Georgia

Georgia Moms Celebrate EPA’s Clean School Bus Program

On November 3, 2022, Moms Clean Air Force joined our partners at the Electrification Coalition, World Resources Institute, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Environment Georgia, Georgia Conservation Voters, Mothers & Others for Clean Air, and Blue Bird in Jonesboro for a press conference to celebrate EPA’s announcement of federal funding for 127 clean, electric buses to 14 Georgia school districts.

This funding is from EPA’s Clean School Bus Program, a $5-billion, 5-year investment in clean school buses for our nation’s children, as allocated under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Law passed by Congress in 2021. This summer, Moms worked tirelessly to educate school districts in Georgia and across the country about the importance of replacing dirty diesel buses with zero-tailpipe-pollution electric buses and to help them through the Clean School Bus Program application process.

Speakers at the event included Lily Zwaan from Moms Clean Air Force, Mary Linn from The Electrification Coalition, Cary Ritzler from Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Jennette Gayer from Environment Georgia; Allie Brown from Georgia Conservation Voters; Tanya Coventry-Strader from Mothers & Others for Clean Air; and Albert Burleigh from Blue Bird Corp. Their comments centered on the significant health and climate benefits of electric school buses, especially for our children.

Moms Clean Air Force shines a light on health inequities in Georgia communities.

On February 1, 2022, Georgia moms hosted a panel on “Clean Air, Climate, Health Equity—And Inequity: What Must Be Done in Georgia and Beyond.” Climate change is a significant threat to the health of Georgians—especially mothers and children of color. This online conversation brought together State Representative Mandisha Thomas, Dr. Yolanda Whyte of Georgia Clinicians for Climate Action, Dr. Preeti Jaggi of Decatur Cares About Climate, and Mia Delamar of Georgia Conservation Voters, to discuss the intersection between climate and health equity. The conversation was moderated by Moms Clean Air Force’s Almeta E. Cooper.

Panelists discussed how environmental injustice impacts the health of Black mothers and children and the real-life impact of climate change on human health. They also offered ways for Georgians to engage with federal, state, and local lawmakers and health care experts to demand stronger protections from climate and air pollution.

Georgia moms join Moms Clean Air Force members across the country to support strong standards for tailpipe pollution from trucks.

On April 12, 13, and 14, dozens of Moms Clean Air Force staff and members from 18 states and Washington, DC, spoke out at EPA’s virtual public hearing about its proposal to clean up tailpipe pollution from heavy-duty trucks and buses. EPA’s trucks proposal is a welcome step forward but doesn’t go far enough. At the hearing, moms asked EPA to further strengthen the standards for heavy-duty vehicle pollution, to better protect children, people with asthma, older adults, and other vulnerable groups from the health harms of air pollution.

Moms Clean Air Force National Field Manager Almeta Cooper and Georgia coordinator Lily Zwaan offered testimony.

Read Almeta’s full testimony HERE.

Georgia moms join Moms Clean Air Force members across the country at a virtual EPA hearing to support restoring the legal foundation of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards.

On February 24, 2022, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia joined dozens of Moms Clean Air Force staff and volunteers from 15 states and DC to deliver testimony at EPA’s public hearing on its proposal to restore the appropriate and necessary finding of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards. The mercury standards, finalized in 2012, are a public health necessity. They protect communities across the country from mercury and other harmful air pollution from power plants.

Community Rx Manager Almeta Cooper offered testimony. In her comments, Almeta focused on mercury’s impacts on the health of Black communities:

“In terms of the African American burden, close to 33% of all mercury contamination in the country emanates from sites with threatening impacts on nearby Black communities. Given that African Americans are more likely to reside near toxic industrial sites and consume more fish than Caucasians, they are more vulnerable to elevated forms of mercury exposure.”

Read Almeta’s full testimony HERE.

Georgia moms join Moms Clean Air Force members across the country to tell EPA to finalize strong methane regulations.

Moms Clean Air Force Georgia joined 38 Moms Clean Air Force staff and volunteers from 13 states and DC to deliver testimony at EPA’s 3-day public hearing about the proposed rule to cut methane and other harmful air pollutants from new and existing oil and gas operations in November and December 2021.

Methane is the main component of natural gas and a potent greenhouse gas accelerating climate change. Quickly and significantly reducing methane is one of the best levers we have to slow the rate of climate change and help clean up the air. If finalized, EPA’s proposed rule would establish the first national standards limiting methane pollution from the nation’s nearly one million existing oil and gas operations.

Moms Clean Air Force Community Rx manager Almeta Cooper offered testimony.

Let’s Get Rolling Electric School Bus Tour arrives in Georgia.

