Blog Archive
Smoke School Recap: Training Eyes for Environmental Justice
On May 22, GASP partnered with the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) to host our first Smoke School of the year—a hands-on training and certification in Method 9 visible emissions evaluation. Led by Brad and Fred Singleton of Singleton Smoke School, the session...
Community-Led Climate Action Framework Presented to City of Birmingham
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Madison Naves, Communications CoordinatorEmail: [email protected]: June 10, 2025 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — After four years of rigorous community engagement, research, and expert consultation, a coalition of our local leaders officially...
Now Hiring: Community Science & Research Coordinator
The Community Science and Research Coordinator will play a pivotal role in advancing our community monitoring and research initiatives, while supporting grassroots organizing and campaigns by promoting data justice. This position is essential for ensuring equitable access to environmental data and empowering marginalized communities to use data as a tool for social change.
GASP Responds to Termination of EPA Grant for Community Monitoring in North Birmingham and Beyond
“The grant made it possible for us to monitor and document the pollution people live with everyday. Revoking this support sends a message that the health of Black, Brown, and low-income communities in Alabama is disposable.”
GASP Introduces Climate Resolution to City Council
The Climate Action Framework, is set to be presented to the Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Sustainability this spring. The decision to introduce the resolution is an important step in urging the City of Birmingham to address critical environmental and climate challenges affecting its residents.
Solar Tax Suit Update – Where We Are Now
Switching to renewable energy is one of the most significant activities that we can do to reduce emissions, protect people against the harmful effects of air pollution, and reduce our contribution to climate change. This change has the opportunity to be made at...
Join GASP’s Junior Board: Be a Changemaker for Clean Air!
Are you passionate about environmental justice? Do you want to use your voice, skills, and network to make a real impact? Join GASP’s Junior Board and be part of the next generation of leaders fighting for cleaner air and healthier communities in Birmingham! The...
Building Climate Solutions in Birmingham: The Power of Community Engagement from the Ground Up
At its core, climate action is about care. Care for people, the environment, and future generations.
Bound by Lines: Redlining’s Impact on Black Opportunity in the South
For generations, redlining shaped the social and economic landscape of the South, restricting Black communities’ access to housing, jobs, and even green spaces. In this special conversation, we sit down with Joshua Jenkins of the National Parks Conservation...
COMMUNITY CHRONICLE #10: FORGED IN LABOR
Their labor not only fueled Birmingham’s rise as an industrial powerhouse but also shaped the fight for racial and economic justice that continues today.
** Extended Deadline** Request for Proposals (RFP) for Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) Development Consultant for Community-Based Air Quality Monitoring
Date Issued: January 15, 2025 Proposal Due Date: February 7, 2025 1. Overview GASP is seeking a consultant to develop a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) and provide guidance on utilizing air monitoring data to study air pollution effectively. This initiative aims...
Celebrating Two Milestones in Clean Air Advocacy: The Anniversary of the Clean Air Act & GASP’s 15th Anniversary
This year, we celebrate a pivotal moment in the history of environmental protection: the anniversary of the Clean Air Act. Signed into law on December 31,1970, this landmark legislation transformed the way our nation combats air pollution, prioritizing the health and...
Join GASP in Celebrating the Season at Our First Annual Community Christmas Extravaganza!
This holiday season, the Greater-Birmingham Alliance to Stop Pollution (GASP) is thrilled to announce our first Annual Community Christmas Extravaganza, bringing holiday cheer and clean air awareness to the Birmingham community. This special event will uplift families and caregivers, particularly those from the North Birmingham Superfund site, who face the dual challenges of caregiving and environmental health risks.ity.
Looking Through The Smoke: GASP’s Smoke School for Clean Air
The energy in the room was infectious. It was more than a training session—it was a gathering of individuals ready to take on the responsibility of protecting our community’s air quality.
Barbara Jackson, GASP’s Grassroots Organizer: In Her Own Words
As the Grassroots Organizer it is important to give them tools, strategies and resources they can use that will help to build a supportive network that will foster resilience and growth despite the obstacles they are facing.
The Hidden Cost of Industry: Health Hazards and Climate Consequences
Jefferson County is home to one of the largest greenhouse gas emitters in the United States, the Alabama Power, James H. Miller Jr. Steam Plant, a coal-fired power plant. Birmingham is also home to several industrial facilities that produce materials like coke, steel, pipe, and concrete. These plants emit significant amounts of pollutants that harm the environment and contribute to climate change.
GASP and Partner Organizations Support EPA’s Strengthened Soot Pollution Standard, File Amicus Brief in U.S. Court of Appeals
Contact: Jilisa Milton, GASP, [email protected] Birmingham, AL — GASP, alongside several leading environmental justice organizations, has filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in support of the U.S. The...
COMMUNITY CHRONICLE: 9 – JULIANNE THARP
Julianne Tharp’s journey into environmental advocacy is one of profound transformation, shaped by her commitment to service and a deep-seated passion for justice. As the Field and Advocacy Fellow for GASP and the Chair of the Central Alabama Chapter of the Climate Reality Project, Julianne stands at the forefront of the fight for environmental justice in Birmingham and beyond. Julianne’s professional journey began in healthcare, where she earned her BSN in nursing.
COMMUNITY CHRONICLES #8: Charlie Powell – PANIC
Before the creation of the Clean Air Act in 1970, “It used to just rain stuff on us. You know, it would be all on our houses.” Powell’s family would hang their clean clothes on a drying line outside and have to bring them back in before too long because soot would make them dirty again. “I believe up until this day, if any of our fathers knew they (were) bringing us into an environment like this here, they never would (have).” Powell will never understand how two coke plants (ABC Coke and Bluestone Coke) were able to be built three miles from each other.
Exploring Environmental Justice at Sloss Furnaces: A May Day Reflection
The legacy of environmental injustice persists in our communities today, disproportionately impacting marginalized groups who bear the brunt of pollution, climate change, and industrial exploitation. May Day is a poignant reminder of the ongoing struggle for workers’ rights and environmental justice intertwined in a complex web of systemic inequality.