THE CALL TO ACTION

Environmental and climate justice is a human rights issue. Everyone on the planet relies on the physical environment in which we live and the resources that environment produces.

Missouri is home to a number of significant environmental and climate justice challenges, particularly those that negatively affect the Black community and other communities of color at a disproportionately high rate. Some of the most prominent issues include:

• The large amount of homes in Missouri with lead-based paint, especially in lower-income communities, as well as being the top lead-producing state in the US
• Radioactive waste contamination in Coldwater Creek, an area populated predominantly by people of color
• Coal burning, which generates over 80% of Missouri's electricity
• Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), which employ primarily immigrant farmworkers of color and subject them to inhumane working conditions and sub-minimum wages and majorly contribute to air pollution across the state
• Disproportionate exposure to harmful pesticides due to violations of the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act regarding proximity to manufacturing plants
• Significant PFAS contamination of water supplies, especially in and around St. Louis, Kansas City, and Springfield—Missouri's three major urban hubs and home to the densest populations of people of color

Communities of color are far more heavily affected by environmental and climate hazards than their White counterparts, are more likely to live in areas with severe pollution, and are more likely to die of causes stemming from environmental issues. We must address the challenges we face regarding environmental and climate justice if our communities are to survive and thrive into the future.