The Freshwater Lab at UIC

How do Latine communities experience, cope and contest the disparate impacts of pollution and extreme climate change events? The Climate and Environmental Justice working group, supported by the Crossing Latinidades Humanities Research Initiative, is guided by these questions. Composed of faculty and student fellows from the University of Illinois Chicago, UC Irvine and The University of Texas at Arlington, the group reveals how Latine communities confront environmental injustices and adapt to extreme climate events. The four regions studied include #Chicago, the #Dallas-#FortWorth Metroplex, #PuertoRico, and migrant urban/rural communities throughout #California. Learn more about their work and research on the newly launched project website: https://lnkd.in/gK7dXehJ. UIC Great Cities Institute

Every #Chicago household deserves access to affordable, democratic, equitable, transparent and just water service. Urge Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson to Call Water-For-All to a vote in the City Council! #WaterForAll Sign the petition: https://lnkd.in/grUcpiSJ

[Coming Up Next Monday] In US cities, regions, and territories, low-income Latina/o populations often reside in communities sensitive to pollution and climate change events such as droughts, extreme heat, and wildfires. Public policy can often trigger these inequities by forcing people to live in precarious and underserved communities with limited access to resilient infrastructure, services, and opportunities. However, even though climate change disproportionately impacts and displaces Latino communities, there is sparse research within Latino Studies on how these experiences threaten their health, safety, and neighborhood well-being. The overarching research question of the Climate and Environmental Justice working group is: How do Latino communities experience, cope, and contest the disparate impacts of pollution and extreme climate change events? Our working group is composed of faculty and student fellows from the University of Illinois Chicago, the University of California Irvine, and the University of Texas Arlington. Specifically, our group reveals how Latino communities confront environmental injustices and adapt to extreme climate events. The four regions studied include Chicago, the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Puerto Rico, and migrant urban/rural communities throughout California. This project expands research on the intersection of Latino Studies, environmental justice, and climate change. This project is supported by the Crossing Latinidades Humanities Research Initiative, which ignites cross-institutional and cross-regional comparative research, training of doctoral students, and new scholarship in emerging areas of inquiry about Latina/os. Funded by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the initiative serves as the anchor of the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities, a consortium of R1 Hispanic Serving Institutions. Please join us in this webinar to learn more about our projects. Event Details: Date: November 18th, 2024 Time: 12 PM to 1:30 PM Central/Chicago Time Type: Virtual – Webinar To RSVP: https://lnkd.in/ejViThRE For More Information: https://lnkd.in/eAYQ5ffH To Download Flyer as PDF: https://lnkd.in/eK_k3BdW

“Historically, this area has been the dumping ground, not just for the state of Illinois, but for the whole Midwest. We’ve got 19 miles of waterways, but 11 miles of that is unfit for humans,” said Cheryl Johnson, executive director of People for Community Recovery. “This idea didn’t come from the community and it’s not something we dreamed about. Nobody says, 'I’ve had this dream of having an underground mine in the neighborhood,'” said Gina Ramirez, Midwest regional lead for environmental health for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and a longtime East Side resident.

Join us on Monday, Oct. 21, for a dinner and discussion with Mike Wiggins Jr. and Aurora Conley of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa to learn about one of the biggest threats to the?#GreatLakes. Hear about the tribe's years-long efforts to?#ShutDownLine5, which has leaked 35 times in its roughly 70-year tenure and released a total of more than 1.13 million gallons of oil into the environment. Register at:?https://lnkd.in/g6_7cWCn. Free and open to the?public. #NoOilInOurWaters?#ProtectOurWaters?#OilAndWaterDontMix?#NoPipelinesOnIndigenousLand?#KeepItInTheGround

Join us on Monday, Oct. 21, for a dinner and discussion with Mike Wiggins Jr. and Aurora Conley of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa to learn about one of the biggest threats to the #GreatLakes. Hear about the tribe's years-long efforts to #ShutDownLine5, which has leaked 35 times in its roughly 70-year tenure and released a total of more than 1.13 million gallons of oil into the environment. Register at: https://lnkd.in/g6_7cWCn. Free and open to the public. #NoOilInOurWaters #ProtectOurWaters #OilAndWaterDontMix #NoPipelinesOnIndigenousLand #KeepItInTheGround

The groundwater crisis spotlight in the Great Lakes region now is Illinois. “We didn’t get to the point of collapsing aquifers randomly, but rather due to an ethos that confers all the ‘raw water’ desired by industry, development, and industrial agriculture to them without limit.” - Rachel Havrelock https://lnkd.in/g_3tQx5W #Joliet #LakeMichigan #Chicago #Water

We've launched a Slack?channel for all Freshwater Lab alumni to share their current work/projects, career opportunities, collaborative visions and more! Join today: https://lnkd.in/gvK3JnVn

water riot is a new music theater work in progress, exploring themes of environmental justice, movement building and digital identity in a near-future Chicago. Join us for a live performance followed by a facilitated conversation with the co-creators.?

Get ready for an electrifying night as Water Riot, a new music theater work-in-progress, takes the stage! This futuristic cyberpunk opera delves into environmental justice, movement building, and digital identity in a near-future Chicago. Expect a live performance of select songs from the show, followed by a conversation with the co-creators. Free and open to the public. Shoutout to incredible performers Genevieve VenJohnson and Jasmine Robertson, backed by the talented Steve Corley and special guest Decoteau Irby on guitar. With visionary Derek Lee McPhatter (Host/Lyricist) & Mike Przygoda (Composer/Bandleader).