Communities for a Better Environment, BLF Year Long Fellow, 2023-24

SCSmall_HeadshotSarah is a born-and-raised San Franciscan and a graduate of UC Davis School of Law with certificates in environmental and public service law. Sarah’s project with Communities for a Better Environment (CBE), a leading environmental justice nonprofit, seeks to empower communities in Richmond and East Oakland to lead us to a Just Transition. A Just Transition shifts us from an extractive economy to a regenerative economy, wherein communities determine their own healthy future. For decades, predominantly Black and Latinx Richmond and East Oakland residents have faced severe health consequences from industrial emissions. Currently, there are significant proposed changes in the most pollution-heavy industries in these communities, including: expanding warehouse shipping operations, Chevron refinery expansion and use of so-called biofuels, proposed airport expansion, and redevelopment proposals. This is a critical time to challenge industry’s status-quo false solutions through litigation, policy, and organizing efforts. Sarah’s work with CBE is part of a vision wherein, rather than continually playing defense against corporate pollution while the environmental crisis worsens, communities build a livable healthy future.