Some Key Climate Actions YOU Can Take
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Should you begin to become aware of an environmental issue, follow our multi-step playbook to address it. Here are a few of the early steps. For greater detail and further steps read the current version of the playbook.

1 Stay alert to environmental inequities

Focus on what is feeling wrong, and whether it is disproportionately distributed within Evanston: environmental assets and opportunities to impacting quality of life being denied, environmental hazards or health risks being born.

2 Define the injustice

Identify the environmental issue and location(s) where it is occurring. Document examples. Articulate impacts. List unsuccessful actions taken to address the issue. Identify potential solutions.

3 Report instances

Calls to Evanston 311 get problems officially recorded. Repetition helps: report it every time you see it. Keep a log of your calls and other actions you’ve taken. Make your council member aware of the issue and your actions.

4 Recruit and organize

Get others involved and encourage them to report issue instances to 311, or get involved when asked by others to advocate for addressing the issue. Multiple voices increase the likelihood the city takes notice.

Holding Listening Sessions

EJE has been holding community listening sessions to hear about Evanstonians lived experiences and how environmental justice impacts them. We are focused on residents in the 5th and 2nd wards. The information we gather from these sessions will help inform the City's Environmental Equity Investigation this spring.

Conducting the Environmental Equity Investigation & Mitigation Plan

EJE is working with the City to conduct an independent, transparent and comprehensive Environmental Equity Investigation (EEI) that documents the lived experiences of residents subject to environmental injustices; analyzes cumulative impacts on their well-being and quality of life, and examines their root causes.

Implementing the Environmental Justice Resolution

The resolution calls for the City to: incorporate environmental justice into City ordinances, codes, policies and processes in consultation with stakeholders, create a meaningful public engagement policy and decision making process in collaboration with the City's Equity and Empowerment Commission, develop and maintain a geographic information system (GIS) inventory of environmental justice areas.

Completing Mapping Project

EJE is working with the City to complete the interactive mapping tool to identify environmental justice issues within the city, which should inform the Environmental Equity Investigation and the EJ Mitigation Plan. EJE assists and advises appropriate city staff to complete the GIS mapping tool and assists with public comment on its completeness and usefulness to the community and investigation.

Environmental Justice Evanston (EJE) sees environmental equity as a basic human right, and defines environmental justice as the actions and activism necessary to protect that right. We are committed to highlighting inequities and reducing their disproportionate impacts on the health and quality of life for low income, Black, Indigenous, and all people of color in Evanston.

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Learn more about what environmental justice issues are impacting Evanston by following our Facebook and Instagram pages. We frequently update our pages to reflect current issues and work we are accomplishing with the City of Evanston.