Environmental Justice Legacy
Expand Your Understanding:
EJ Storytelling Map
Below will depict a few timeline stories of the many environmental in/justices occurring in Chicago that cannot go ignored within "Urbs in Horto" growth or history will continue to repeat itself. Resources and more are listed for your own research around E.J. topics that interest you...​​
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Explore where you belong in these environmental issues, such as understanding the emotions these injustices arise (empathy perhaps?). When you find where you belong - be conscious of how you/others perceive you in the space considering the landscape's history and the emotions they arise when visiting green spaces across Chicago. Check back in for more stories and updates!
What is "Pollution"
& Why Does It Matter?
Pollution affects Air, Water, Soil and Everything Else!
Pollutants are chemicals that have leeched into the earth's environment where it's not normally abundant, ultimately harming the life around and impeding on a thriving ecosystem of life. The type of industrial services (like factories/truck-stops/farms/etc.) in your neighborhood affect the pollution particle size and chemical compound type entering the environment.
Did you know exposure to ....
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Air Pollution can lead to respiratory issues and can contribute to water pollution as its rained on and leech back into the ground.
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Water Pollution can lead to skin and eye irritation, spread diseases, and can lead to neurological disorders with prolonged exposure.
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Soil Pollution can impact produce growth, alter the soil health and harm the microorganisms living within the ground that support the soils structure.
Pollution all around impacts the economy for clean-ups, managing the natural remediation process and building its biodiversity, along with reparations for the long-term mental effects inflicted to its surrounding community.
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And yes its true some plants and certain aquatic life forms act as earth's natural filters breaking down compounds, natural and unnatural alike, as part of their bodily function. Like plants cycling carbon from the air into the ground to feed microorganisms supporting its soil structure - or like mussels that filter and feed on microscopic compounds in water streams and beds essentially storing pollutants from the ecosystem or breaking down pollutants to use within themselves or disperse. However, humans should avoid interacting with a long-term exposure as we cannot change the pollutants in our bodies once entered.
Click through different layers to get a personal story overview of the environmental legacy work across Chicago...
- Summarized Timeline
- Community Support Orgs (working towards its remediation)
- Shared Spaces / Common land Effected
- Orgs Sharing Up-to-Date Information​​
- Environmental Justice Commonly Referenced Names & Slogans
- Regions Effected
- Type of Environment Effected
- Point Source Location of Contaminates
*Find pre-listed resources specific to each case for rectifying any experience of environmental harm.
EJ Chicago Research
View the agenda of the Local government of Chicago and research around Environmental Injustices occurring across its communities. Read posted blogs around Chicago's environmental justice topics, with various standpoints in environmental practices across areas. Learn of local community organizations formed to combat neighborhood specific environmental topics. Further explore national research on the Chicagoland environmental agenda.
Environmental Maps of Chicago
Explore Land Use Maps that depict additional factors that can contribute to the environmental impact within an entire area from pollution type, accessibility, wild flora/fauna/human health, biome long-term sustainability, and air/soil/water quality. View how Land Use Plans, like Industrial Corridor Modernization Plans, redlining, and deeming a community a working class can affect on an entire city. Take the time to read prompts to explore how these land maps impact you and others in your everyday lives.