NEWT Book Club to Become Better Environmentalists
This year Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Co-Chairs, Julianne Rolf and Joshua Samba started a NEWT Book Club to encourage students, postdocs, staff, industry members, faculty, and alumni to learn how environmental engineering impacts the lives of those we serve. During the first term (September 1-October 30, 2021), 25 NEWT members and alumni participated in four simultaneous article/book clubs.
Here is the synopsis of discussions from four book clubs conducted:
A Terrible Thing to Waste: Environmental Racism and Its Assault on the American Mind, Harriet A. Washington
Harriet A. Washington did a great job of sharing stories and reminding us of the lives affected by pollution. As instructors, we should incorporate the lessons from this book into our classes' homework sets. We need scientists in power who understand the interconnectedness of the environment and the people who live in the communities exposed to pollution.

{Comments to the author}
Harriet A. Washington Tweet
Group’s favorite quotes from the book
Why Every Environmentalist Should be Anti-Racist, Leah Thomas (Article)
Leah Thomas's article is a great starting point for environmentalists. We need to continue having these tough conversations about environmental intersectionality so we can help those most affected by pollution by supporting them and working together to develop solutions.
{Comments to the author}
Leah Thomas Tweet
Group’s favorite quotes from the book
Living Downstream: An Ecologist's Personal Investigation of Cancer and the Environment, Sandra Steingraber
Sandra Steingraber blended impactful statistics with a vulnerable personal narrative. Her book emphasized the harmful effects of living in areas rife with contamination, especially for children and the elderly. As environmentalists, we must be conscious of the chemicals and waste we introduce to the environment, as well as the lives that will be impacted for generations after these chemicals are used.

{Comments to the author}
Sandra Steingraber Tweet
Group’s favorite quotes from the book
Toxic Communities: Environmental Racism, Industrial Pollution, and Residential Mobility, Dorceta Taylor
Toxic Communities by Dorceta Taylor is a carefully documented presentation of the history, complexities, and scholarship surrounding environmental racism and industrial pollution, and the communities that are impacted by them. She incorporates detailed case studies of pollution and toxic chemicals burdened disproportionately in low-income communities, communities of color, and Native American communities with theories and analysis of what leads to this inequity.
{Comments to the author}
Dorcetta taylor Tweet