A Selected Timeline of the History of Environmental Activism in Los Angeles
California has long been a leader in environmental awareness and activism. Historically, the state has led the nation in policymaking on issues such as forest management, clean energy, coastal zone management, and regulations against air pollution. The state’s natural beauty and the desire to preserve it has been part of the impetus. In the 19th century, environmentalist John Muir was moved by the beauty of the Yosemite Valley and lobbied Congress to create Yosemite National Park, the nation’s first.
Muir went on to found the Sierra Club in 1892, which today spearheads many environmental protection programs.
Sacrifice Zone: Los Angeles has partnered with two community groups,
Esperanza Community Housing’s “People Not Pozos” campaign,
and
Long Beach Alliance for Children with Asthma,
but there are many others across Los Angeles who are actively seeking to improve the environment for our communities.
1973 - TreePeople
Operating on the principle that trees enhance human life, TreePeople empowers communities to take responsibility to green their own neighborhoods, thereby creating shade, cleaner air, and lowering the temperature. TreePeople offers educational programs, supports on-the-ground research, and creates actionable solutions such as reforesting after wildfires, donating fruit trees to help end food insecurity, and designing ways to capture rainwater.
1978 - Communities for a Better Environment (CBE)
The first Earth Day in 1970 spurred a wave of grassroots environmental activism across the United States. CBE had its beginnings in Chicago that year, and a California branch was launched in 1978. CBE works to end greenhouse gas emissions from refineries, power plants, and metal manufacturing and exposes how the proximity of these industries to schools, senior centers, and homes increases health risks to the people nearby. The group also sheds light on the correlation between pollution and health problems such as asthma, heart disease, cancer, and birth defects, and calls attention to how greenhouse gas emissions contribute to global climate change.
1985 - Heal the Bay
Established in 1985, Heal the Bay is a non-profit that is dedicated to making the coastal waters and watersheds in Greater Los Angeles safe, healthy, and clean. The organization uses education, community action, and advocacy to fulfill their mission.
1986 - Friends of the Los Angeles River (FoLAR)
Back in the 1930s, the Los Angeles River—once a natural water source for people and wildlife—was encased in concrete to control the course of the river and to avoid flooding during times of heavy rain. Access was further denied in the form of a fence. In 1986, poet activist Lewis MacAdams decided to reclaim the natural waterway; he cut a hole in the fence and declared the river open to the people. His act of civil disobedience led to the formation of FoLAR, which has been advocating for a restoration of the natural ecology of the river since that time. Using nature-based solutions, FoLAR attempts to increase humans’ connection to natural habitat and advocate for LA’s environmental health.
1986 - Mothers of East Los Angeles (MELA)
When California announced plans to build a prison in Boyle Heights, a group of women organized protests and became known as the Mothers of East LA; the predominantly Chicano residents viewed the proposed prison as not only creating danger for families but also a future contributor to more traffic, more noise and air pollution. The Mothers of East LA led protest marches every Monday, sometimes carrying candles and wearing white scarves over their heads, often bringing their children. They successfully lobbied legislators to end the prison plan. Their next campaign was to attempt to stop the building of a waste incinerator in the city of Vernon, which would release toxic chemicals into the air of nearby Black and Latino neighborhoods. Since 1980 the group has been involved in multiple environmental justice campaigns.
1996 - Pacoima Beautiful
Pacoima Beautiful (PB) was founded by five mothers who were disturbed by the sight of trash and the toxic smells they endured while walking their young children to school. To create a safer and cleaner environment for their children and neighbors, they joined forces to initiate community clean-ups and tree planting events. Their efforts not only led to the beautification of their neighborhoods, but also continue to help raise awareness about protecting the environment.
1997 - Black Women for Wellness
Black Women for Wellness began when a group of women identified a need to combat infant and maternal mortality rates in their community. In addition to providing education and support, the organization recognizes the impact that toxic chemicals have on the health of women and girls and works to help clean up the environment. BWW programs include nutrition, chronic disease prevention, reproductive justice, environmental justice, sexual health education, civic engagement, and policy work.
1999 - Long Beach Alliance for Children with Asthma (LBACA)
This community coalition is dedicated to improving the lives of children with asthma in the greater Long Beach area. LBACA was formed after a child died due to an asthma attack on a Long Beach school campus. LBACA’s long-term goal is to enhance quality of life measures and to improve clinical outcomes for children with asthma including the reduction in preventable hospitalizations, emergency department visits, school absenteeism, as well as caregiver’s missed work days due to asthma symptoms.
2001 - East Yards Communities for Environmental Justice
Founded in 2001, East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice began life as a group of residents from the Commerce/East Los Angeles area who founded the organization to address the increasing environmental health impacts of industrial pollution in their community. Through grassroots organizing, training, and leadership building skills, EYCEJ empowers community members to make themselves heard and to influence policy change to ensure that health-protective environmental justice policies are in place.
2010 - People Not Pozos Campaign of Esperanza Community Housing
Since 1989, the social justice non-profit, Esperanza Community Housing, has supported the residents of South Central Los Angeles by promoting affordable housing and access to health care; advocating for human rights policies; and mobilizing for environmental justice. In 2010, People Not Pozos (People Not Oil Wells) was established as a campaign of Esperanza to focus on creating a clean environment by advocating for an end to oil wells that are close to residences, schools, and playgrounds and which therefore create health problems in children and adults. As of 2023, People Not Pozos successfully lobbied to close Allen Co.’s drilling site permanently.
2013 - STAND-LA
STAND-L.A. is an environmental justice coalition that is committed to Stand Together Against Neighborhood Drilling. The coalition of community groups seeks to end neighborhood drilling to protect the health and safety of Angelenos on the front lines of urban oil extraction.