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| Environmental JusticeThe Challenge: Incorporate transparent timelined Community Initiative Plans in all EPA policies that ultimately affect local communities in order to eliminate and indict environmental injustices. Important Progressive: accomplishing this challenge will contribute directly and specifically to the progressive values embodied by Roosevelt's Statement of Principles Progressive - This challenge focuses on the need for communities to re-build their social capital and make use of grassroots organizing. The Roosevelt's Statement of Principles states, "that in order to adequately respond to change, organizations, governments, and societies must fully harness the energy and ideas that each of their members have to offer." This challenges calls on the "energy and ideas" of three groups: (1) the various segments and tiers that make up this country's democratic government, (2) the knowledge, talent, and training of those involved in academia, and (3) the communities large and small whom bear the burden of policy in action. More specifically progressives need to demand policymakers re-instate the Superfund Tax to couple the money provided by private companies to remediate sites on the Environmental Protection Agency's National Priorities List. Meaningful - A progressive challenge for policymakers to develop Community Initiative Plans (similar to those used for Superfund Sites) in conjunction with environmental policies would have a profound effect on the quality of life for many Americans. Citizens would thus be involved in how policies are implemented in their communities. This method allows for accountability, collaboration, and building of social capital. Policies would be equipped with Community Initiative Plans generated by the federal department or executive agency (EPA, HUD, etc.), the state-level department, and input from local communities. Relevant - (A case study) In communities all across this country the Environmental Protection Agency and State-level departments are trying to remediate brownfield sites using money from companies and corporations that abandoned or damaged the land. These sites are called Superfund Sites. However, such activity resembles more of a compromise, rather than an ultimatum. Due to budget cuts and the lack of funding provided by the Superfund Tax, the EPA lacks the resources and power to expedite remediation that is both environmentally and socially sound. Thus, many communities fall subject to environmental injustices. But with the creation of new policy, American citizens would no longer sit idle and excluded as companies dump waste into our water and unto our land, or send hundreds of dump trucks through our working and middle-class communities to landfills. These landfills cause stigma and health concerns in areas already debilitating from social and economic issues. Innovative We're looking for policy challenges where innovation is needed: where there isn't already a clear solution or best practices, but solutions can be developed creatively. Our goal is to develop options, not to lobby or advocate for a solution that is already known or to debate among several yes or no outcomes or pre-defined policy choices. Other organizations do the important work of debating and lobbying, that's just not our place in the process. The creation of a policy tackling issues on the environment and social and economic constraints is necessary. This country has been plagued by slavery, Jim Crow laws, redlining, and gentrification. And now, due to the lack of accountability and funding the largest group of Americans -- those who make up the working and middle-class, are suffering from preventable diseases caused by environmental injustices. In an ideal democracy policymakers are loyal to their constituents. In places like Kalamazoo (Michigan), Dickson County (Tennessee), Mossville (Lousiana), Bayview Hunter's Point (California), and Harlem (New York) citizens' quality of life is sacrificed because of the negligence and frugality of billion-dollar companies. The contamination, pollution, and waste found in these areas and others like them vary, but they all seem to have adverse effects on the wildlife and humans who co-habit the same or close proximity natural resources. Feasible Approachable: given the level of research and discourse already available and given who else is working on the issue, college students with a range of experience levels and with varied types of expertise can contribute meaningfully to the debate and are likely to think of good ideas. We don't want something so technical only engineering majors can contribute to it, or something that is already dominated by another think tank or advocacy organization. Approachable - This challenge requires students be trained in the progressive tactics that were once synonymous with college students participating at the grassroots level. It requires building networks with local leaders and national policymakers. Students have to pair their knowledge, talent, and energy with that of local communities and government agencies. Students must be willing to not only protest, but challenge the logic, science, and law fueling environmental policy. This policy idea only reiterates that, "All politics are local". CommentsThe policy proposal is relevant and a perfect illustration of progressive ideas. Though its based on the former Superfund Tax it is innovative in that it calls for a new way of handling local zoning laws and including local citizens in city planning ventures. |
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