In the summer of 2021, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia hosted demonstrations of an electric school bus in Sandy Springs, in Savannah, and at the Blue Bird manufacturing facility in Fort Valley. The events were part of a nationwide push to upgrade old school buses with better technology to reduce children’s exposure to harmful diesel exhaust and climate pollution.

Transportation is the largest source of global warming pollution in our country, which makes electrification of buses, cars, and trucks critical to solving the climate crisis. Electrifying our nation’s school bus fleet will also clean up the air for children, student athletes, and drivers inside school buses, where harmful fumes may be concentrated higher than outside the bus.

School bus manufacturer Blue Bird provided an electric bus for the Georgia demonstrations and gave tours of the inside and outside of the bus. In Sandy Springs, State Representative Teri Anulewicz, Blue Bird’s Andy Moore, and Dr. Yolanda Whyte, MD, joined Moms Clean Air Force field organizer Almeta Cooper for the tour.

In Savannah, Moms Clean Air Force National Field Manager Tonya Calhoun was joined by Aldermen Nick Palumbo and Kurtis Purtee, SCCPSS School Board Member Denise Grabowski, and Blue Bird’s Hinton Harrison. Watch the replay.

In Fort Valley, Congressman Sanford Bishop joined Almeta, along with Peach County Commissioner Shanita Bryant; Fort Valley City Councilman Fred Van Hartesveldt; Senator Jon Ossoff’s Deputy State Director, Steven Parker; Senator Rafael Warnock’s Outreach Representative, Sheknita Davis; and Blue Bird’s Andy Moore. Watch the replay.

Congresswoman Lucy McBath joins Georgia moms for a conversation about climate action.

On August 30, 2021, Congresswoman Lucy McBath (GA-06) was joined by 50 environmental advocates, faith leaders, business leaders, and health care professionals, plus 12 local elected officials, at the Marcus Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Atlanta for a climate action interactive exchange of ideas and a solar array tour. Congresswoman McBath discussed her efforts at the federal level to pass a legislative package that makes meaningful investments in jobs, climate, housing, and justice. Following her remarks, she answered questions from the audience.

Moms Clean Air Force Georgia collaborated with Environment Georgia, Georgia Conservation Voters, Sierra Club Georgia Chapter, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Mothers and Others for Clean Air, Georgia Interfaith Power and Light, and Environmental Defense Fund Action to host the event. Moms’ supermoms and supporters Katrina Blasingame, Pat Echols, Dr. Yolanda Whyte, and Maisha Land were among the VIPs who attended.

Georgia moms join Moms Clean Air Force members across the country to tell EPA to set strong near-term standards for climate pollution from cars.

In August 2021, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia joined more than 30 Moms Clean Air Force staff and volunteers from 13 states and DC to deliver testimony at EPA’s public hearing about strengthening near-term greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars and light trucks.

Transportation is the largest source of climate pollution in the US, making up 29% of all carbon dioxide pollution. Cars and light trucks account for 58% of all transportation-related climate pollution, and 17% of total US climate pollution. The EPA’s proposal to cut climate pollution from cars in the near terms seeks to repair years of backsliding from the auto industry. Moms spoke out in favor of acting with urgency to accelerate the transition to zero-pollution vehicles.

Moms Clean Air Force Georgia organizer Almeta Cooper offered testimony.

“As a mom, an African American woman, and a member of my community, I care deeply about … the connection between climate change and health equity for our nation’s most vulnerable populations. I encourage the EPA to frequently consult with frontline communities and environmental justice leaders to provide their input into decisions related to the design and implementation of EPA rules. As a Georgian, I am witnessing my own state government trying to suppress the voice and vote of many Georgians by imposing rules that will have disparate, adverse impact on communities of color … Protecting public health means keeping everyone’s air clean and safe to breathe and cutting greenhouse gas pollution.” —Almeta E. Cooper, Georgia field organizer

Georgia moms call on EPA to set strong standards for methane pollution.

In June 2021, Georgia moms joined Moms Clean Air Force staff and volunteers from across the country to participate in EPA’s listening sessions on its upcoming oil and natural gas methane rule. The listening sessions were a unique opportunity for environmental justice and frontline communities to weigh in ahead of the proposed rulemaking. Moms advocated for at least a 65% reduction in methane pollution from oil and gas operations, compared to 2012 levels, no later than 2025.

Moms Clean Air Force Georgia organizer Almeta Cooper offered testimony. Almeta stressed the benefits of cutting methane pollution even for communities not near oil and gas infrastructure:

“Real people’s lives are being affected now…. We are all under one sky. Whether the source of methane emissions is in one’s immediate backyard or another state, we have to unite to take action because of its significant adverse impact on climate change, which affects us all—whether we live and work in suburban, rural, or urban areas. Protecting public health means keeping everyone’s air clean and safe to breathe, and cutting methane pollution.”

