What is the link between environmental justice, local government and you - the citizen?

"When we talk of environmental injustice we refer not only to the destruction of natural spaces like rivers, but also the whole experience of the spaces in which people find themselves living, the quality of their housing and their access to water, their physical safety in the streets and their relationship to natural spaces." (Eccles, 2015)

The quote above clearly demonstrates the relevance of local government to environmental justice; the delivery of services directly affects the quality of our surrounding environment. The Environmental Monitoring Group has put together a highly relevant resource, "Quiz your councillor" which includes information about local government's responsibility towards environmental justice. It covers the broad themes of Energy, Solid Waste, Climate Change, Water and Sanitation and Land Use. Read more here.

Now that we have just voted for our local government parties and councillors, it is time to use your voice!! How are our newly elected councillors addressing these issues? And how are we taking responsibility for this?