Faculty

Profile

Ana is an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in the Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management graduate program at the Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment. She also serves as the Associate Director of the Tishman Environment & Design Center  (TEDC) at The New School. 

Ana's research and professional practice focuses on environmental and climate justice. She works directly with impacted communities and coalitions to support the advancement of community led alternatives to achieve environmental justice. Ana works on a range of related issues including environmental justice policies, climate justice and renewable energy policies, land use and zoning tools for environmental justice, zero waste systems, cumulative impacts, and mitigation strategies tied to goods movement. Ana's professional practice is based primarily in community engaged scholarship and critical participatory action research. Her ongoing work with environmental justice activists in Newark, New Jersey was featured in the documentary film, Sacrifice Zones. Her doctoral dissertation focused on the implementation of state-level environmental justice policies across the United States. 

Her current professional practice focuses on supporting the capacity of the Environmental Justice movement in the US to lead radical, disruptive strategies for climate justice and just transitions. She served as the Co-PI on a national landscape assessment of the environmental justice movement, Environmental Justice Movement: Priorities, Strategies and Just Transitions. This assessment serves as the basis for launching a national Environmental Justice Movement Fellowship program housed at the Tishman Environment and Design Center and co-led by Professor Sujatha Jesudason.  Ana also led a research team at the Tishman Center in partnership with the Building Equity and Alignment for Impact to explore the misalignment of funding and priorities between environmental grantmakers and grassroots environmental justice organizations in the Midwest and Gulf South regions of the country. The report, Environmental Justice and Philanthropy: Challenges and Opportunities for Alignment, revealed that only a small fraction (1%) of environmental grants are directed to environmental justice organizations in the two regions.

Ana's recent research and professional practice also focuses on efforts to advance national, state and local environmental justice and cumulative impacts policies. She released a report, "Local Policies for Environmental Justice: A National Scan" with the Natural Resources Defense Council and several environmental justice organizations in Chicago that point to land use and municipal policies advocated by EJ activists across the country to address environmental justice locally. Ana helped to develop and pass a model Environmental Justice and Cumulative Impacts Ordinance in Newark, New Jersey and recently participated in a coalition of EJ advocates on the passage of a landmark Environmental Justice & Cumulative Impacts bill in the New Jersey legislature.

Ana's professional practice also focuses on issues related to climate justice policies at the national and state level. She is currently leading research at the Tishman Center in collaboration with the Center for Earth, Energy & Democracy and the Urban Environment Institute at Thomas Edison State College focused on the equity implications of state-level climate mitigation policies. This research is an extension of earlier research conducted with these centers focused on the equity implications of the Obama-era Clean Power Plan (CPP) Rule. Her recent publication examines the environmental justice implications of the promotion of waste incineration and other biomass technologies in national climate mitigation strategies. Ana also helped to develop and served as an inaugural signatory to the Equitable and Just National Climate Platform as an environmental justice representative for the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance and the Tishman Center. She was recently appointed by Mayor DeBlasio to the fourth New York City Panel on Climate Change.

Ana's research extends to zero waste, the circular economy and anti- incineration policies.  She led research on the incinerator industry, in a paper released by the Tishman Environment and Design Center, called "U.S. Municipal Sold Waste Incinerators: A Failing Industry" which points to the decline of this environmentally unjust industry. The report found that the majority of US incinerators are located in EJ communities and more than 4 million people are exposed to pollution emanating from these aging facilities. She also published a book chapter on best practices for organics diversion in New York City "Smarter New York City: How City Agencies Innovate" and an article related to the dangers of co-incineration in municipal zero waste or renewable energy policies. Ana helped organize and host the Conference, Design, Justice and Zero Waste: Pathways to a Circular Economy with TEDC and the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA).

Prior to joining The New School, Ana was the Director of Environment and Energy programs for the Regional Plan Association. She also previously served as the Environmental Justice and Planning Director for the Ironbound Community Corporation (ICC) in her hometown of Newark, New Jersey. At ICC she oversaw a wide range of environmental justice, community development, and planning projects.  Ana completed her Ph.D. in Urban Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. She received her Master’s degree from Brown University in Environmental Studies and has an undergraduate degree in Environmental & Evolutionary Biology as well as Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College.

She currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Passaic River Superfund Community Advisory Group, a steering committee member of the Coalition for Healthy Ports and the national Moving Forward Network. She serves on the Board of Trustees for the Victoria Foundation, Ironbound Community Corporation, the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance and the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA).

