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Lizzeth Henao, Program Assistant, Santa Monica
I grew up in the metro-city area of Los Angeles and attended public school for the entirety of my educational life until college. In fact, I attended one of the largest and most under-performing high schools in the country, Belmont High School, located in the downtown area of the city. Despite lack of access issues, and thanks in large part to the support of my family and teachers, I attended Harvard University where I earned an undergraduate degree in international relations, focusing on third world political and economic development.
I returned to LA after graduation and have spent my entire professional career in the non-profit sector. For five years, I worked with inner-city youth in educational and college preparatory programs encouraging them to reach their full potential despite the institutionalized barriers to their success and then another four years working for tenants’ rights at a housing-rights nonprofit.
The scope of my knowledge of social justice issues was expanded at a conference that talked about environmental justice issues. The conference sparked in me a deep interest in EJ issues and I now find myself working at NRDC in the Air team at the Santa Monica office and I could not be happier. I appreciate everyone’s commitment to not only environmental air issues but also to environmental justice issues and to bringing justice to under-served, under-represented, urban, minority populations.
Recent Posts
Posted November 11, 2011 by Lizzeth Henao in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment
- Tags:
- bluegreenalliance, bnsf, dieselpollution, emissions, environmentaljustice, I-710, portoflosangeles, portpollution, scig, toxicemissions, trains, trucks, wilmington, zeroemissions
Last night, NRDC joined our environmental justice allies, including East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice, Coalition for a Safe Environment, and Communities for a Better Environment at a public meeting, to express our opposition to the Southern California International Gateway (SCIG)...continued→
Posted July 22, 2011 by Lizzeth Henao in Curbing Pollution, Health and the Environment, Living Sustainably, Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming
- Tags:
- bicyling, bikesharing, LAtransit, SantaMonica, smartercities, sustainablecommunities, transportation
This past Wednesday, Santa Monica transportation officials in conjunction with Global Green hosted a Bike Sharing Community Forum to get community feedback on a possible bike sharing program in Santa Monica (the city already has a successful bike sharing program...continued→
Posted July 14, 2011 by Lizzeth Henao in Curbing Pollution, Health and the Environment, Living Sustainably, Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming
- Tags:
- biking, burbank, carmageddon, chandlerbikeway, lametro, LAtransit, metroredline
As I write this, Los Angeles Metro’s own Carmageddon clock is showing 1 day, 12 hours, 18 minutes, and 25 seconds until the 53-hour closure of the I-405 freeway between the 101 and I-10 freeways. While many Angelenos are having...continued→
Posted April 26, 2011 by Lizzeth Henao in Environmental Justice, Living Sustainably
- Tags:
- cleanair, environmentaljustice, freewaypollution, I-710, LAtransit, mountstmaryscollege, negativehealthimpactsfreeway, portoflongbeach, portoflosangeles, portpollution, toxiccommunities, wilshirebusonlylane
One of the most enjoyable aspects of my job is the opportunity to talk to minority youth about NRDC and inspire them to get involved in our work. Last week, I participated in a panel discussion with Liz Crosson, Executive...continued→
Posted March 3, 2011 by Lizzeth Henao in Curbing Pollution, Health and the Environment, Living Sustainably, Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming
- Tags:
- LAbikeplan, LAtransit
At the south steps of City Hall Wednesday morning, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, accompanied by City Council members and bicycle advocates, held a press conference to announce the signing of the 2010 Bike Plan which unanimously passed the City...continued→
Posted December 14, 2010 by Lizzeth Henao in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment, Living Sustainably, Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming
- Tags:
- bicycling, LAtransit, SantaMonica, transportation
This past summer, the city of Santa Monica adopted the Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE), a blueprint for the city’s development for the next 20 years. A complete bicycle network that encourages people of all ages and experience levels to...continued→
Posted August 18, 2010 by Lizzeth Henao in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment, Living Sustainably, Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming
- Tags:
- 2010bikeplan, CicLAVia, LAbikesummit, LAtransit
On Monday morning, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa hosted a bike summit in response to an accident a few weeks ago that left him with a permanent plate in his elbow. The Mayor and representatives from the Department of Transportation,...continued→
Posted March 8, 2010 by Lizzeth Henao in Environmental Justice
- Tags:
- environmentaljustice, march4california'sfuture
In March 1965, the first of three civil rights marches from Selma to Montgomery took place to bring awareness to the struggles of disenfranchised African-Americans. A year later, in March 1966, Cesar Chavez organized a 340-mile march from Delano, in...continued→
Posted February 23, 2010 by Lizzeth Henao in Curbing Pollution, Living Sustainably, Moving Beyond Oil, U.S. Law and Policy
- Tags:
- MAP21, SAFETEA-LU, transportationpolicy
Last week’s town hall meeting at Los Angeles' Metro headquarters on the federal transportation reauthorization bill gave transportation policy stakeholders the ability to share their concerns and innovative ideas with United States Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Senator...continued→
Posted January 19, 2010 by Lizzeth Henao in Curbing Pollution, Health and the Environment, Moving Beyond Oil, U.S. Law and Policy
- Tags:
- congestion, MeasureR, MTA, publictransportation, SAFETEA-LU, smog
There have been recent developments in public policy that should have positive effects on transportation policy, and specifically on the next SAFETEA-LU bill. Last December, the EPA found that greenhouse gases (GHG) are a threat to public health and welfare and...continued→
Posted December 17, 2009 by Lizzeth Henao in Curbing Pollution, Health and the Environment, Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming, U.S. Law and Policy
- Tags:
- SAFETEA-LU, transitlosangeles, transportationpolicy
I find it remarkable, in light of the media and political circus around health care reform, that Congress in the coming weeks will be debating an issue that will also have an enormous immediate impact in Americans’ daily and long-term...continued→
Posted November 6, 2009 by Lizzeth Henao in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment
- Tags:
- CALTRANS, I710, negativehealthimpactsfreeway
The California Department of Transportation (CALTRANS) wants to dramatically expand the 18 mile stretch of the I-710 freeway that runs from the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles to East Los Angeles, through mostly urban, low-income, minority neighborhoods. Due...continued→
Posted October 28, 2009 by Lizzeth Henao in Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment
- Tags:
- AB890, manganese, maywood, water
The City of Maywood is the third smallest city in Los Angeles and one of its densest, with about 28,000 people living in a 1.14 square mile area. Despite the city's small size, it has faced a number of big...continued→
Posted October 26, 2009 by Lizzeth Henao in Environmental Justice
- Tags:
- LAHSA, LAUSD
This past Thursday, I had the privilege of representing NRDC at a school assembly for students at Los Angeles High School of the Arts. LAHSA is a small Los Angeles Unified School District pilot school located in the physical grounds...continued→