Read Almeta’s full testimony HERE.

Georgia moms join members of Moms Clean Air Force across the country to tell EPA to slash climate pollution from cars.

In June 2021, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia joined more than 40 Moms Clean Air Force staff and volunteers from 16 states and DC to deliver testimony at EPA’s first climate-related public hearing since President Biden took office. The hearing was about EPA’s proposal to restore long-standing state authority to protect residents from climate pollution from cars—something the previous administration had stripped away. EPA wants to once again give California, and any states that choose to adopt California’s standards, permission to set stricter climate pollution standards for cars and light trucks. Reinstating state authority to set tailpipe emissions standards is an important first step for reducing pollution from the transportation sector, the nation’s leading source of climate-warming carbon pollution.

Moms Clean Air Force Georgia organizer Almeta Cooper and National Field Manager Tonya Calhoun offered testimony.

Almeta described traffic cloggingher hometown of Atlanta:

“I am testifying today because of my personal passion about health and the human connection between climate and health equity. Atlanta’s traffic conditions are notoriously terrible and the known correlation between high traffic volume and pollution is well established…. I support the ability of states to create standards to protect health and reduce harmful emissions.”

Read Almeta’s full testimony HERE.

Tonya spoke about her personal experience with severe respiratory illness:

“Pollution hits home for me. As a Louisiana native, I learned firsthand just how devastating air pollution can be. At the age of eight, I developed severe respiratory issues that nearby manufacturing and power plants only made worse. In my adopted home of Atlanta, Georgia, air pollution is also a problem. The American Lung Association’s annual State of the Air report recently gave the city a failing grade for air quality, ranking it 35th in ozone pollution and 31st for particle pollution.”

Read Tonya’s full testimony HERE.

Georgia moms explore the human connection between climate and health equity.

On May 27, 2021, Moms Clean Air Force and our partners in Georgia held a panel discussion about the real-life impacts of climate change on human health. The panelists included Dr. Yolanda Whyte, an Atlanta physician specializing in environmental health; Dr. Maisha Standifer, Director of Health Policy for the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine; and Tracy Sprinkle Dawson, Esq., a metro Atlanta mother, wife, and health care lawyer whose nine-year-old, Kyle, was diagnosed with mild persistent asthma in early childhood. Almeta Cooper, Moms’ Georgia field organizer, moderated the discussion.

The panelists talked about the pervasiveness of illness related to air pollution in Black communities, effective education and advocacy around climate issues in communities of color, and the challenges of parenting and protecting a child with asthma.

Georgia moms host an Earth Day conversation about action on climate and environmental justice at the Department of Interior.

On April 22, 2021, Moms Clean Air Force and our partners in Georgia held a panel discussion about the Department of Interior under the new leadership of Secretary Deb Haaland. The panelists included Joyce A. Stanley, Regional Environmental Officer at DOI; David Lamfrom, National Parks Conservation Association’s Vice President of Regional Programs; and Shaina Oliver, Colorado Field Organizer for Moms Clean Air Force and EcoMadres. Tonya Calhoun, Moms’ National Field Manager and Atlanta resident, moderated the discussion.

The panelists talked about Interior’s priorities for the next four years, which include developing renewable energy on public lands and offshore, strengthening government-to-government relations with Tribes, supporting families with union jobs, preserving our land and water, and ensuring environmental justice is part of all the work they do. They also talked more broadly about the value of storytelling in advocacy and efforts to protect all communities from air pollution so that all families can live with dignity.

Moms Clean Air Force hosts an important conversation about the effects of environmental and systemic racism on moms and babies.

On March 9, 2021, Tonya Calhoun, Moms Clean Air Force National Field Manager and Georgia resident, hosted a Green Table Talk titled Listen to Black Women: How Environmental and Systemic Racism Impact Moms and Babies. The event featured Representative Lauren Underwood (IL-4), LaTricea Adams (founder, president, and CEO of Black Millennials for Flint), and Dr. Yolanda White, an Atlanta-based pediatrician and children’s environmental health expert.

These women discussed Black maternal health, specifically focusing on Congresswoman Underwood and Senator Ed Markey’s Protecting Moms and Babies Against Climate Change Act and the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021. They talked about the intersection of health disparities in communities of color and environmental justice.

Moms Clean Air Force hosts an important Juneteenth conversation on equity, justice, and climate in the African American community.

