Why We Need to 'Sell' Environmentalism

This article was recently written by Lisa Jackson, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It makes a concise and compelling case about the larger impact of environmentalism in our society.

"One of my colleagues at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently met with a leader from a national African-American advocacy organization, and spoke about raising the profile of environmental challenges in minority communities. The response he got was that, though the group shared his concerns, they didn't think they could 'sell' environmentalism to their members.

"Cynical as that sounds, they were probably right. Over the years, environmentalism has largely been seen as an enclave of the privileged. The term 'environmentalism' brings to mind pristine wilderness and wide-open landscapes. What doesn't come to mind is an apartment building, a city block, or an inner city kid who has trouble breathing on hot days. Even issues like climate change are distant concerns for poor and minority citizens (and their advocates) who are struggling daily for equality in education, health care and economic opportunity.

"It's the environmental movement's own inconvenient truth, and it has tragic consequences..."

Read the rest of this great article at:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-p-jackson/why-we-need-to-sell-the-e_b_271650.html