Advocacy

Advocacy at TerraFuture

Environmental change does not happen only at the neighborhood level. It requires policy, legislation, and systemic accountability. TerraFuture's advocacy work connects grassroots community knowledge with the policy-making process, ensuring that the people most affected by environmental challenges have a meaningful voice in the decisions that shape their future.

Our advocacy approach is distinctive because it is rooted in data. Every campaign we support is backed by environmental monitoring evidence, community-gathered metrics, and rigorous analysis. We do not ask decision-makers to take our word for it; we show them the numbers.

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Policy Priorities

TerraFuture's advocacy agenda is shaped by the communities we serve. Each year, we convene a Policy Priorities Council made up of community leaders, data stewards, and program participants from all partner neighborhoods. The Council reviews environmental data trends, identifies emerging challenges, and sets the advocacy agenda for the coming year.

2026 Policy Priorities:

1. Clean Air Standards — Strengthen local emissions regulations for industrial facilities located within two miles of residential neighborhoods. Push for real-time emissions monitoring requirements and public reporting mandates.

2. Equitable Green Space Investment — Advocate for a municipal green space equity fund that directs park development resources to neighborhoods with the lowest per-capita green space. Current disparities show some neighborhoods have less than 2 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents, compared to a citywide average of 5.4 acres.

3. Community Solar Expansion — Support state-level legislation to expand community solar program eligibility, streamline permitting for shared solar installations, and create low-interest financing pathways for low-income households.

4. Climate Resilience Planning — Push for mandatory climate resilience assessments in municipal planning and zoning decisions, ensuring that new development accounts for heat island effects, stormwater management, and emergency preparedness.

5. Environmental Data Transparency — Advocate for open data requirements for all publicly funded environmental monitoring programs, including standardized formats and public API access.

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Current Campaigns

Clean Air Now

The Clean Air Now campaign is TerraFuture's longest-running advocacy effort, launched in 2022 after community-operated air quality sensors in the South District revealed persistent exceedances of recommended particulate matter levels. The campaign is supported by a coalition of over 200 residents, three neighborhood associations, and two regional environmental organizations.

Campaign Activities:

• Monthly community meetings in the South District to review latest air quality data and plan advocacy actions
• Quarterly testimony at city council environmental committee hearings, delivered by trained resident advocates
• An annual data report summarizing air quality trends, health impact estimates, and comparison with regulatory standards
• Media engagement including op-eds, press conferences, and social media campaigns highlighting community-collected data

Status: The campaign achieved its first major win in 2023 with the adoption of a municipal ordinance requiring enhanced air quality monitoring near industrial zones. Current efforts focus on strengthening enforcement mechanisms and expanding the monitoring network to the East District.

Equitable Green Spaces

Launched in 2024, this campaign addresses the documented disparity in park access across the city's neighborhoods. TerraFuture's data team mapped green space per capita for every neighborhood in the city, revealing that partner neighborhoods in the South and East Districts had 60% less parkland than the citywide average.

Campaign Activities:

• A publicly available interactive map showing green space distribution by neighborhood
• Community design workshops where residents envision what new green spaces should look like in their neighborhoods
• Coordination with municipal parks department on priority sites for new park development
• Fundraising support for community-led green space projects on privately owned vacant lots

Renewable Energy Access Act

TerraFuture is a supporting organization for the state-level Renewable Energy Access Act, introduced in the legislature in early 2026. The act would remove barriers to community solar participation, create a dedicated financing fund for low-income households, and streamline the permitting process for shared solar installations on multi-family housing.

TerraFuture's Role:

• Providing testimony based on data from our Community Solar Program, including energy cost savings and CO2 reduction metrics
• Mobilizing community members to contact their state representatives through organized call-to-action campaigns
• Partnering with a statewide clean energy coalition to coordinate messaging and legislative strategy

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How to Participate

Advocacy is most effective when it includes the voices of the people directly affected by environmental challenges. TerraFuture offers multiple ways for community members to participate in advocacy efforts.

Join a Campaign Committee — Each active campaign has a resident-led steering committee that meets monthly to plan strategy and review progress. No prior experience is required; TerraFuture provides training in public testimony, data interpretation, and organizing.

Attend Public Hearings — TerraFuture prepares testimony packets for key public hearings, including background data, talking points, and logistical details. Residents can sign up to attend and testify, or simply observe and learn about the legislative process.

Write to Decision-Makers — Our advocacy team provides template letters and fact sheets that residents can personalize and send to elected officials. Letters grounded in personal experience and local data are among the most effective tools in policy advocacy.

Become a Neighborhood Liaison — Liaisons connect TerraFuture's advocacy team with their neighbors, sharing information about upcoming hearings, campaign updates, and opportunities to get involved.

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Policy Wins

TerraFuture's advocacy efforts have contributed to three significant policy outcomes since 2022:

2023 — Enhanced Air Quality Monitoring Ordinance: The city adopted a new ordinance requiring real-time air quality monitoring stations within a two-mile radius of all industrial facilities zoned for heavy manufacturing. The ordinance also established a public reporting requirement, making data accessible through the city's open data portal.

2024 — Municipal Green Infrastructure Mandate: New development projects over 10,000 square feet are now required to incorporate green infrastructure elements such as bioswales, permeable pavement, or green roofs. The mandate applies to both commercial and residential construction and was informed by TerraFuture's data on stormwater runoff and heat island effects.

2025 — Increased Air Quality Monitoring Funding: The city budget allocated an additional $1.2 million annually to the environmental monitoring program, enabling 12 new monitoring stations in underserved neighborhoods. TerraFuture's annual air quality report was cited as a key supporting document during budget deliberations.

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Partnerships with Government

TerraFuture maintains constructive relationships with local and regional government agencies, serving as a bridge between community concerns and institutional decision-making. Our partnerships are grounded in data sharing, mutual respect, and a commitment to transparency.

Key Government Partners:

• City Department of Environmental Services — Data sharing agreement for air quality and water quality monitoring. TerraFuture's community sensor network supplements the city's monitoring infrastructure.
• Municipal Parks and Recreation Department — Collaborative planning on green space development in partner neighborhoods, including joint community input sessions.
• Regional Planning Commission — Advisory role on climate resilience integration in comprehensive planning updates.
• State Energy Office — Technical consultation on community solar program design and regulatory compliance.

TerraFuture does not endorse candidates or political parties. Our advocacy is strictly nonpartisan and focused on environmental outcomes that benefit all community members.