On June 19, 2020, Tonya Calhoun, National Field Manager for Moms Clean Air Force, organized an event titled Let Us Breathe: A Juneteenth Conversation on Equity, Justice, and Climate in the African American Community. The event featured Representative Alma Adams (NC-12), Dr. Mildred McClain (Harambee House), Rev. Michael Malcom (The People’s Justice Council), Tina Spencer-Smith (Georgia Interfaith Power and Light), and Moms’ Houston organizer Catherine Flowers.

The conversation was moderated by National Field Director Heather McTeer Toney and highlighted the continual fight for racial justice, specifically environmental injustices in the African American community. We talked about how air pollution, climate change, and COVID impacts the African American community, and what needs to be done to ensure that we continue to advocate for equity, justice, and climate action beyond this national pandemic.

Watch the event HERE.

Moms Clean Air Force launches environmental health justice program, Community Rx, in Atlanta.

In February 2019, we launched Community Rx during Black History Month with a weeklong series of events in and around Atlanta, Georgia.

Across the country, minorities live in more polluted areas and areas with lower air quality than any other group, and Atlanta is no exception, with too many minority residents living close to pollution “hotspots” such as heavy traffic areas, brownfields, landfills, and industrial facilities.

As the birthplace of the civil rights movement, Atlanta clearly emerged as the right place to launch our initiative. With on-the-ground events in Fulton County, Georgia, where predominantly African American residents breathe unhealthy levels of air pollution, Community Rx is partnering with community groups and African American leaders to take action and learn about the environmental issues that impact our families.

Supporting Black maternal health.

The United States has the highest rate of maternal mortality in the developed world, and this crisis is especially dire for Black moms, who are dying at 3 to 4 times the rate of their white counterparts. Moms Clean Air Force works with the Black Maternal Health Caucus to support policies that would protect Black maternal health in Georgia and across the U.S. These important policies include investing in organizations that are working to improve the health of mothers and their babies; improving the conditions where people live, learn, work, and play, in order to improve the health of newborns; growing and diversifying the ranks of nurses, midwives, doulas, and other birthing professionals who help support pregnant women and their newborns; improving maternal mental health care and support for veterans and incarcerated mothers; investing in federal programs to address the unique risks for and effects of Covid-19 during and after pregnancy; and investing in community-based programs that can protect moms and babies from the impacts of climate change and calling for the identification of climate risk zones for pregnant and postpartum people.

Advocating for Justice in Every Breath through Community Rx.

Moms Clean Air Force is committed to exposing environmental injustices in the Black community by taking a stand against environmental discrimination, holding legislators accountable for lack of resources, educating communities on their rights and their issues, standing with impacted communities, and fighting for clean air and climate solutions to promote healthy children and healthy communities.

Through our environmental health justice program Community Rx, our goal is to advocate, educate, and amplify through partnering with impacted communities and environmental justice organizations on events and resource development. We hold Table Talks around the country, casual gatherings that organize, motivate, and activate volunteers, partner with churches to use our “Breath of Life” Bible Study, and provide information on environmental health issues in African-American communities.

Working to transition Georgia’s school bus fleets to electric.

Millions of children still ride diesel-powered school buses, exposing them to harmful diesel pollution that can trigger asthma attacks and interfere with their ability to learn. Georgia moms have hit the road to build support for clean, electric school buses. We are working with local school districts to transition their bus fleets to all-electric, and we’re calling for federal funding to upgrade old school buses with better technology to reduce children’s exposure to harmful diesel exhaust and climate pollution.

Learn more about electric school buses HERE.

Frequent flooding and sea-level rise endanger our coastal communities.

Communities along the Georgia coast have seen the sea level rise nearly 9 inches over the last 70 years. This sea-level rise combined with heavier rainfall contributes to frequent tidal flooding, particularly during the fall months, endangering families and causing missed work and school days. Without action on the root causes of climate change—air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels—by 2045 more than 6,000 households in the state will be at risk of chronic flooding and displacement.

Georgia residents are concerned about sea-level rise because they live in a coastal state that cherishes its beaches and thrives on beach-related tourism. Limiting the pollution that fuels extreme weather and threatens our coastal resources is more important than ever.

Our families are suffering from heat-related disease and death.

Because of climate change, Georgia is experiencing more frequent heat waves, worsening outdoor air quality, and some of its hottest summers on record. As average summer temperatures rise so does heat-related illness, like heat stroke and dehydration.

Children, pregnant women, older adults, and low-income populations experience disproportionate impacts from extreme heat. Rising temperatures and poor air quality are associated with increased risk of preterm birth and maternal and infant mortality. And families with limited financial resources may not have access to adequate cooling or the medical care needed to treat heat-related illness.

Our children breathe polluted air.

Over 22,000 children in Fulton County (Atlanta) have asthma. With an F grade from the American Lung Association for ozone pollution, these children face dangerous breathing days too often.

