Category: Environmental Justice

2024 World Water Day, From Drinking Water to Plastic Waste

Posted on by CMGT in Advocacy, CMGT News, Environmental Justice

In the CMGT’s Executive meeting on March 16, CEO Layalee shared this disturbing info from uselessplastic Instagram about water privatization.

“Nestle Waters pumped almost 79 million gallons of water from the area surrounding Flint, Michigan in 2016, and paid just $200 to the state to do so. They made $7.4 billion in bottled water sales alone that same year.”

Flint, Michigan is where the clean water crisis happened in 2014 after the drinking water for the city was contaminated with lead and possibly Legionella bacteria.

CBSNews (3/23/2023), Michigan still dealing with fallout from Flint water crisis 9 years later; Plus new water worries.

On March 20, MCC (Muslims Community Center) Green Team member, Rohina shared the following article in the WhatsApp group:


NBC Chicago (3/20/2024), Nearly 70% of children in Chicago are exposed to lead-contaminated water: Study.

Here are more news about lead issue in Chicago’s drinking water:

Back in 2019, the CMGT (Chicago Muslims Green Team) had a table at IMAN’s Farmer Market in Chicago Lawn, southwest side Chicago neighborhood. We helped a researcher from Virginia Tech to share free lead-test kits to the residents. Our campaign at that time was, “What’s in Your Water?”

Here are pictures from our activities.

This lead-contamination in Chicago drinking water may motivate many Chicagoans to buy water bottles which contributes to the amount of plastic waste. It also bring lots of profit for businesses on water privatization.

In March 2021, to commemorate the World Water Day, the CMGT published an article, Water as Traded Commodity from Muslims’ Perspective, written and edited by our volunteers Caroline and Kaylee.

The article discussed the answer to “What does water mean to me?”, the issue of water supplies in Chicago, the value of water from Muslim’ perspective, and reminders from the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), why and how we should save water and protect the water resources for the benefits of all.

It is no doubt that there are so many things we need to do to ensure the access of clean water for our communities’ health benefits, to protect our water resources, and to reduce bottled water plastic waste.

One of the solutions is to install water filter. Here is the recommendation from The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) on Drinking Water Filters Certified to Reduce Lead.

We hope that our mosques or Islamic Centers will participate in raising awareness on this issue and installing water filters for our communities.

Chicago Heat Watch 2023

Posted on by CMGT in Environmental Justice, Info, News

Volunteer Opportunity!

What:

Chicago, along with 17 other communities across the country is building a team of resident scientists to measure heat across communities this summer.

Chicago needs 150 volunteers across the city on the Activation Day!

2023 Heat Watch Participating Cities

Why:

Identifying these hotspots, called urban heat islands helps local decision-makers take actions to reduce the health impacts of extreme heat, which often target the most vulnerable.

The data collected by volunteers will be analyzed and used to give Chicago residents and government decision-makers a clearer picture of ways to improve Chicago’s heat safety strategies.

When:

June – Volunteers will be contacted to be trained on the campaign.
July – Activation Day (Date/Time TBD: To be Determined)

Where:

Check out and contribute to this Point of Interest Map.

Point of Interest Map

How to volunteer:

  • Register HERE.
  • Take the training (date/time TBD).
  • Help the City to share info on Cooling Center Locations and Senior Well-Being Check.
  • On the Activation Day, over three shifts (morning, midday, and evening), volunteers will travel the routes with heat sensors on their own cars. Each sensor records temperature, humidity, time, and location.
Heat sensor to be used to collect the data (source: NOAA)

More Info:

Tree Equity: Chicago is Going Greener

Posted on by CMGT in Blog Post, Close to Nature, CMGT News, Conservation, Environmental Justice, News

Since 2021, Chicago Muslims Green Team (CMGT) has been an active member of the Community Tree Equity Working Group in supporting Our Roots Chicago, the City of Chicago’s tree equity program.

Our common goal is to expand the tree canopy coverage through an equitable approach. In simpler words, we want this Chicago map to go all green.

Tree Canopy Coverage Percentage By Census Tract. Source: chicago.gov

We want every neighborhood in the City to reap the benefits of trees. Trees provide shade for our home from the sun and blocking winter winds. Trees improve air quality, absorb water, thus help to prevent flood. Trees promote physical activities, increase walking traffic, and bring communities together. Trees reduce stress and anxiety. Trees also help to repair urban biodiversity. In conclusion, trees help to lower our energy bills, increase our property values, and improve the quality of life in our neighborhood.

Source: chicago.gov

The City of Chicago has a goal to plant 75,000 new trees in neighborhoods with low tree canopy. The City also has developed CHI311 App for anyone who wants to get involved.

Tree Equity Working Group Year-End Report. Source: Raed Mansour

However, it is still not an easy task without the support from community members. It would be a waste of tax payers’ money if the trees end up dying due to lack of water, being ignored, or vandalized by people who reject trees around their properties or in their neighborhood.

