Faces of the Movement: Nalleli Cobo
This past year, the youth climate movement sprang into action in a major way. With coordinated climate protests across the globe and increased civic engagement here at home, today’s youth are leading the way toward the environmental justice victories of tomorrow. One of these rising stars is Liberty Hill Leader to Watch Nalleli Cobo, a fierce environmental activist who was highlighted on CNN this year for her work to end neighborhood oil drilling. She spoke at the 2019 L.A. Climate March alongside fellow youth activist Greta Thunberg and encouraged more youth to get involved with the movement.
Nalleli’s personal battle with pollution first came to our attention five years ago after she was severelysickened by toxic airborne chemicals from an urban oil drilling facility across the street from her South Los Angeles home. At the young age of 13, she joined a concerned group of neighbors and began her foray into community organizing with the goal of putting a permanent stop to the drilling. She eventually succeeded in suspending oil extraction at the site. Now Nalleli is an important player in the movement to end oil drilling across L.A. and a national voice for youth fighting for environmental justice.
Activists Move the Needle On Environmental Justice Fights
For Liberty Hill, environmental justice is a cornerstone of social justice. For low income and communities of color, the dangers of exposure to environmental hazards that increase cancer risk and other health consequences are most severe. This past year, activists won major victories in the fight to change the game for local residents and end toxic oil drilling near our homes and schools. Among the successes, officials announced the permanent closure of the Jefferson oil drilling site in South L.A. This was a huge victory for a community that has been fighting for years to remove this toxic presence from their
neighborhood.