The overwhelming majority of Georgia’s communities do not have air monitoring systems. This means there is no air quality data available for these communities, and thus, no way to accurately assess the health risks polluted air can pose to our families.

Past Events

November 2022

On November 3, Moms Clean Air Force joined our partners at the Electrification Coalition, World Resources Institute, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Environment Georgia, Georgia Conservation Voters, Mothers & Others for Clean Air, and Blue Bird in Jonesboro for a press conference to celebrate EPA’s announcement of federal funding for 127 clean, electric buses to 14 Georgia school districts. Watch the replay.

October 2022

On October 29, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia coordinator Lily Zwaan hosted a Family Climate Meet-up to carve pumpkins and talk about climate at Grant Park in Atlanta.

On October 20, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia coordinator Lily Zwaan attended the East Atlanta Village Farmers Market to spread the word about what’s at stake for our climate, our kids, and public health in the 2022 midterm elections.

Georgia Moms joined Georgia Interfaith Power and Light for a series of text banks in October to get out the vote in the midterm elections.

September 2022

On September 20, Moms Clean Air Force joined the Climate Action Campaign and our Georgia partners in Atlanta to launch Solutions for Pollution, a campaign calling on the Biden administration to advance 20 protections across federal agencies that could cut climate pollution and protect children’s health.

August 2022

On August 29, Georgia Moms attended the Grant Park Shade Fest to spread word about pollution from the oil and gas industry and make cool crafts with kids.

On August 17, Georgia Moms joined climate advocates from across the state at Steady Hands Beer Co. in Atlanta to celebrate the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act.

July 2022

On July 28, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia state coordinator Lily Zwaan had the opportunity to tour the Blue Bird electric school bus manufacturing facility in Atlanta.

On July 1, Moms Clean Air Force joined our partners at Homage to King in Atlanta to protest the Supreme Court’s decision to constrain EPA’s authority to limit climate-harming pollution from power plants.

June 2022

On June 29 and 30, Moms Clean Air Force joined our partner organizations to testify before EPA in favor of several waivers allowing California to set stronger tailpipe pollution standards for heavy-duty vehicles than federally required. Read Georgia state coordinator Lily Zwaan’s full testimony HERE.

On June 28, Moms Clean Air Force’s National Manager for Health Equity Almeta Cooper and Arizona coordinator Hazel Chandler joined Elders Climate Action for their monthly national call to talk about intergenerational climate action. Watch the replay.

Moms Clean Air Force Georgia coordinator Lily Zwaan joined Georgia Interfaith Power and Light to drop off postcards from Georgians demanding climate action at Senator Warnock’s office.

Moms Clean Air Force Georgia coordinator Lily Zwaan attended a rally to save Welaunee Forest and Intrenchment Creek Park, the largest green space in Atlanta. This area is currently threatened by a large public development project.

On June 5, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia coordinator Lily Zwaan went to the Grant Park Farmers Market to raise awareness about EPA’s Good Neighbor Rule, which protects downwind states from harmful pollution from power plants and other industrial facilities.

May 2022

On May 7, 2022, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia coordinator Lily Zwaan attended the Decatur Arts Kids Fest. She hosted a Moms Clean Air Force table at the event with information about clean air and climate action in Georgia plus an art activity for kids.

April 2022

On April 26, Moms Clean Air Force and EcoMadres joined EDF and Defend Our Future to celebrate “A Vital Earth for Everyone” with WaWa Gatheru, founder of Black Girl Environmentalist. The event highlighted and celebrated the progress we’ve seen happen over the last year against climate change and the opportunity we have in this “Climate Moment” for our leaders to get serious about climate change and the transition to clean energy. Panelists included Almeta Cooper (National Field Manager, Moms Clean Air Force), Carolina Peña (Project Manager, EcoMadres), Jay Knott (Executive VP and Chief Administrative Officer, EDF), and Kyli Wagner (Senior Manager, Defend Our Future). The program also included music from Lucia Valentine (West Virginia coordinator, Moms Clean Air Force) and poetry by Emely Rodriguez. Watch the replay.

On April 23, Georgia Moms joined our partners across the state at Liberty Plaza in Atlanta for a Fight for Our Future Rally to celebrate Earth Day.

On April 22, Georgia Moms joined Sierra Club GA Chapter and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy to host an Electric School Bus Earth Day Celebration, featuring Representative Lucy McBath (GA-6).

On April 20, National Field Manager Almeta Cooper gave testimony at EPA’s virtual public hearing for the Cross State Air Pollution Rule, which will help clean up ozone pollution that knows no borders. Read her testimony HERE.

