Friend,

Sacrifice zones are a tool of white supremacy.

The communities that are known as "sacrifice zones" are located right next door to polluting industries and toxic waste, with lower access to clean air, food, and health care. These communities face high levels of pollution, cancer, asthma, and death. And the people who live there are mostly Black or brown.

Sacrifice zones are formed because of policy decisions that put the interests of polluting industries (which build wealth almost exclusively for white people) ahead of the health of communities. As long as our government allows them to exist, it is telling us that Black lives don't matter.

In honor of Earth Day today, add your name next to mine to demand that Congress pass binding legislation to end sacrifice zones once and for all by directing investments to these communities for clean energy, clean housing, job creation, and more.

In sacrifice zones, Black and brown Americans die at disproportionately high numbers from environmental harms that many white people never have to think twice about. It's not an accident—nor is it inevitable.

Fortunately, we're seeing some progress: President Biden has signed an executive order creating an Environmental Justice Advisory Council to address sacrifice zones and more. But the Council can't fix everything immediately. We need environmental justice measures that are going to outlast the Biden presidency, and that's why we're joining our allies at Hip Hop Caucus to call for them now.

We're grateful to President Biden for making environmental justice part of his agenda. Now, we need Congress to back him up.

Take climate action on Earth Day and sign the petition today to call on Congress to pass legislation ending environmental sacrifice zones for good.

Thank you,

Becca Ellison
Policy Manager, Evergreen Action