Earth Day and environmental equity

Celebrated on April 22, Earth Day raises awareness for environmental issues and brings communities together to spend time outdoors, enjoy nature, and clean up litter. When recognizing Earth Day, we can also reflect on environmental equity. Clean air, water, and land should be an equitable resource to all. However, communities of color, Indigenous people, and low income communities experience disproportionate impacts of pollution and climate change.

In Minnesota, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has found that while air pollution risks exceed health guidelines in 36% of the state's communities, this burden falls disproportionately on marginalized groups, rising to 53% in low income communities and 78% in communities of color.

Check out the following resources and activities to learn more about addressing environmental equity:

• Read this article on How to Address Environmental Justice Issues in Your Community.
• Utilize this Map of Environmental Justice areas to identify areas to support meaningful engagement for groups affected by pollution in Minnesota.
• Find an Earth Day Cleanup location near you to engage with the community and clean up litter in our parks.