On April 16, Kids Clean Air Force Georgia members shared their thoughts about clean air and climate change in Moms Clean Air Force’s Youth Voices Talk Climate Change program. Watch the replay.

On April 12, 13, and 14, dozens of Moms Clean Air Force staff and members from 18 states and Washington, DC, spoke out at EPA’s virtual public hearing about its proposal to clean up tailpipe pollution from heavy-duty trucks and buses. Moms Clean Air Force National Field Manager Almeta Cooper and Georgia coordinator Lily Zwaan offered testimony. Read Almeta’s full testimony HERE.

February 2022

On February 24, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia joined dozens of Moms Clean Air Force staff and volunteers from 15 states and DC to deliver testimony at EPA’s public hearing on its proposal to restore the appropriate and necessary finding of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards. Almeta Cooper, Moms Clean Air Force’s Community Rx Manager, offered testimony. Read Almeta’s testimony HERE.

On February 1, Moms Clean Air Force hosted a Facebook Live round table conversation on the intersection between climate and health equity. Our expert panelists included Georgia State Representative Mandisha Thomas; Dr. Yolanda Whyte, Georgia Clinicians for Climate Action; Dr. Preeti Jaggi, Decatur Cares About Climate; and Mia Delamar, Georgia Conservation Voters. The discussion was moderated by Moms Clean Air Force Community Rx Manager Almeta Cooper. Watch the replay.

December 2021

On December 17, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia joined Georgia Conservation Voters, Georgia Interfaith Power & Light, EDF, and East Point Neighbors for a winter social to celebrate and reflect on the past year’s advocacy and look ahead to next year’s efforts around the Build Back Better Act.

Moms Clean Air Force Georgia joined 38 Moms Clean Air Force staff and volunteers from 13 states and DC to deliver testimony at EPA’s 3-day public hearing about the proposed rule to cut methane and other harmful air pollutants from new and existing oil and gas operations in November and December 2021. Community Rx manager Almeta Cooper offered testimony. Read Almeta’s full testimony here.

November 2021

On November 10, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia organizer participated in a press conference with Brookhaven Mayor John Ernst, Doraville Mayor Joseph Geierman, and climate advocates calling on Congress to pass the Build Back Better Act. Watch the replay.

October 2021

On October 15, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia, Georgia Conservation Voters, Georgia Interfaith Power and Light, Sierra Club Georgia Chapter, and League of Conservation Voters hosted a Harvest Climate Action advocacy event on Westside Atlanta’s Beltline at Cultured South Fermentation Co. The event focused on the Build Back Better Act, the biggest and boldest federal climate proposal in history.

September 2021

On September 28, Moms Clean Air Force staff and members from Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, and West Virginia joined the Clean Vehicles Coalition to deliver comments on EPA’s rulemaking on near-term greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars and light trucks to Administrator Michael Regan.

On September 28, Moms Clean Air Force staff, including Georgia organizer Almeta Cooper, West Virginia organizer Lucia Valentine, Program Coordinator Hailey Duncan, and Field and Special Projects Manager Elizabeth Brandt (along with her two children), joined Speaker Nancy Pelosi for a press conference on the importance of climate action at the Capitol. Watch the replay.

On September 16, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia organizer Almeta Cooper joined Atlanta City Councilmember Marci Collier Overstreet, East Coast Greenway’s Brent Buice, and Citizens’ Climate Lobby’s Henry Slack for a press conference calling on Congress to support the ambitious climate and clean energy investments included in the Build Back Better Budget. Watch the replay.

On September 8, Congressman Sanford Bishop joined Moms Clean Air Force Georgia for a demonstration of an electric school bus at the Blue Bird manufacturing facility in Fort Valley. The event was part of Moms’ nationwide Let’s Get Rolling Tour, calling for federal funding to help localities upgrade old school buses with better technology to reduce children’s exposure to harmful diesel exhaust and climate pollution. Watch the replay.

August 2021

On August 30, Moms Clean Air Force and partners hosted Congresswoman Lucy McBath (GA-06) at the Marcus Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Atlanta for a discussion of climate action and a solar array tour.

On August 28, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia celebrated the House of Representative’s vote to move forward with an important climate budget resolution at Roswell Farmers and Artisan Market. We showed our support for big, bold, ambitious investments in climate, jobs, and justice.

On August 25, Georgia field organizer Almeta Cooper joined more than 30 Moms Clean Air Force staff and volunteers from 13 states and DC to deliver testimony at EPA’s public hearing about strengthening near-term greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars and light trucks. Read Almeta’s testimony here.

On August 21, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia celebrated Lemonade Days at the Dunwoody Farmers’ Market. We showed our support for big, bold, ambitious investments in climate, jobs, and justice.

