Environmental Justice

PennFuture started this new podcast in February 2022 for one simple reason: to lift up voices in communities across Pennsylvania that are fighting against pollution, environmental injustice, and for healthy communities and people.

Our goal on Environmental Voices: The PennFuture Podcast will be to tell the critically important environmental stories facing Pennsylvanians throughout all regions of the state. Large swaths of the state still, on a daily basis, suffer disproportionate impacts of dirty air and polluted water and we want this podcast to be a venue for those on the frontlines to share their stories. We also hope it will be an avenue to connect you with the work we’re doing here at PennFuture: in the courtroom, at the State Capitol, and in your communities, to help protect our common environmental rights.

Our guests for our first episode include:

• Melanie Meade, an environmental advocate from Clairton, Pa. who fights for clean air and a healthy environment in her community. Melanie is also involved in other important endeavors like the Black Appalachian Coalition, among others. We were thrilled to welcome Melanie as our first guest on our first podcast.
• State Rep. Donna Bullock, a representative from the 195th Legislative District in North and West Philadelphia, has served in the Pennsylvania General Assembly since 2015. In October, State Reps. Donna Bullock, Malcolm Kenyatta and Chris Rabb and Sen. Vincent Hughes introduced legislation that would codify the Office of Environmental Justice and Environmental Justice Advisory Board — making them permanent, regardless of who is in the executive branch. The legislation will also increase transparency and public input before polluting facilities are built or expanded in overburdened communities. We were very happy that Rep. Bullock took some time to discuss this very important legislation with us.
• Emily Gale, PennFuture's Director of Civic Engagement, who spoke about the organization's work on non-partisan voter registration, as well as the program's recent expansion into Allegheny County.

For more information about PennFuture, visit pennfuture.org