Lisa Polega, SCN, along with members of the Sierra Club, and other concerned citizens, visited elected representatives at the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort. Advocates, including Sister Lisa, asked their elected officials to vote on key legislation that ensures families living in rental housing, particularly in economically depressed areas of Louisville, will be made aware if their rental units contain lead-based paint. Lead poisoning from paint is a serious risk for children with lifelong health consequences. Additionally, the group advocated for Kentucky to enforce the current air quality monitoring laws. Weakening current air quality monitoring standards could lead to more pollution, harm the environment, negatively impact the local economy, and pose significant health risks for people living near pollution-causing industries.
During her time at the Capitol, Sister Lisa remembered Pope Francis’ words in Laudato Si’, “When we speak of the ‘environment’, what we really mean is a relationship existing between nature and the society which lives in it. … Strategies for a solution demand an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature.” (LS 139)