On August 19, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia field organizer Almeta Cooper spoke at Powering Up America, an electric vehicle ride and drive event at the Gathering Spot in Atlanta.

On August 14, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia showed up at the Sandy Springs Farmers’ Market to support big, bold, ambitious investments in climate, jobs, and justice.

On August 8, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia showed up at the Atlanta Dogwood Festival at Piedmont Park to support big, bold, ambitious investments in climate, jobs, and justice.

On August 7, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia showed up at the Marietta Square Farmers’ Market to support big, bold, ambitious investments in climate, jobs, and justice.

On August 5, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia hosted a demonstration of an electric school bus in Savannah. The event was part of Moms’ nationwide Let’s Get Rolling Tour, calling for federal funding to help localities upgrade old school buses with better technology to reduce children’s exposure to harmful diesel exhaust and climate pollution. Watch the replay.

July 2021

On July 31, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia showed up at the Marietta Square Farmers’ Market to support big, bold, ambitious investments in climate, jobs, and justice.

On July 24, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia showed up at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta to support big, bold, ambitious investments in climate, jobs, and justice.

On July 15, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia hosted a demonstration of an electric school bus at Heritage Hall in Sandy Springs. The event was part of Moms’ nationwide Let’s Get Rolling Tour, calling for federal funding to help localities upgrade old school buses with better technology to reduce children’s exposure to harmful diesel exhaust and climate pollution.

On July 1, Trisha Dello Iacono, Moms Clean Air Force National Field & Legislative Manager, joined the Sierra Club’s Georgia Chapter for a panel discussion on the solar landscape in Georgia. Other panelists included Don Moreland, Georgia Solar Energy Association; Gustavo Arce, Creative Solar; and Bryan Jacob, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. Watch the replay.

June 2021

On June 26, the National Smart Set Inc., Atlanta Chapter, presented Moms Clean Air Force Georgia with a charitable contribution of $1,000 in recognition of our dedication to raising awareness of the impact of climate change. Moms Clean Air Force National Field Manager Dr. Tonya Calhoun and Georgia field organizer Almeta E. Cooper accepted the donation from National Smart Set officers and members at an outdoor event in Atlanta.

On June 17, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia organizer Almeta Cooper was a panelist in our Juneteenth Conversation: Acknowledging Our History and Recasting Our Future. The event was co-sponsored by Moms Clean Air Force, Sierra Club Georgia Chapter, and Georgia Interfaith Power & Light. Panelists discussed how Juneteenth marks a date of major significance in American history and showed us that freedom and racial equality have always been a hard-fought battle for black Americans—and that battle continues to this day. Watch the replay.

Georgia moms joined Moms Clean Air Force staff and volunteers from across the country to participate in EPA’s listening sessions on its upcoming oil and natural gas methane rule. Georgia organizer Almeta Cooper offered testimony. Read Almeta’s testimony.

On June 2, Georgia field organizer Almeta Cooper and National Field Manager Tonya Howard Calhoun joined more than 40 Moms Clean Air Force staff and volunteers from 16 states and DC to deliver testimony at EPA’s first climate-related public hearing since President Biden took office. The hearing was about EPA’s proposal to restore long-standing state authority to protect residents from climate pollution from cars.

May 2021

On May 27, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia organizer Almeta Cooper moderated a panel discussion about the real-life impacts of climate change on human health. Panelists included Dr. Yolanda Whyte, an Atlanta physician specializing in environmental health; Dr. Maisha Standifer, Director of Health Policy for the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine; and Tracy Sprinkle Dawson, Esq., a metro Atlanta mother, wife, and health care lawyer whose nine-year-old, Kyle, was diagnosed with mild persistent asthma in early childhood. Watch the replay.

On May 4, Moms Clean Air Force Public Health and Policy Director Molly Rauch was a panelist at Georgia Interfaith Power & Light’s event Beyond Your Home: Federal Climate Policy. She joined national policy experts from Interfaith Power & Light and the Sierra Club to provide an overview of current climate and environmental legislation at the federal level and insight on President Biden’s Build Back Better Plan. Watch the replay.

April 2021

On Earth Day, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia and partners at the Climate Action Campaign hosted a virtual conversation about the Department of Interior’s role in preserving public lands and waters and investing in clean energy. The panelists included DOI Regional Environmental Officer Joyce A. Stanley, National Parks Conservation Association’s VP of Regional Programs David Lamfrom, Moms Clean Air Force Field Organizer Shaina Oliver, and Tonya Calhoun, PhD, National Field Manager for Moms Clean Air Force. Watch the replay.

