Clean Water for North Carolina

by Rachel Lang-Balde

As I await the birth of my second child, I’m considering the implications of environmental health and justice on my family, my community and our state. Environmental health and justice affect all parents – and come into play in multiple ways throughout pregnancy, the birthing process, parenthood and child development.

As a public health graduate student, my focus was on maternal health and nutrition. Environmental health was a factor in studies of food supply, equitable distribution of resources, water and sanitation, and the community implications of nutritional choices. Becoming a mother while in graduate school made me take a closer look at environmental health and justice beyond the scope of research, thinking about potential consequences to my family and the most vulnerable in my community. I realized environmental health and justice included a safe environment, but also access to healthy organic food, safety from chemicals (Scientific American article) and pollutants in water, and use of nontoxic products. In other words, motherhood encompasses not just the care of a child, but becoming an advocate for others, too, and helping them understand their power to advocate for a clean, safe and just environment for all families…. More…