just buy a plastic water bottle when I get to the gym? and even A […]

View Full Article - Don’t Underestimate the Power of Nature

Imagine yourself strolling beside a river in the woods near your home, only to have this idyllic scene interrupted by an unpleasant smell. You follow your nose in search of a source and discover a stream of sewage and manure flowing from the dairy farm nearby. For Britain’s George Monbriot, this olfactory nightmare was his reality. […]

View Full Article - The Damage of Dairy: The Environmental Impact of a Massive Industry

Climate change has an inordinate effect on vulnerable populations.  The EPA has published multiple fact sheets outlining the effects of climate change on various vulnerable populations, all of which are populations that social workers encounter. As just one example the health of indigenous peoples are affected by climate conditions because their culture relies on their […]

View Full Article - Environmental Justice for Indigenous Populations

It’s been 10 years since “An Inconvenient Truth,” the Al Gore film, first hit the big screen. Do yourself a favor; go back and rewatch it. When it first hit theaters, I took my entire company to see it — a team of scientists and engineers working to solve problems with social and environmental impact. […]

View Full Article - Meeting the Middle: Why a Balanced Message Promotes Sustainability

Whenever something is called ‘green’ many of us tend toward skepticism. Let’s be real, when something touts itself as environmentally friendly, so often it’s just trying to hide a toxic underbelly. So, green social work … is it just hype? Hardly. It’s the real deal. It’s a reframing of how we talk about social issues, […]

View Full Article - What is Green Social Work?

Long before the “Flint Water Crisis” brought national attention to the City of Flint generations of “Flintstones” at home and abroad worried about the path the city they love and call home has taken. Decades of governmental and societal neglect had already set in back in the 90’s, General Motors had long abandoned the city […]

View Full Article - Flint Residents Can’t Catch A Break with New Trash Collection Dispute

FLINT, Mich. – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell today announced $500,000 in funding to help two area health centers increase and expand activities in response to the lead contamination of Flint’s water. Following a tour of the Hamilton Community Health Network, Inc. (HCHN), Burwell and HHS Assistant Secretary for […]

View Full Article - US Health and Human Service Awards $500,000 in funding to Flint Health Centers

What is a ‘Food Desert’? A generally accepted definition of a food desert is: an area where low-income people have restricted access to fresh fruit, vegetables, and other nutritious food within a convenient traveling distance. When I think of food deserts, I also jump to include areas where culturally diverse foods are not available for […]

View Full Article - Urban Planning Solutions for Food Deserts

The fight to prevent climate change is a big part of the consciousness in modern society. The recent extreme cold weather conditions are causing more people to be concerned about the effects of global climate changes. As we all try to implement changes to make our society greener in smaller ways, there are few organisations doing […]

View Full Article - 5 Charities That Help Fight Global Climate Change