Profile | Kimberly Wasserman Nieto, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization

CLIMATE JUSTICE STORY

Kimberly Wasserman Nieto,
Coordinator,
Little Village Environmental Justice Organization,
Chicago, Illinois

From her window in the South Lawndale section of Chicago, Kimberly Wasserman Nieto sees signs in nature that climate change is going to get worse, not better. “During the summer heat waves, older citizens pass on. In the winter, with rising gas prices, people can’t afford the heating bills, so they freeze in their homes.”

Nieto, a mother of three children and a lifelong resident of South Lawndale (also called “Little Village”), works as the coordinator for Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO). Their mission is to improve overall environment in their community by operating five campaigns that promote public transit, leadership development, open spaces for parks and gardens, healthy eating, and the closing of coal power pants. The Little Village's zip code has the third worse air pollution in the eight-county Chicago Metropolitan area. Toxic air pollution has public health repercussions, including higher rates of asthma.

“People on the ground are taking charge of these problems to create change. Slapping a band aid on the problem is not going to work. Building more coal and nuclear power plants aren't the answer, either,” says Nieto. LVEJO, its community, and Nieto are empowering residents to reverse air pollution. They advocate for more and better public transit to reduce car emissions and build new urban gardens to create clean air. They conduct public education on the costs of coal power. This year, they sponsored a Coalympics, a competition in the Little Village neighborhood aimed at raising awareness to two nearby coal-fired power plants that pollute the city skies.

“If I had the opportunity to talk to President Obama, I’d say, ‘Say no to coal. Technology is good but it is not the answer to everything. We know coal is dirty, and that doesn't change when you put the word clean in front of it,” says Nieto. A coal power plant is located in Little Village and another is not far away. LVEJO statistics link more than 40 premature deaths each year to power plant pollution, as well as 1,000 asthma attacks and 500 emergency room visits. Health conditions could worsen in the years to come, especially considering that over 100 various schools lie within a two-mile radius of a plant. “Privatization of energy is the problem. We need to bring energy back to the community and stop letting CEOs make millions of dollars from energy,” says Nieto.

LVEJO is attending the WE ACT sponsored Advancing Climate Justice: Transforming the Economy, Public Health and Our Environment conference in New York to join a chorus of advocates for climate justice. “We can hook up with other brothers and sister across the nation to make the voice even stronger,” says Nieto.