EcoMadres continues its powerful work at the intersection of environmental health, maternal and children’s health, and community resilience. This edition of our newsletter highlights the launch of our Uprooted: Family Stories of Climate Migration series, where we amplify the voices of families displaced by climate disasters, and the ongoing EcoMadres Investigates series, uncovering urgent environmental threats affecting Latino communities. From exploring the disproportionate impacts of California wildfires on Latino families to advocating for electric school buses in Florida, EcoMadres is leading the way to protect our children and our planet.
In the field
EcoMadres is working nationwide to address health and environmental challenges, led by the tireless efforts of grassroots organizers. We are building local power to advocate for a healthier, more sustainable future through impactful community events, trusted information sharing, and direct engagement with lawmakers.
ARIZONA: In Arizona, we focused on addressing the connected challenges of extreme heat and air pollution while also highlighting the benefits of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in improving air quality. The 17th U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Richard Carmona, joined us for a webinar to discuss the importance of clean air for public health. Additionally, we were featured in a Your Valley article about the threat to electric school bus funding, emphasizing the urgent need to invest in cleaner air and sustainable transportation for Arizona’s future.
FLORIDA: We participated in a press conference with Representative Kathy Castor to advocate for the health and safety of our children. Our message was clear: Our kids deserve to breathe clean air where they learn, play, and even when they take the bus to school. Toxic diesel exhaust from school buses exacerbates asthma, impairs learning, and creates unsafe conditions for students. In Florida alone, there are over 225,000 cases of pediatric asthma. Transitioning to electric buses would reduce these health risks and improve school attendance and learning outcomes. Read more about our campaign here.
IOWA: We continue to support a transition to cleaner energy through our work with Clean Up MidAm. As a key member of this coalition, Moms Clean Air Force and EcoMadres are calling on MidAmerican Energy to draft a plan that protects public health by phasing out coal-fired power plants as soon as possible. Despite promoting a clean energy vision, MidAmerican Energy operates one of the largest coal fleets in the U.S. and is Iowa’s single largest climate polluter. To learn more about the impact of coal plants and air pollution, read our detailed report here.
NEVADA: Our work in holding utilities accountable for rising methane gas prices continues. Nevadan families are facing multiplying threats, especially with extreme heat upon us—rising energy costs should not be another one. EcoMadres’ Mary Wagner’s op-ed featured in El Nevadense expresses how NV Energy must stop passing off unnecessary costs to the consumer, but instead take the responsibility themselves.
Engaging nationally
At the start of the year, we launched Uprooted: Family Stories of Climate Migration, an editorial and social media campaign highlighting the experiences of families displaced by climate disasters. Through powerful interviews with immigrants who have relocated due to climate crisis, EcoMadres is amplifying their voices to educate and inform the public with science and facts. With Uprooted, EcoMadres is working to become a leading voice for immigrants through the lens of climate migration.
We also kicked off our EcoMadres Investigates series with a powerful virtual press briefing focused on the devastating impacts of California wildfires on Latino communities through exploration of new research from the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute. Univision Los Angeles covered the event. Our second episode on Climate Migration, the LA Wildfires, and the Latino Community centered on the growing crisis of climate-driven displacement, especially among farmworkers and low-income Latino communities in California, with special guest Isaias Hernandez, a California native and powerful environmentalist storyteller. The latest episode focused on Framing Climate Change Through a Justice Lens in Communication discussed the important role of media and how misinformation shapes public understanding of climate change.
EcoMadres Liz Hurtado and Lorna Perez participated in Volo Foundation’s Climate Correction Conference, where we co-hosted a clean energy workshop to broaden the public’s understanding of Florida’s air pollution sources (including natural gas!) and associated health risks.
We launched an “advanced recycling” video campaign in Spanish exploring the plastics industry’s deceptive way of promoting an old incineration method as a new way to solve the plastic pollution crisis.
In May, Moms and EcoMadres hosted our Maternal and Child Health Forum, focusing on air pollution, extreme heat, and toxic plastics exposure, “the hidden drivers behind rising maternal mortality for women of color.” The event featured powerful experts in community and maternal health, including Dr. Jalonne White-Newsome, Dr. Sharon Malone, and Dr. Julie Gonzalez. This event, in partnership with The 19th, yielded 30 news stories and was watched by 2,500 viewers. Watch the full recording here.
In the news
Total number of articles in the media from January to May: 53
- During Mother’s Day weekend, EcoMadres was featured on over 20 Telemundo local stations as part of their Nuestro Planeta initiative, spotlighting our work at the intersection of environmental and maternal health. Watch the story here.
- In a moving feature by Yale Climate Connections, EcoMadres members Liz Hurtado and Mary Wagner shared how their personal experiences as mothers inspired them to become environmental advocates.
- EcoMadres were featured on Telemundo 44, Telemundo 48, and NBC spotlighting our fight for clean air and equitable climate solutions in Latino communities.
- El Tiempo Latino featured our virtual panel with Poder Latinx and the American Lung Association, spotlighting expert insights and community-driven solutions that addressed the health impacts of air pollution and the path toward clean air for all. Watch the entire conversation here.
Join us
Our fight is far from over, and your voice is essential. Communities disproportionately exposed to pollution and the worsening impacts of global warming deserve action, accountability, and lasting protection. Together, we can demand solutions for cleaner air, safeguard maternal and child health, and build a future where every family can thrive. Stay engaged. Speak out. Be part of the movement for healthier communities and collective well-being.
We can shape a healthier, more equitable future for all.
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EcoMadres is a program of Moms Clean Air Force that supports Latino communities in fighting for justice in every breath, recognizing the importance of equitable solutions to address air pollution and climate change.