OCEJ does not explicitly state they have a unique approach to organizing in their non-profit. Still, within their mission and considering the individuals who comprise their staff and advisory board, I would argue they have a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic approach to environmental justice. There are members from the Acjachemen and Tongva Nations, Asian American-Pacific Islander, and Latinx communities who are working collaboratively to achieve environmental justice.
CCV does not claim to have a unique way of addressing problems. Still, the organization’s approach o environmental justice through community engagement and education can be considered different from traditional methods of advocacy that often include technological solutions or top-down decision-making. CCV emphasizes education and views the root causes of environmental injustices as social and political rather than technical or economic. The involvement of local communities is viewed as a critical component of addressing environmental justice issues within the organization.
This organization does not explicitly state that its approach to addressing environmental justice issues is unique; however, in this project and reviewing other organizations, I was surprised to see on their website they do outwardly believe in a zero-emission future and regenerative and sustainable economies. Given precedent, this could be perceived as quite a radical approach, especially to corporations or other stakeholders seeking to profit from the industrial landscape of the Inland Empire.
The EHC does not explicitly claim to have a unique way of addressing problems they work on. Still, the nature of their work does include advocating for low-income communities of color in the San Diego/Tijuana region, which does have a significant proportion of undocumented and immigrant residents. They claim that because of racist policies and the prioritization of profits over health, many of the low-income communities of color within the local San Diego region have not had the political power to fight for their rights and thus became burdened with a significant amount of pollution.
Among the organizations I have looked at thus far, PODER offers programming and mentorship opportunities specifically to mobilize the youth; this is not something they claim to be as unique and singular to their organization, but when compared to the others, this proactive attempt to drive interest and importance of environmental issues to youth is a great strategy to implement for future ecological justice activists, advocates, and champions.
The APEN is committed to building grassroots power in Asian American and Pacific Islander communities to achieve environmental and social justice. Their approach to community organizing revolves around building long-term, sustainable solutions that center on the leadership of the most impacted communities. APEN works to build robust and democratic community organizations that strengthen the broader environmental justice movement.
The CBE works closely with impacted communities to identify their needs and priorities. They support them further by developing strategies tailored to meet the specific concerns of the local stakeholders first. This is different because they do not approach solely from a top-down perspective that emphasizes the needs of policymakers and outside organizations over the voices of the impacted communities themselves.
In the research CBE conducts, they emphasize the significance of intersectionality in their discourse around environmental justice. This means recognizing and addressing the ways that environmental and social injustices intersect. Many present issues include things that cannot be discussed in isolation. The work CBE does highlights the links between poverty, racism, and other underlying social determinants of health-related to environmental justice.
CEJA does not necessarily have any claims of it using any unique strategies for addressing the problems they work on. If anything, I would note that the fact it is a coalition of multiple Environmental Justice Organizations from all over California would be characteristic enough to stand out.
CRPE seems to be proud that they are working within the San Joaquin Valley in one of the most polluted areas in the nation, “West of the Mississippi.” It also claims that by empowering locals with the necessary resources, they can amplify the already “robust vision for change” as well as “the willpower [of the community] to make it happen.”