Degrees Held

Phd, Urban Planning and Public Policy,
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
New Brunwsick, NJ

MA, Environmental Studies,
Brown University,
Providence, RI

BA, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, and Environmental Studies
Dartmouth College,
Hanover, NH

Professional Affiliation

• Fourth New York City Panel on Climate Change, appointed, 2020-2023
• Equitable and Justice National Climate Platform, Inaugural signatory
• Associate Editor, Environmental Justice Journal
• Ironbound Community Corporation, Board of Trustee
• New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance, Vice-Chair, Board of Trustee
• Passaic River Superfund Community Advisory Group, Co-Chair
• Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), Co-Chair, Board of Trustees
• New Jersey Climate Adaptation Alliance, member
• Coalition for Healthy Ports, member
• Moving Forward Network, member
• Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences, member
• New Jersey Health Impact Collaborative, member
• Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning, member   
• NY-NJ Harbor & Estuary Program, Science and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC)
• Healthy Materials Lab, Advisory Commitee, The New School
• El Puente Leaders for Peace and Justice, Our Air Project, Advisory Committee

Recent Publications

Book Chapters

Baptista, A., Matsuoka, M., & Raphael, C. (Forthcoming), Urban and Regional Planning. In C. Raphael & M. Matsuoka, Community-engaged research for environmental justice. Berkeley, CA: University of California - Luminos Press.

Baptista, Ana I. (Forthcoming) “Introduction: Radical Resistance and Future Imaginaries for Environmental Justice”  in The World We Need” Ed. Audrea Lim, New York: The New Press, April 2021. 

Baptista, Ana I. "The Evolution of the Environmental Justice Movement: Trans-Local Voices for Systemic Transformations" in Globalism and Localization in the Context of the Ecological and Social Crisis. Ed. Jeanine M. Canty. New York: Routledge, April 2019.

Ramirez, I., Baptista, A., Lee, J., Traverso-Krejcarek, A. Santos, A. Fighting for Urban Environmental Health Justice in Southside (Los Sures) Williamsburg, Brooklyn: A Community Engaged Pilot Study. In Handbook of Global Urban Health. New York: Routledge, 2019. 

Baptista, Ana I. "Innovations for Sustainability via New York City's Residential Curbside Organic Waste Collection Program: Pathways to Zero Waste" in Smarter New York City: How City Agencies Innovate. Ed. André Corrêa d'Almeida. New York: Columbia University Press, 2018.

Baptista, Ana I. "Finding Hope at the Margins: A Journey of Environmental Justice." Ecological and Social Healing: Multicultural Women's Voices. Ed. Jeanine M. Canty. New York: Routledge, 2017. 

Articles/Reports

Coronavirus Crisis Demands Environmental Justice Response. Op Ed, May 19, 2020, New Jersey Spotlight. 

Environmental Justice and Philanthropy: Challenges and Opportunities for Alignment (Midwest and Gulf South Case Studies). March 2020, Tishman Environment and Design Center. 

Five Things You Should Know About the Impact of Burning Trash, June 28, 2019, Green Biz Journal. 

Environmental Justice Movement: Priorities, Strategies and Just Transitions. May 2019, Tishman Environment and Design Center. 

Is Burning Trash a Good Way to Dispose of It? Waste Incineration in Charts, PBS News House, June 23, 2019

Is Burning Trash a Good Way to Handle It? Waste Incineration in 5 Charts, The Conversation, June 20, 2019

U.S. Municipal Solid Waste Incinerators: An Industry in Decline, May 21, 2019, Tishman Environment & Design Center 

Local Policies for Environmental Justice: A National Scan, February 2019, Tishman Environment & Design Center 

Ana Isabel Baptista, Garbage In, Garbage Out: Incinerating trash is not an effective way to protect the climate or reduce waste, The Conversation, 2018 Feb 

Baptista, Ana, I. NJ’s Next Governor Should Champion Environmental Justice. Op-Ed New Jersey Spotlight, October 12, 2017. 

Ponder, M., R.A. Crowley, C. Arkin, A. Maxey, A. Bruno, K. Amarnath, A. Baptista, and M. Wilson. "Green Businesses and Cities at Risk. How Your Waste Management Plan may be Leading You in the Wrong Direction." The New School, Tishman Environment and Design Center, New York. (2017).

