Alabamans use peer education and ground-sourcing to mobilize for cleaner air. The Greater-Birmingham Alliance to Stop Pollution (GASP) organizes and empowers local residents to fight for climate sustainability and environmental justice. Many low-income communities in the Birmingham metro area have long contended with poor air quality, often due to proximity to pollution-heavy industry and transportation. As a result, many families in these communities grapple with chronic respiratory issues. GASP employs an array of strategies to improve local air quality and mobilize residents around environmental justice efforts, from joining litigation against local polluters to informing ordinary residents about the science of air pollution and the health consequences of poor air quality. Through the organization’s website, residents can report local sources of air pollution, which supports GASP organizers in identifying regional problem areas and building a comprehensive vision for a healthier future. Learn more. 

Photo: Courtesy of Joshua Weichman and the Greater-Birmingham Alliance to Stop Pollution (GASP)