Growing up in the South Bronx Majora Carter watched half the buildings in her neighborhood burn down.  Landlords thought it was more profitable to torch their property in the dilapidated area and collect the insurance money than earn an honest return on their investment. 

The South Bronx became degraded because banks "red lined" the area - meaning they would not loan money to businesses in the neighborhood.  When businesses moved out, rubbish moved in making the South Bronx the waste disposal center for 40% of New York City's waste.  Majora Carter did not know as a little girl that she lived in an environmental justice community, but she knows it now and she's fighting back.

Majora founded Sustainable South Bronx in an attempt to "Green the Ghetto." She believes that no community should be saddled with more waste than any other, but unfortunately poverty and pollution tend to be bedfellows. As Majora said at the TED (Technology, Environment, Design) Talks, "Economic degradation begets environmental degradation, which begets social degradation."  Health problems like diabetes, asthma, and obesity are also more prevalent in polluted neighborhoods because of poor air quality, and a lack of clean outdoor spaces for exercise.

Sustainable South Bronx or SSBX, "addresses land-use, energy, transportation, water & waste policy, and education to advance the environmental and economic rebirth of the South Bronx, and inspire solutions in areas like it across the nation and around the world."

SSBX's many projects include: The South Bronx Greenway, which will create bike and pedestrian paths around the waterfront, promotion of green roofs to reduce the island heating effect of the city, and the Bronx Environmental Stewardship Training program, or B.E.S.T. 

BEST might be the most important program as it is training the next generation of green collar workers.  The program has an 80% employment rate after graduation and 15% go on to higher education.  With President Obama's administration promising the creation of millions of new green jobs BEST might just become one of the front-runners in recruiting.

Majora has be widely recognized for her environmental work, and is currently a member of the Clinton Global Initiative, co-founder of Green for All, and can also be seen regularly on the Sundance Channel's: The Green.  Click here to read more about Majora Carter and listen to her emotional TED speech.

Related Reading:
Coming Together on Climate Change and Poverty
Coal Isn't Clean if You Live There