True of False

•  Numerous polls and surveys show that people of color support environmental issues, in many cases, at a higher level than the general public.
• In a study examining diversity in 158 environmental institutions, the Minority Environmental Leadership Development Initiative found that 33 percent of mainstream environmental organizations and 22 percent of government agencies had no people of color on staff.
• An exit poll for a 2002 California $2.6 billion bond issue for water quality enhancement and open space protection revealed 77 percent of Blacks,74 percent of Latinos, and 60 percent of Asians (as opposed to 56 percent of Whites) voted “yes”.

All of these statements are true.  

Although environmental educators are unhappy about the environmental problems we face, no one  is likely to complain about the newfound interest in EE. But do we have the skills to tap into this diverse interest?

These trends and strategies and how to use them positively and effectively are spelled out in Diversifying the American Environmental Movement by Marcelo Bonta, Director, Center for Diversity and the Environment, and Charles Jordan, Chairman, Board of Directors, The Conservation Fund.

Another great resource is Diversity and the Future of the US Environmental Movement, edited by Emily Enderle, Master of Environmental Management '07, Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. Here is an excerpt:

It is an exciting time to be a member of the environmental movement in the United States. Large events and organizations, including the Super Bowl, the Oscars and Yahoo, are becoming carbon neutral. The largest global retailer, Wal-Mart, is currently going green. Mainstream magazines, including Sports Illustrated and Vanity Fair, are featuring environmentally-focused cover stories and editions. Beyond the financial incentives and the celebrity glamour associated with being green, many previously unengaged segments of the population, including religious communities, people of color and people from different socio-economic classes, are becoming increasingly interested in participating in the movement's efforts.

Currently, however, there is a lack of diversity and inclusivity in environmental institutions and our movement. This is a systemic problem. Diversity is about strengthening the movement we are dedicated to by making it resilient and capable of adapting, regardless of what we face in the future. Widespread understanding of the values that diversity can provide is essential to enhancing our collective effort and the world, yet such understanding is still absent in far too many places.