Air Quality, Environmental Justice, & Climate Health in Jamaica, Queens

We are a coalition of community leaders, lawyers, public health researchers, educators, youth leaders, and environmental justice activists organizing research partnerships to address environmental injustices and health inequities associated with the placement of two adjacent waste transfer stations, in Jamaica, Queens. 


This study builds on a Pilot Project funded by the Center on Health & Environment Across the LifeSpan (HEALS) Center at Mount Sinai, focusing on air quality, health equity, and waste transfer stations in Jamaica, Queens. Check out our StoryMap, which shares our process and research findings.

Who We Are

Our Team

Our Approach

At every step of our partnership process, our team uses strategies from these frameworks to ground our work:

  • Anti-oppression is a framework that aims to eradicate oppression by examining and challenging power dynamics while empowering those who experience oppression.

  • Environmental Justice is the idea that all people and communities have the right to live and thrive in safe, healthy environments.

  • Health Equity is when everyone is given the chance to live as healthy a life as possible regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, education, job, religion, language, where they live, or other factors.

  • Liberation is an approach that focuses on the social and political struggles of oppressed groups, emphasizing the need for radical change to achieve equity and justice.

Evaluation

Our team uses participatory methods, such as surveys and interviews, to evaluate every step of our research process including the effectiveness of our educational materials, trainings, and community engagement approaches.