Ana Isabel Baptista and Kumar Amarnath, Garbage, Power, and Environmental Justice: The Clean Power Plan Rule, Wm. & Mary Envtl. L. & Pol'y Rev, 2016, 41, 403 

Anti-Poverty Network of New Jersey, Housing Chapter in The Uncomfortable Truth: Racism, Injustice, and Poverty in New Jersey, The Uncomfortable Truth: Racism, Injustice, and Poverty in New Jersey, 2016 Oct, Contribution to the Housing Chapter 

Chang Ho Yu, Zhi-Hua (Tina) Fan, Paul J. Lioy , Ana Baptista, Molly Greenberg, Robert Laumbach, A Mobile Monitoring Approach to Characterize Spatial and Temporal Variation in Traffic-Related Air Pollutants in an Urban Community, Atmospheric Environment,Sept 2016. 

Baptista, Ana, I. Environmental Justice in a Time of Despair. Tishman Environment & Design Center What Will Change Series. October 2016

Baptista, Ana, I. Thinking Big on Climate Change, Huffington Post Blog, February 24, 2016

Baptista, Ana, I., Contreras, J. G. and Hoz, M.  Just Transitions: Climate Justice in Action Report. In Collaboration with the Climate Justice Alliance. New York, January 2016.

Baptista, Ana. Reflection on Climate Justice in the Aftermath of COP21, Tishman Environment & Design Center Blog, December 14, 2016

Environmental Justice & Cumulative Impacts Ordinance, An Ordinance Amending The City Of Newark, New Jersey's General Code, July 2016

Baptista, Ana, I. Climate Action Week @The New School Report, Climate Series Report, January 2015

Baptista, Ana, I. Strategies for Addressing Cumulative Impacts in Environmental Justice Communities. Report Prepared for the NJ Department of Environmental Protection on behalf of the Environmental Justice Advisory Council, March 2009

Baptista, Ana, I. Amicus Brief, Environmental and Public Health Impacts of Surface Parking Lots, In opposition to variance application submitted to the City of Newark, NJ Board of Adjustment, October 2014.

Clinton J. Andrews, Ana Baptista and Shawn Patton, in T. Terano et al. eds. Grounded Theory and Multi-agent Simulation for a Small Firm. Agent-Based Simulation, Springer, 2005.

Baptista, Ana, I. Environmental Justice in America: A New Paradigm, by Edwardo Lao Rhodes.  2004. Book Review, Journal of the American Planning Association, Vol. 70, 3.

Koh, Gary, Norbert E. Yankielun and Ana I. Baptista (1996) Snow cover characterization using multi-band FMCW radars. Hydrological Processes, 10: 1609-1617. 

Performances and Appearances

Environmental Justice, Cumulative Impacts & Contaminated Sites 

·      We've been forgotten: In Newark, N.J. a Toxic Superfund Site Faces Growing Climate Threats. October 1, 2020, NBC News, by Erik Ortiz

·      New Jersey Governor Signs Law Aimed at Protecting Poor from Pollution. September 18, 2020, Reuters, by, Maria Caspani

·      Environmental Justice and Clean Energy in New Jersey. July 2, 2020, NJ Spotlight Roundtable

·      Murphy Backs Plan to Protect NJ Low-Income Communities from more Pollution. New Jersey Advanced News, Michael Sol Warren, June 19, 2020, 

·      Getting Real About Bringing Solar Programs, Benefits to Lower Income New Jerseyans. Tom Johnson, NJ Spotlight, June, 16, 2020.

·      Fighting for a Just Covid-19 Response. Derrick Z. Jackson, Environmental Health News, April 3, 2020.

·      Toxic Injustices: Priority for Abused Communities Must Pervade Every Aspect of a Green New Deal. Derrick Z. Jackson, The American Prospect,        

       December 5, 2019

·      Sacrifice Zones. Documentary Film about Newark, NJ. Talking Eyes Media, Released 2019 

·      Newark Exhibit Informing Community on Environmental Justice. New Jersey News Network, Jennifer Marin, November 12, 2019 

·      Justice For All? American Planning Association, Adina Solomon, October 2019

·      Does Your City Employ Environmental Justice Best Practices , ColorLines, Ayana Byrd, May 14, 2019

·      Can Zoning for Environmental Justice Reverse a Century of Zoning Racism?  Non Profit Quarterly, Steve Dubb, May 14, 2019

·      Which Cities Have Concrete Plans for Environmental Justice, CityLab, Nicole Javorsky, May 7, 2019 

·      Will Amazon pick underdog Newark for its HQ2? Experts worry the city cannot afford to win. Jonathan O’Connell, Washington Post, June 29, 2018

·       Making Sure Murphy Administration Prioritizes Environmental Justice. Colleen O’Dea, NJ Spotlight, April 5, 2018

·       Dirty Little Secrets: New Jersey’s Poorest Live Surrounded by Contamination, By Sarah Gonzalez, WNYC, December 9, 2015

