Isabella Blanco

Isabella Blanco joined ELI as a Research Associate in August 2023. She is currently engaged in projects aimed at researching nature-based solutions throughout the Mississippi River basin and providing support to ELI’s Pro Bono Clearinghouse. Additionally, she contributes to the Environmental Law Reporter’s International Update. Prior to becoming a part of ELI, Isabella interned at organizations such as the Natural Resources Defense Council and Wisconsin Sea Grant, where she tackled issues related to freight pollution and water justice, respectively. During her college years, she held the position of Research Fellow at the UCLA Luskin Center for History and Policy, where she conducted research on the history and trends of environmental justice language within California state policy. Furthermore, she played an active role in successfully passing a campus referendum that enabled free transit passes for all undergraduates. Her senior capstone project concentrated on the impacts of warehouse pollution in Southern California’s Inland Empire. She collaborated with a team to develop policy reports and visual aids that demonstrated the unequal levels of harm to communities located near warehouse facilities. As a Mexican American, her passions revolve around advancing environmental justice in communities that have historically borne the burden of the climate crisis. She is originally from Santa Maria, CA and graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2023 with a B.S. in Environmental Science, along with a minor in Environmental Systems and Society.