Agent Orange: Environmental and Health Effects   by Marisa de la Villa Picture this: It’s 1962 [1] . Deep in the jungles of Vietnam, the United States military introduced a powerful weapon unlike any other. Rather than machine guns and tanks, the Americans brought in something completely new– a tactical herbicide was used for control of vegetation during the Vietnam War. Agent Orange swept through Vietnam like a tidal wave. It was used to destroy and reduce the value of crops, improve visibility, and eliminate any possible enemy cover in war [2] .  Agent Orange did more than just clear out trees, though– this highly destructive chemical has left behind a toxic legacy that is still present today, provoking irreversible damage to the environment and severely hurting both civilians and the military. Scary, isn’t it? That’s only a small glimpse of the destruction brought about by the use of chemicals in the Vietnam War.   The U.S. had initially planned to weak...

  Copper Mining & Environmental Justice in Peru by Valeria Yraita-Zevallos    What is the cost of being one of the biggest copper contributors to corporations from the large powers? For the mining cities throughout Peru, the cost is the health of children and families living in these cities. The cost is contaminated waterways that leave people without safe drinking water and deteriorating ecosystems. The cost harms people and the environment, while simultaneously fueling the profits of companies based in China and the United States.   The Ministry of Energy and Mines in Peru has claimed that Peru is the “second-largest producer of copper in the world” [1] . Yet, mining cities such as La Oroya, Cerro de Pasco, Morococha, and others throughout Peru have been feeling the negative outcomes of mining for decades. Big corporations from the U.S. and China operate these mines due to their strong demand for copper to build “electrical equipment and industrial mac...

¡Sí, se puede!  Dolores Huerta & Environmental Justice by Valeria Yraita-Zevallos  “¡Sí, Se Puede!” is the slogan often attributed to Cesar Chavez and the farm worker’s movement of the 1960s. However, the slogan “Yes, we can!” was created by activist, Dolores Huerta. Although both figures played a pivotal role in the fight for the rights of farm workers and their families in California and beyond, the intersectional activism by Dolores Huerta is often overlooked. Today, we will explore the life and social justice work of Dolores Huerta who fought for labor and women’s rights, intertwined with environmental activism.             Dolores Huerta was born on April 10th, 1930, in the mining town of Dawson, New Mexico. When Huerta was three years old her parents divorced and she moved with her mother and two brothers to Stockton, California [1] . Nevertheless, both of her parents influenced her activist personality. Huerta’s...