·       Children of Color Are the Most At-Risk Victims of Pollution,Huffington Post, Marcia Yerman, October 28, 2014

Zero Waste and Anti-Incineration Advocacy

·      Revealed: 1.6 Million Americans Live Near the Most Polluting Incinerators, The Guardian, Oliver Milman, May 21, 2019

·       Can we stop burning garbage and calling it renewable, Food and Water Watch, July 24, 2018

·       2015 SXSW ECO, Social Justice Hub,SxSW Eco Conference Video, Austin, TX, October 6, 2015

·       To Meet Waste Goals, NYC Needs to Scrap How it Thinks About Garbage,Cole Rosengren, City Limits, May 22, 2015

Climate Change & Climate Justice

·       New Jersey getting flooded, but many still ignore climate change. USA Inquirer, Anthony Advincula, October 20, 2018

·       Fil-Ams may not know risks of living in New Jersey coastal areas, USA Inquirer, Cristina DC Pastor, September 25, 2018

·       We can improve the well-being of vulnerable communities in New Jersey. New Jersey Climate Adaptation Alliance, March 12, 2018

·       Climate change experts assess NJ’s future. Brenda Flanagan, NJTV News, September 27, 2017

·       Design Contest Leaders Seek Disaster-Minded Urban Planners, David Giambusso, Capital New York, February 22, 2016

·       For the love of God, Climate Change, Care for Our Common Home,The Green Radio Hour, July 2015

·       New Jersey and Climate Change: Impacts and Responses, New Jersey Climate Adaptation Alliance,Rutgers Climate Institute, Released June 2015

Goods Movement and Port Related Emissions

• The invisible hazard afflicting thousands of schools, The Center for Public Integrity, Jamie Smith Hopkins, February 20, 2017
• How the NY/NJ Port Authority Misspent Millions in Federal Money Meant to Cut Air Pollution,ProPublica, Joaquin Sapien, May 23, 2016
• Ironbound Residents Want Truck Emissions Reduced,NJTV, Michael Hill, May 6, 2016
• Hell on Wheels: Port Authority's Broken Promise Is Choking Newark's Kids, The Village Voice, Max Rivlin-Nadler, May 3, 2016
• Why Did Port Authority Scale Back Its Truck Emissions Program? WNYC, May 3, 2016
• Zero Emissions Now,Moving Forward Network, Film prepared for MFN Campaign, June 2015
• Building Bridges,PBS, Need To Know, Television Program, January 2013

Passaic River Superfund

·       The Swap-a-Fish Program That Traded Tilapia for Seafood Contaminated by Agent Orange, AtlasObscura, Reina Gattuso, March 15, 2019

·       Why is There Agent Orange in Newark, RT News America, December 12, 2018

·       Could Trump Administration Undo Toxic Passaic River Fix?Nancy Solomon, WNYC News, January 13, 2017

·       Can the EPA clean up one of America’s most toxic rivers?Washington Post, Brady Dennis, August 19, 2016

·       Why Newark Bay, Justice And The People's Health Hinge On The Exxon Deal,Afrobeat Radio Program on WBAI Pacific Radio Station, 5/5/2015

·       On Newark Bay, Justice and Health Hinge on Exxon Deal,Bob Hennelly, City Limits, April 30, 2015

·      Passaic River is Finally Getting a Cleanup - Partially, Rebeca Ibarra, WNYC, March 4, 2016 

·      Feds pursuing polluters for $1.38B Passaic River cleanup. Scott Fallon, Bergen Record, March 4, 2016

·      EPA: Polluters will pay for $1.4B Passaic River cleanup‪Laura Herzog, Star Ledger, March 4, 2016

Research Interests

Environmental justice, climate justice, land use, zoning and planning approaches to environmental justice, zero waste and anti-incineration, air pollution monitoring and permitting, environmental impacts of global goods movement, critical participatory action research, community based deliberative planning practices, cumulative impacts, Superfund and brownfields policies

Awards And Honors

• Democratizing Knowledge, Mellon Summer Institute Scholar-in-Residence, Rutgers University-Newark, July 2017
• US EPA, Environmental Champions Award, New York, May 2017. 
• Sister Carol Johnston Service Award, Ironbound Community Corporation, October 2016 
• US EPA, Citizen's Excellence in Community Involvement Award, Passaic River Superfund Community Advisory Group, May 2015
• National Award for Smart Growth Achievement, US EPA, Plazas, Parks and Public Spaces: Newark Riverfront Park, April 2015