Another Earth Day has passed, but its spirit remains a strong part of the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Office of Energy Justice and Equity (EJE) all year long. Earth Day established in 1970, aimed to spread awareness of pollution, initially a niche concern unknown to most Americans. Earth Day was established to bring the message of environmentalism to communities across the nation.
In the decades that have followed, environmentalism has expanded, as has the public's awareness and understanding of the effects that our choices, big or small, can have on the lives of many Americans.
The growth and pervasiveness of Earth Day, along with the widespread acceptance of environmentalism and conservancy concepts, exemplify the power of collective organizing, education, community voice, and finding the right message to resonate across a nation.
EJE embraces this same approach, putting communities and the people who live in them first and foremost in our work, and this month has provided numerous examples of how that focus breeds success. To begin the month, I had the privilege of visiting Idaho National Laboratory to speak about the work of EJE and saw firsthand how their close working relationship with the Indigenous Shoshone-Bannock Tribe has created mutually beneficial solutions.
I am also pleased to announce our new open-source tools for engaging and educating communities about Hydrogen Technologies and Community Benefit Plans. Learn more about these incredible tools in the sections below.
In closing, I would like to thank the #EJETeam, the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) at the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and DOE's team of Presidential Management Fellows that collaborated on bringing these essential resources to our communities.
As the work continues, I am immensely proud of all we’ve accomplished in such a short time.