From 2021-2022, CMGT has been educating ourselves, spreading awareness to our diverse communities, connecting to other organizations by attending and organizing trainings, hosting webinar, giving talks at events, and attending tree planting events. Here is the clip to see our activities.

2021-2022 Tree Planting Program activities

In 2023-2024, CMGT is grateful to be one of seven organizations who receives the Resilience Grant to expand our Tree Planting Program. Under the guidance of CRTI (Chicago Region Trees Initiative) Morton Arboretum we believe that together we could achieve our specific goals in greening our beloved city and spreading the benefits of trees to our diverse communities in Chicago this year. InshaAllah!

The Resilient Grant Kickoff event on December 13, 2022. Source: Caroline

Water as a Traded Commodity From Muslims’ Perspective

Posted on by Caroline Williams in Environmental Justice

This year, the World Water Day on March 22, 2021 had a theme: “Valuing Water,” which poses a question for us to consider in our daily lives, “What does water mean to me?”

A child performing wudhu (Illustration by Caroline W.)

To the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, water means protection. Unfortunately, he states that, “Today, we are not on track to ensure everyone has access to water and sanitation by 2030, as set out in Sustainable Development Goal 6. While advances are being made, current progress needs to quadruple to achieve universal access.”

The problem in accessing water is not simply a global issue either — it starts locally. In February, 2021, Chicago Tribune reported on the problems northeastern Illinois faces for water accessibility despite being less than 50 miles away from one of the largest freshwater systems in the world.

As reported in the article, since the demand for water is growing in this region, the current dependency on a little over two dozen wells to supply most of the purified water won’t be sustainable for meeting demand in years to come. It was decided recently, in January 2021, that Joliet will partner with Chicago to replace the water supplied currently by their wells with the water from Lake Michigan. While this decision brings a solution that other cities in this region can consider for sustainable water access, the cost for low-income residents will be a burden they will face in the near future. Water access should be a human right, but our current climate crisis has shown us that the problems we face with sustainable water access leads to water being treated as a commodity. 

Photo Courtesy of Caroline W.

The most recent approach the CME Group Inc., an American global market company, has taken further exemplifies this issue by proposing that our water access problems could be solved if water became a traded commodity. According to the Economist, it is the “biggest financial exchange you have never heard of.” It owns Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Chicago Board of Trade, New York Mercantile Exchange, and The Commodity Exchange. The Chicago Magazine reported that as of December 2020, water joined gold, oil, wheat, and bitcoin on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange as a traded commodity.

“Proponents see this as a tool to help manage water supply risk, a way of softening the blow to farmers and cities as water gets scarcer. So far, only the Golden State’s (i.e., California) water supply is being traded; it’s sort of a test run” (Chicago Magazine). 

This test run has many climate justice and water rights activists concerned about the reality that is being shaped for the future. Water rights activist Pedro Arrojo-Agudo told the UN in December 2020,  “You can’t put a value on water as you do with other traded commodities.” Other climate justice activists also see the futures contracts as exacerbating scarcity and inequality by having a select few profit from and control a resource that should be accessible to all. 

What does the Muslim community think about this issue? 

On World Water Day 2021, Huda Alkaff, Kori Majeed, and Saarah Yasmin Latif from ISNA Green Initiative reminded us of the value of water. Water is sacred. It is used for purification or wudhu, a spiritual cleansing we perform every single day. Water is essential to life as mentioned many times in the holy Qur’an and in hadith, the record of the traditions and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him (PBUH). For example, the Prophet (PBUH) once said, “Do not waste water even if you were at a running stream,” (Sunan Ibn Majah, 425).

Imam Saffet Abid Catovic, a long-time U.S. Muslim Community Activist, a Chaplain and Environmental Leader, echoed the above sentiment in response to water being treated as a commodity by the CME Group Inc. When reached for comment, he responded with “Mni Wiconi”, which in Lakota means “Water is life.” This inspiring and desperate cry was chanted by the Indigenous peoples, tribes, and water protectors at the Standing Rock (and beyond). Mni Wiconi is also a central theme in Islam’s teachings regarding water (al-ma’a). Water is a Divine blessing mentioned in the Holy Quran as the source of all life, “…and We made from water every living creature” (The Qur’an, 21:30).

In addition to reminding us of the Divine blessing that water is to all life, Imam Saffet also stated that, “In principle, the selling of water rights of seas, rivers, and lakes is prohibited as they are all owned by God and granted only as a trust to human beings. They are to be held in common for all, including both present and future generations and only to be used for the public good (maslaha). The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) observed over 1400 years ago, human beings are partners in three resources: water, vegetation (pastures), and fire (energy). In Sunnan Ibn Majah (2473), the Prophet said, “… and none of these shall be denied or prevented from anyone.” Another hadith states, “… their price (charging for them) is prohibited” (Sunan Ibn Majah, 2472).