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.
BIENVENIDA OUR NEWEST TEAM MEMBER
On July 6, Moms welcomed Isabel González Whitaker to the team as Associate Vice President for Public Engagement and Director of EcoMadres. Isabel was most recently Chief Operating Officer of All in Together,a leading nonprofit dedicated to advancing women’s leadership through civic participation. Isabel’s activism is largely inspired by her mother, Sara J. González, a refugee from Cuba who fled in 1960 and became a leading immigrant and Latinx/e rights advocate in the South.
In 2018, as part of her work as a Presidential Leadership Scholar, Isabel designed and opened the Sara J. González Memorial Park in memory of her mother. The award-winning park Isabel established is dedicated to the values inspired by her mother’s work: diversity, inclusion, dignity, and equity. These themes are demonstrated through pan-generational, community-centric programming and all-abilities green space features that improve social and health outcomes of the community the park serves. For her efforts with the park, Isabel was named a Trust for Public Land Hero.
CELEBRANDO LATINO CONSERVATION WEEK
Last week, EcoMadres celebrated Latino Conservation Week across the country. We hosted a bird walk and distributed educational resources in New Mexico (above), participated in local farmers’ markets across the country, and shared the music of EcoMadres musicians SonTierra, who weave calls to climate action into their performances.
Latino Conservation Week is an opportunity to engage our communities in meaningful action and share our insights. It’s about raising awareness that Latino communities often lack access to green spaces, health insurance, and clean water. It’s about making sure others know that Latino children are 60% more at risk than their non-Latino white counterparts of having asthma attacks exacerbated by air pollution.
And while we all want to spend time outdoors, we know that climate change and extreme weather events like heat waves can be barriers to spending time in nature. In this month’s EcoCharla (EarthChat), we discuss the importance of Latino Conservation Week and how to take action for a healthier future. Watch the replay in English and Spanish.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT, CAROLINA PEÑA-ALARCÓN
Carolina Peña-Alarcón (above) leads the EcoMadres program in its mission to advocate, educate, and amplify Latino communities’ demands for clean air and better health. Carolina is dedicated to empowering community members and policymakers to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As an environmentalist, Carolina believes in “planting a seed in the hearts and minds of younger generations who will hopefully care for our common home, our planet.”
Most recently, Carolina joined Carmen Cortez, local electric school bus driver in Montgomery, Maryland, and member of EcoMadres, in explaining why electric school buses protect students, drivers, and communities from harmful air pollution. Watch her interview with Voz de America.
ECOMADRES IN THE NEWS
- Karin Stein, Moms Iowa Field Organizer, was interviewed on Univision about air pollution from Canadian wildfires and the impact on Latino communities. Karin underscores that Latino communities are disproportionately affected by air pollution because they make up a significant portion of the outdoor workforce and they are more likely to live near other sources of harmful pollution.
- Erandi Treviño, Moms Texas Field Organizer, shares the health impacts of the extreme heat that has been crippling the South in an interview with Univision and with Nation World News.
ECOMUSICA
Created in 2022 by Karin Stein, SonTierra brings messages of clean air, climate change, and environmental stewardship to encourage members of our community to take action. This song, “Corrido P’al Congreso,” urges members of Congress to take climate action for our children, our health, and our future.
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