On Tuesday, April 6, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia field organizer Almeta Cooper joined representatives from Georgia Interfaith Power & Light (GIPL) and the Sierra Club Georgia for a special roundtable edition of Coffee and Something Stronger. They talked about the first piece of President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better Plan and its implications for clean energy and environmental justice across the nation and in Georgia. Watch the replay.

March 2021

On March 9, Moms Clean Air Force, along with partners EDF and Black Millennials for Flint, hosted an important conversation between Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14), pediatrician and environmental health expert Dr. Yolanda Whyte, and LaTricea Adams, Founder, President & CEO of BlackMillennials4Flint. This discussion, moderated by Moms Clean Air Force’s National Field Manager Tonya Calhoun, PhD, focused on Black maternal health, how inequities in health care and systemic racism impact Black moms and babies, and what we can do to tackle the problem. Watch the replay.

June 2020

On June 19, Moms Clean Air Force hosted an event titled Let Us Breathe: A Juneteenth Conversation on Equity, Justice, and Climate in the African American Community. The event featured Representative Alma Adams (NC-12), Dr. Mildred McClain (Harambee House), Rev. Michael Malcom (The People’s Justice Council), Tina Spencer-Smith (Georgia Interfaith Power and Light), and Moms’ Houston organizer Catherine Flowers and was moderated by National Field Director Heather McTeer Toney. The conversation highlighted the continual fight for racial justice, specifically environmental injustices in the African American community and ended with a call to action to take our Environmental Justice Pledge. Watch the event HERE.

February 2019

Moms Clean Air Force launched Community Rx in Atlanta, with events including a table talk, a live Bible study, a tree planting, and Worship Day.

2022

• Word In Black, With All Eyes On Georgia, Solutions for Pollution are a Critical Issue
• Clayton News Daily, Clayton County schools receive $10 million for new electric buses
• The CW69 Atlanta, New electric school buses added to Clayton County fleet
• CleanEnergy.org, Moms Clean Air Force Georgia Celebrates Electric School Bus Funding Coming To 14 Georgia School Districts As Part Of EPA’s Clean School Bus Program
• Atlanta News First, Electric buses are coming to more than a dozen Georgia school districts
• Press Release, Moms, Partners Host Press Conference to Celebrate EPA Clean School Bus Rebate Awards in Georgia & Highlight Health Benefits of Ditching Diesel
• Press Release, Moms Clean Air Force and More Than 160 Advocacy Groups to Launch “Solutions for Pollution” Campaign in Georgia
• Public News Service, Environmental Advocates: Empowerment Doesn’t End With Juneteenth
• WABE, National field manager for Moms Clean Air Force on fighting school bus pollution
• The Weather Channel, Moms Clean Air Force on Pattrn
• Sacramento Observer, Time’s Up for School Buses Making Asthma a Pain For Black Kids
• Word In Black, Time’s Up for School Buses Making Asthma a Pain for Black Kids
• TODAY All Day, Climate Change: How women are leading the charge to save our planet
• Press Release, APRIL 12, 13, & 14: Dozens of Moms Urge EPA to Strengthen Proposed Truck Pollution Standards, Spokespeople Available to Comment

2021

• Georgia Public Broadcasting, Local Georgia officials eye clean energy climate solutions in Build Back Better Act
• Georgia Recorder, Local Georgia officials eye clean energy climate solutions in Build Back Better Act
• WMGT, Environmental group, elected officials push for clean transit
• Saporta Report, Public safety training center plan heads to City Council with chorus of opposition
• FOX 28, Savannah leaders call on federal government to invest in clean transportation methods
• Press Release, Georgia Officials and Transportation Advocates Say It’s Time for Bold Federal Investment in Clean Transportation
• Press Release, ADVISORY: Ahead of Sec. Buttigieg Visit, Spokespeople Available to Comment
• Atlanta Voice, Mother’s Organization Wants to Electrify Yellow School Buses
• Press Release, Georgia Public Health and Environmental Advocates Say It’s Time for Bold Federal Investment in Clean Transportation
• Press Release, New Video on Electric School Buses Underscores Why Congress Must Support Bold Investments in Climate Now
• Press Release, The Human Connection Between Health and Climate Equity: What It Means in Georgia
• Press Release, Moms Applaud Congress’ Visionary Clean Commute for Kids Act: Legislation Would Electrify School Buses, Cutting Climate Pollution and Boosting Clean Energy Jobs
• Press Release, Moms Clean Air Force Hosts Earth Day Virtual Panel with Partners Georgia Interfaith Power & Light and Sierra Club’s Georgia Chapter

2016

• CleanEnergy.org, EPA Administrator Talks Clean Air for Kids in Atlanta