The Coalition for Environment, Equity, and Resilience (CEER) works to raise awareness about the connections between pollution, place, and public health in the Greater Houston area. CEER was founded in 2017 after Hurricane Harvey damaged more than 150,000 homes and killed 36 people in Houston’s Harris County. Recovery from Harvey’s destruction and pollution deepened inequality between wealthy predominantly white neighborhoods and the lower-income Black and Latino communities the Coalition serves. As tropical cyclones and harsh winter storms continue to threaten the region, CEER and its community members are collaborating with Harris County to develop a Climate Justice Action Plan to advance climate resilience, improve air and water quality, protect natural landscapes, support displaced communities, and address systemic inequities. As a coalition, CEER unites environmental, housing, labor, health, and community groups to build a healthier, more inclusive and climate-resilient region.
CEER is a growing coalition with five full-time staff, 19 volunteers, and 28 member organizations who represent local residents. During the COVID-19 pandemic, as part of their climate justice campaign, CEER recruited community leaders to assess their neighbors’ needs and inform them about how climate change affects health. This campaign grew to support residents in applying for federal home weatherization funds. “More than half were being denied because their applications were incomplete, so we’re working to help get those people into the program,” said Executive Director Stefania Tomaskovic. CEER supports partners’ campaigns to close the nearby W.A. Parish coal plant, which is linked to about 180 premature deaths each year, and to oppose new gas pipelines and carbon capture schemes that distract from renewable energy transition. To this end, CEER plans to build a solar-powered disaster resilience hub in Houston’s historically marginalized Fifth Ward and is developing a parks equity campaign.
CEER Climate Ambassadors at a 2024 tabling event in Houston. Photo: Stefania Tomaskovic