LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT.

• Author: Campbell, Brad
• Position: CONSERVATION MATTERS

As we round the corner into 2021, many of us are looking ahead with optimism: Surely this new year will be better than the last, with a president who believes in science and COVID-19 vaccines that promise a return to some semblance of life as we knew it a year ago.

I have no doubt that 2021 can be a year of recovery, opportunity, and hope. But that requires us not to turn our backs on 2020 too quickly. This past year revealed injustices and systemic failures that have been hiding in plain sight for far too long.

It's no coincidence that the pandemic hit the most vulnerable among us first and worst, especially Black and brown communities already overburdened by soot, smog, and other toxins, in every New England state and nationwide. Decades of racist policies have created inequities in access to economic opportunity and quality healthcare for communities of color--and led to disproportionate harms from industrial facilities that pollute the air and generate blight in neighborhoods.

Both the pandemic and the summer's protests against police violence have forced these deep, damaging inequities out into the light of day. Now, as we start the new year, it's up to us all to ensure that they not only stay there, but that we actively work to redress them.

In our cover story conversation, Dr. Thea James, a CLF board member and head of emergency medicine at Boston Medical Center, implores us to ask ourselves what systems allowed any of us to thrive, and what conditions make it impossible for others?

Exploring the answers to these questions can be uncomfortable--but also necessary, especially if we are to achieve our mission of a truly healthy and thriving New England for all.

This past year was one of the most challenging our country has faced in many of our lifetimes. But, given all that we accomplished and learned together in 2020, I am confident that we will boldly confront the work ahead with the courage, integrity, and humility that define CLF and our supporters.

I'm honored to have you as a partner...