This story, written by Luisa Corporan Lara for Barrio Alegría, is part of a series designed to empower the community to take action in mitigating the impact of pollution and the misuse of natural resources. Lea este artículo en español aquí.
On a daily basis we receive different messages from mother nature, sometimes through a gentle breeze and others with disastrous natural phenomena impacting our lives and those of our loved ones. Too many of our neighbors saw firsthand the case of Hurricane Maria that ravaged Puerto Rico in the year 2017, and we have recently seen reports of the advancing wildfires in California.
These and other manifestations that affect us are caused partly by climate change, which can be generated naturally, but which is also altered by the actions of human beings, mainly by pollution–the main engine of the damage to the environment.
My name is Luisa Corporan, I am a communications professional who hails from the Dominican Republic. I am working alongside the community organization Barrio Alegría with The City of Reading Public Works and the Environmental Advisory Council with the aim of empowering our neighbors to take action and reduce the effects caused by pollution and misuse of natural resources. I will also be looking to hear from you!
With my expertise in print, digital and television journalism, we will produce stories that highlight the importance of caring for our natural resources and that help create new strategies to prevent climate change from continuing.
In addition, I will be participating in different community activities, where I will inform about the resources that the city has, so that residents can help build a better city for future generations.
I am interested to know the concerns, strategies, and perceptions of Reading residents. So, don’t be surprised if I knock on your door soon to learn more about the issues you care about.
If you have any ideas that can help our locality reduce pollution and make better use of our resources, you can email me at luisa@barrioalegria.org. I’ll be grateful to know what you think.
