On March 18, Philadelphia City Councilmember Blondell Reynolds Brown invited citizens and activists to participate in the “State of the Environment” hearing before Philadelphia City Council’s Committee on the Environment. Speakers participated on a series of four panels – oil train safety, water, air, and litter and trash.
The goal of the hearings was to bring forth solutions to address environmental issues in the City of Philadelphia, particularly solutions that can be initiated by City Council.
In representing PennFuture, I had the pleasure of testifying on the water panel alongside Clean Water Action and the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia. As a group, we tackled water quality as it relates to stormwater management, litter and trash issues, climate change adaptation, and oil train traffic. The full text of PennFuture’s testimony can be found here.
Opportunities like this serve as a reminder of the critical importance of publicly supporting issues of concern in our region. Elected officials need to hear from organizations, but they particularly need to hear from individuals on issues affecting our communities. You need not be an expert to have your voice heard.
So what environmental issues do you think are important to address?
- Improving the health of our waterways?
- Ensuring that every community in the city has access to green space?
- Monitoring trains carrying crude oil through our neighborhoods?
- Getting litter out of our streets and waterways?
- Protecting vulnerable people and places from the effects of climate change?
Let us know! PennFuture supporters are active citizens -- whether it’s by sending online action alerts, attending public events, or testifying before elected bodies. To get involved, sign up to volunteer or become a member today.
Katie Bartolotta is southeastern Pennsylvania outreach coordinator for PennFuture and is based in Philadelphia. She tweets @KatieBartolotta.
