I’ve been with NRDC since 1999. I started as a litigator with NRDC's environmental health program, where I litigated cases aimed at getting the government and industry to protect public health. My main focus was safe drinking water, bottled water, pesticides and toxic air pollution. Encouraged by my amazing colleagues in the program I began to stray into the world of Latino advocacy. It was a natural transition when we considered that Latinos were being so seriously impacted by environmental health threats. After writing the 2004 report, Hidden Danger: Environmental Health Threats in the Latino Community. Hidden Danger, I couldn’t turn back. I was now on a mission to engage and inform Latinos here and abroad in the environmental movement. Luckily, NRDC was on-board. We created La Onda Verde and have since worked to build environmental awareness among Latinos – a green wave (La Onda Verde) that has now begun to sweep over the country and the planet. We’re all part of the solution, no matter what language we speak.
Posted March 28, 2012 by Adrianna Quintero in Curbing Pollution, Solving Global Warming
The Obama Administration and EPA announcement that it will establish the first national limits on carbon pollution from new power plants is great news for anyone that cares about clean air. No longer will new power plants be able to...continued→
Posted March 24, 2012 by Adrianna Quintero in Curbing Pollution, Moving Beyond Oil
A dear friend of mine heads a great initiative called Change Starts at Home which encourages women to take simple actions to make positive economic, environmental and social change. WIth everything in the news these days, I’ve been thinking about...continued→
Posted February 9, 2012 by Adrianna Quintero in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice
A study released today by the coal industry attempts to justify dirty energy and life-threatening pollution by claiming that Hispanics and blacks will be hit hardest by energy price increases. The study by the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity...continued→
Posted February 3, 2012 by Adrianna Quintero in Curbing Pollution, Moving Beyond Oil
Ever since Cuba’s intent to drill within 70 miles of Florida’s coast has become known, concerned Floridians have been reeling with how to protect our treasured Florida Keys. For many Floridians, this is a very charged issue. It’s no secret...continued→
Posted January 24, 2012 by Adrianna Quintero in Health and the Environment
Let’s face it; feeding our children isn’t always easy. I was lucky with my first child, my daughter, who will try just about anything. So when she was younger it was easy for me to feed her a diet high...continued→
Posted January 16, 2012 by Adrianna Quintero in Health and the Environment
I am a huge fan of Martin Luther King Jr. Ever since I can remember, Dr. King’s speech has moved me in a way that few others can. So when the topic came up during a meeting with a colleague,...continued→
Posted January 11, 2012 by Adrianna Quintero in Health and the Environment
Yesterday, President Obama visited the Environmental Protection Agency for an employee town hall to praise the work of the agency on protecting the environment and public health. In his first time ever visit to EPA, Obama told the staff that...continued→
Posted December 21, 2011 by Adrianna Quintero in Curbing Pollution
Today, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the adoption of historic safeguards against mercury and other toxic air pollution which will help to protect our children from increased risk of brain damage, cerebral palsy and other neuro-developmental problems. The Mercury and...continued→
Posted October 25, 2011 by Adrianna Quintero in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment
We’ve seen poll after poll: Congress is out of touch with what Americans want. On my last trip to Washington I was curious to see why even some who have traditionally recognized the importance of a healthy environment have gone...continued→
Posted September 20, 2011 by Adrianna Quintero in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice
Today, NRDC, along with the National Latino Coalition on Climate Change, the Center for American Progress, and the National Wildlife Federation released an important new report, U.S. Latinos and Air Pollution: A Call to Action. Our report highlights some of...continued→
Posted September 2, 2011 by Adrianna Quintero in Curbing Pollution, Health and the Environment
Talk about a rude awakening. This morning as I’m getting my kids (5 & 9) ready for school, I made the bad mistake of checking my Blackberry only to find that President Obama decided to pass on protecting our air....continued→
Posted May 26, 2011 by Adrianna Quintero in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment
By 2050, one in four Americans will be Hispanic, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In the last decade, the total Latino population in the U.S. grew at a rate of 43%, more than four times the rate of population...continued→
Posted May 25, 2011 by Adrianna Quintero in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment
Over the past few years, I’ve worked closely with Latino environmental, health and business leaders across the country as part of Voces Verdes to call on Congress and the administration to do the right thing for people, our planet and...continued→
Posted March 29, 2011 by Adrianna Quintero in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment
Today, groups representing millions of Latinos across the United States spoke in a unified voice to call on members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to stop any efforts to block, delay or prevent the Environmental Protection Agency...continued→
Posted March 23, 2011 by Adrianna Quintero in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment
This morning I participated in a press telebriefing about the impacts of air pollution on Latino communities and just how serious proposals to weaken EPA will be to vulnerable populations. The briefing was hosted by the Center for American Progress...continued→
Switchboard is the staff blog of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the nation’s most effective environmental group. For more about our work, including in-depth policy documents, action alerts and ways you can contribute, visit NRDC.org.
