Communities and alliances need data compiled and interpreted into actionable recommendations to support their needs for action to address environmental injustices (EJ) that impact their health, well-being, economy, etc.
Often, these groups do not have the time, expertise, and resources to make this happen. Often their needs are overlapping.
There are many publicly available datasets that can be used, but they are not easily identifiable and / or able to be used together. Consequently, health, environmental, and economic problems with evidence-based solutions are left unaddressed. This is especially noticeable in historically marginalized communities.
Science For Georgia’s data science branch, Georgia Insights, and our network of Georgia partners is uniquely positioned to contextualize data, create actionable recommendations, and drive action. By bringing people together through the neutral lens of science and connecting various voices – solutions can be implemented.
In Progress Georgia Insights Work
Trust Fund Mapping Project
Prioritization of clean-up funds via the lens of environmental justice. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) has trust fund money available to clean up hazardous waste sites but does not account for EJ factors. In partnership with the Georgia Water Coalition (GWC), Sci4Ga is creating a contextualized map. GWC will then utilize this information to activate communities to advocate for clean-up support and to work with the EPD to understand environmental justice factors.
Emory Data Science Club
Creation of one example to show how all stakeholders can be engage in this project. Using Adopt-a-Stream dataset they are activating it, defining the criteria for a good dataset, analyzing for trends, and displaying it on Georgia Insights.
Water Quality in Georgia
Creation of a Shiny App about water quality in Georgia and its potential impact on the residents and environment. This data story showcases socio-economic, water quality, and epidemiological issues.
Partnership for Inclusive Innovation (PIN) Interns
Creating a stable infrastructure for collaboration. PIN interns are busy solidifying the GA Insights infrastructure, organizing database content, and establishing a common operating framework to enable productive collaboration among individuals and groups.
