In rural South India, Prisha Bhat’s grandmother faced a harsh reality familiar to many people in the region: the devastating impact of drought.
Despite the overwhelming monsoon rains, long bouts of drought can cause arsenic pollution. According to the National Library of Medicine, rice plants under drought stress become susceptible to arsenic uptake and accumulation because genes involved in arsenic uptake and transport may be unregulated and expressed more frequently. When Bhat’s grandmother consumed rice containing arsenic, she was forced to deal with the terrible truth of the situation. Bhat’s perspective changed and she felt compelled to take additional action.
“I essentially started looking for ways that I could remediate those toxic chemicals from the soil through natural means,” Bhat says. “I genetically engineered a rice plant so that it acts like a sponge, so it can absorb that arsenic from the soil while also preventing it from going into the actual edible portions of the plant. It’s almost like a dual-purpose solution in that way.”
Empower Earth is a nonprofit organization started by Plano East Senior High School senior Prisha Bhat with the mission of advancing environmental justice initiatives like the rice plant through both science and social justice.
“I was inspired to do this primarily because of where we live,” Bhat said. “[We live somewhere] that’s car-dependent, no public transport or infrastructure, and honestly, not that many trees around. I was inspired by a lot of the efforts that other cities have taken toward becoming a little bit more green, and I thought that by starting this organization and promoting environmental justice, I could essentially take a step toward that.”
From informative articles to community projects, Empower Earth’s initiatives aim to teach others about environmental injustice.
Through the American Forests Tree Equity Map, Bhat noticed the low tree equity scores in the community and decided to combat the issue. She decided to start small, beginning with her school campus. In April, Bhat, along with other students, planted trees on the Plano East campus to combat tree inequity. According to Bhat, the underlying problem behind the unequal distribution of trees is deeply rooted in the history behind the planning of cities.
According to Beyond Greenspace, oftentimes, when cities are being planned, wealthier communities tend to receive more funding for green infrastructure. The consequence of a lack of trees is the loss of benefits provided by trees. Trees provide a number of health benefits by providing shade, reducing the risk of UV-related complications like skin cancer, and promoting mental health overall, as they can also provide great spots for socialization.
Along with the planting, Empower Earth has partnered with the Texas Tree Foundation to organize sapling giveaway events and distributed several hundred saplings to affected areas within the Dallas-Fort Worth region.
“I just noticed there’s a pretty decent disparity between areas of our community,” Bhat says. “I thought, if there’s any way at all I can help to combat this, I do want to try to do that. So I thought, why not just start small with my campus? I had to do quite a bit of research into which tree specifically to select. I ultimately decided on oak trees, because not only are they native to Texas, but also, when fully grown, they provide a very good amount of shade, and the roots don’t branch outwards, meaning that, no one’s gonna accidentally trip on them.”
Over the course of two months in May and June, Empower Earth held an art exhibit at the Parr Library titled Dose Makes Poison. The local community responded well to the show, Bhat says, which sought to increase public awareness of the pervasiveness of poisons in our surroundings.
Students can join Empower Earth through their website or even start a chapter at their school. Educating oneself on environmental issues, Bhat says, helps their mission.
Empower Earth doesn’t want to stop here. In college, Bhat hopes to expand the organization and help more people learn about environmental justice.
“Probably one of the coolest things is being able to feel that sense of accomplishment, like I’ve done something,” she says. “At the end of the day, it’s gratifying to know that what I’m doing, while it might not immediately have huge effects, eventually, through continued effort, I can bring about at least some positive change in the community.”
