Campaign for change.
Together we can make our communities stronger.
Social Equity is the Core of Sustainability.
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Sustainability is based on the three “Es”: Environment, responsible Economic Growth, and the promotion of Social Equity. The third “E” — Social Equity — is vastly underrepresented and misunderstood in sustainability conversations.
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The sphere of Social Equity also known as Social Fairness or Social Justice, includes issues of poverty, education and governmental investment in the well-being of their communities.
Fair access to livelihood, education, and resources
Full participation in the political and cultural life of the community
Self-determination in meeting fundamental needs
People often succeed in society despite barriers, but their success doesn’t mean those barriers don’t exist.
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Equality: is a one-size fits all approach to discrimination. Everyone receives equal access, opportunity, resources, and services despite different life circumstances. Equality often looks good on paper, but doesn’t address people’s real needs.
Example: in the example image, three individuals of varying heights are given the same size platform to view the baseball game over the fence. However, this does not accommodate the varying heights and not all individuals are able to watch the game.
Equity: a flexible method of battling discrimination that recognizes overt and structural oppression. Equity accounts for an individual’s different circumstances; including race, gender, income, orientation, religion, ability, and more.
Example: each individual is provided a platform in relation to their height so everyone is able to watch the game comfortably.
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Attend a Discussion on Social Equity. Find a place where you can interact with individuals from differing backgrounds and perspectives. Agree to respectfully to discuss topics that may be uncomfortable, but propel inclusivity forward.
Host a Discussion With Friends, Family and Colleagues. Invite people from various backgrounds and cultures in your community to enrich the conversation.
Utilize Social Media. Social media platforms can be an impactful tool for confronting injustice. Use your channels to uplift the voices of individuals from diverse backgrounds. Showcase your values while keeping content positive and engaging.
Make a Positive Change in the Workplace. Encourage your place of employment to implement culturally appropriate and equitable strategies to combat social injustice —but do so in a positive way. Talk to your leaders about hosting town halls, listening sessions, or facilitating conversations that take action and show support for equality.
Upcycling Old Myths.
Recycling Isn’t Enough.
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According to the EPA, the United States produces the most municipal solid waste per person out of all industrialized nations. In addition to this statistic, it is estimated that only about 8% of all plastics are actually being recycled. This is mostly due to the U.S. lacking a federal recycling program.
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Often, renewable materials such as plastics are cheaper to manufacture than recycle. While single stream recycling has made it more convenient for consumers to recycle, it often leaves recyclables contaminated, which ultimately means plastics are still discarded in landfills.
Are You Getting “Greenwashed?”
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While “biodegradable” describes a material returning to its basic elements (ideally without leaving behind toxins), use of this term doesn’t specify how long it takes for the substance to break down. Materials can take as little as a few days to thousands of years to decompose.
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Compostable products, often made from bioplastics, are also able to completely break down; but in a controlled environment. When you see “compostable” on a product, it means the substance is commercially compostable…in an industrial composting facility. Remember, materials that claim to be compostable do not always naturally biodegrade in a landfill, adding to the total volume of trash.
We’re Wasting Resources.
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Single-use plastic items (such as plastic bottles, food-wrappers, wipes, cotton buds, and menstrual products) make up around half of all the pollution found in the ocean and waterways. Many of these products have reusable alternatives that aren’t just better for the environment, but will also save you money!
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Bioplastics are intended for industrial composting facilities and not your regular recycling bin. Single use bioplastics can contaminate your recycling, condemning that recycling to the landfill — so always dispose of bioplastics properly.
California’s Climate Is Changing.
In the past several years, California has endured the most extreme fires in its recorded history.
2018’s Camp Fire grew into the state’s deadliest and most destructive fire on record, devastating the towns of Paradise and Concow. The 2021 Dixie Fire burned for months through five Northern California counties, ranking as the second largest blaze in state history.
These deadly infernos are stark evidence of how vulnerable California’s communities and forests have become in the era of climate change.
Native Landscapes and Regular Maintenance Can Protect Your Home From Wildfires.
While California’s climate has always been prone to fire, the link between climate change and bigger fires is inextricable. Hotter temperatures dry out plants, creating abundant areas of combustible organic material. One small spark can easily lead to an uncontrollable wildfire.
Living With Wildfires.
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Wildfires are a natural component of California's ecosystem. For millions of years, lightning and volcanic activity started fires that were beneficial to the plants and animals that adapted to thrive in these environments.
In chaparral and closed-cone conifer communities, seeds need fire to germinate.
Fires clear the forest of underbrush, leaving behind ash and opening up the forest floor to sunlight. Grasses, herbs, and shrubs regenerate here and provide food for many wildlife species.
Fires help reduce the accumulation of fallen branches and dry litter — which act as fuel — while simultaneously supplying nutrients (ash) to the soil. Periodic burns help use up the fuel, which means that successive fire is less intense and less destructive.
When fire removes a thick stand of shrubs, the overall water supply in the area increases. Fewer plants absorb water, so streams are fuller, redistributing moisture to other plants and animals.
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“California continues to experience longer wildfire seasons as a direct result of climate change. Extended dryness originating from January is expected to continue into the spring with little precipitation, leaving most of the state in moderate to extreme drought conditions prior to summer. These continued dry conditions, with above normal temperatures through spring, will leave fuel moisture levels lower than normal, increasing the potential for wildland fire activity” (CAL Fire 2022).
Protecting Your Home from Wildfires.
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While some plants are described as “fire-safe” or “fire resistant,” all plants will burn under the right conditions.
To protect your home from wildfires, it is essential to prioritize regular maintenance of your landscape. For example, a plant with a good water supply could have a greater growth form and hold leaves longer, whereas a plant in a stressed or droughty situation may have stunted growth and accumulated dead materials. This can create a situation where the same species may be fire resistant in one environment and flammable in another. Maintenance and cleanup have more impact on whether a plant ignites, not the plant type.
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Landscaping practices (pruning, maintenance, and cleanup), not plant type, have a greater impact on whether a plant ignites. When bringing a fire-resistant framework to plant selection, consider whether the plant has a higher moisture content in the leaves (as these leaves will be less likely to ignite).
A plant with more waxes, oils, and resins will likely be more flammable and release more energy when it burns.
A densely structured plant can better capture embers and ignite more easily. It is also more likely to ignite from a surface fire.
A plant that sheds bark or branches needs regular maintenance-related cleanup to reduce fuel accumulations on the ground.
A plant that has a big leaf or needle drop requires regular maintenance-related cleanup on the property, roof, and in rain gutters.
A plant that grows quickly may exceed growth expectations and require greater maintenance.
Native plants, pollinator friendly, or drought-tolerant plants can be good choices to reduce vulnerability.
Investing in Your Local Ecosystems.
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“Our ecosystem benefits from native plants – stabilizing soil, filtering water, purifying air and supporting wildlife. Using native plants on sites they are best adapted to can have significant benefits to mitigating environmental stresses, such as extreme temperatures and drought, to retain productive lands for both agriculture and wildlife” (USDA 2022).
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In all of these areas or habitats, the presence of non-native invasive plants creates abnormal situations that can influence wildfires. Invasive plants often increase the frequency of fires by providing continuous fuel that is easier to ignite. After a fire breaks out, these weedy invaders are able to reestablish more rapidly than native plants, suppressing the recovery of native species and allowing the weeds to expand their range.
