Destined to make a difference
April 19, 2016 6:54 AM   Subscribe

Maryland has the highest rate of deaths attributable to emissions--113 per 100,000 annually--of any area in the United States. The Curtis Bay area of Baltimore is the epicenter for this pollution, ranking "first in the entire country for quantity of toxic air pollutants." In 2012, when high school student Destiny Watford read online about a plan to build a so-called "clean energy" trash-burning incinerator power plant less than a mile from her neighborhood, Destiny organized students and residents to fight back. Her efforts yielded two unlikely results: successfully blocking construction on the plant, and being honored with a 2016 Goldman Environmental Prize, an international prize awarded annually to 6 grassroots activists each year from each of the world's 6 geographic regions.

When she got a congratulatory call from the Goldman Prize director, notes a Washington Post writeup, "she almost didn’t answer because the number showing on her cellphone was unfamiliar. Then she didn’t know what to say: “I was really confused. I didn’t know who he was or what he was talking about.”
posted by drlith (5 comments total) 13 users marked this as a favorite
 
The Washington Post story is here.
posted by mareli at 8:08 AM on April 19, 2016


See also their videos, which are great: https://vimeo.com/freeyourvoice
posted by postel's law at 8:10 AM on April 19, 2016


I read this story this morning! Destiny Watford is my HERO! I especially liked how she turned the area destined to be a pollution monster into a community resource that is producing just as much energy but without compromising air quality.

[note: the WaPo link actually goes to the stoptheincinerator blog]
posted by a fiendish thingy at 8:15 AM on April 19, 2016


This is the good side of NIMBYism. "Not in my backyard" has been the excuse for some really awful actions on the part of the privileged and rich.
Not in the back yard of those who have already been dumped on -- that's much better. About time.

a fiendish thingy-- has the proposed solar plant actually been built? And is it really producing equivalent energy? The links I read just stated it as proposed, but I'd really like to see more about it! (Perhaps I missed it?)
posted by nat at 8:26 AM on April 19, 2016 [1 favorite]


Mod note: Updated the link
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 8:42 AM on April 19, 2016 [1 favorite]


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