Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Working to protect the environment and preserve the only home we have is a mission driven by a belief in justice - justice for all to have access to clean air and water, justice for all children to have a livable future. Our belief in such equity extends, unequivocally, to belief in fairness for?all?people regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, or disability.?

In 2020, IEC staff and board acknowledged the organization's role and the need for action, then identified opportunities for improvement. We began the important and necessary steps to address inequities within the organization and the environmental movement in Iowa.

Read IEC's principles on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI).?? 

There is a long journey ahead, but IEC's staff, leadership, and partners are committed to this work. 

Recent activities and highlights

• IEC was invited to host a dialogue on environmental justice in Iowa following the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast in Des Moines in January 2023. Dozens of local residents, community leaders, and nonprofit organizations shared their insights on environmental justice issues. IEC plans to continue building on this work to advance environmental justice efforts in Iowa. 
• IEC hosted an environmental dialogue with church members in Waterloo and toured environmental sites in the community in March 2023.
• IEC has taken several positions on social justice legislation since this initiative, and explains how the organization views the connections between social justice and environmental advocacy in a 2023 post.
• IEC partnered with the NAACP to comment on utility disconnections for affected Iowans during the pandemic.
• IEC has spoken up for the importance of transit equity for all Iowans, submitting comments to the Iowa Department of Transportation in partnership with the Street Collective and others. 
• IEC has featured the work of diverse Iowans, sharing their voices with our statewide audience through our blog and other publications. Read some of their stories below.
  • Making connections in nature accessible to everyone
  • Transit Equity Day Highlights Need for Intersectional Transportation Reform
  • Tackling Food Insecurity One Community Garden at a Time
  • Meskwaki Nation Leads Creation of Iowa River Watershed Coalition
  • Celebrating Black Climate Week with Iowa climate scientist and activist Tamara Marcus
• IEC's 2021 Bright Ideas event focused on energy justice and energy equity, featuring Dr. Destenie Nock. IEC also published a guest blog post from the researcher on her work around energy poverty. 

• 100% Iowa, a project of IEC, hosted a panel on Energy Resiliency & Justice on Earth Day 2021.

Resources

What is environmental racism? What is environmental justice? There are many resources available on how to better understand systemic inequalities in the environmental movement and to take actionable steps in achieving justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. IEC staff have selected several they have found particularly helpful in expanding ideas and conversation on this topic. 

• Read Up on the Links Between Racism and the Environment, Somini Sengupta, published in the New York Times, June 2020
• I'm a black climate scientist. Racism derails our efforts to save the planet, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, published in the Washington Post, June 2020
• Why every environmentalist should be anti-racist, Leah Thomas, published in Vogue, June 2020
• Environmental Justice Report, Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization

• Race and the Environmental Movement, Diversity and Webinar Series from Antioch University

• What does a 'just transition' really mean? A primer, Canary Media, September 2022

• Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, and Wisconsin lag on Environmental Justice Issues, Inside Climate News, November 2022

• The Father of Environmental Justice Exposes the Geography of Inequity, Nature.com, September 2023

IEC board and staff continue to seek out resources to enhance our growth and will share useful items with you. If you have suggestions or comments, please let us know at iecmail@iaenvironment.org.

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