Halo

Inspiration

Our inspiration came from the clear yet often invisible overlap between environmental pollution and systemic inequality. Poor communities, especially communities of color, face the brunt of climate change and pollution but are frequently left out of conversations and decisions that impact their health and future. We wanted to make these injustices visible—not just to those affected, but to allies, decision-makers, and everyday people who want to help.

What it does

Climate Justice Map visualizes the intersection of income, race, and air/water pollution on an interactive U.S. map. It empowers users to see how environmental hazards disproportionately affect marginalized communities. The platform allows visitors to sign petitions, contact local representatives, donate to grassroots organizations, and even hire or volunteer for trash pick-up events and mutual aid efforts. Organizations can create profiles to connect with supporters and coordinate climate justice initiatives locally.

How we built it

We built the site using HTML, CSS, and vanilla JavaScript, keeping it lightweight, accessible, and easy to maintain. The interactive map is powered by Leaflet.js, which allowed us to overlay different data layers including income, race, and pollution statistics in a user-friendly way. We used GeoJSON to handle spatial data and added interactivity through custom JavaScript functions—for toggling layers, displaying tooltips, and connecting users with action steps like petitions and organization contact forms. The site is fully responsive and designed for clarity, ensuring that critical information is accessible on both desktop and mobile devices.

Challenges we ran into

Finding reliable, up-to-date, and granular pollution and demographic data.

Balancing clarity and depth on a single map interface without overwhelming users.

Creating a flexible onboarding flow for both citizens and volunteer organizations.

Ensuring data privacy and ethical representation when visualizing vulnerable communities.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Built an intuitive, visually powerful tool that makes systemic injustice easy to understand.

Created actionable next steps (not just data visualization) to drive real-world impact.

Integrated a volunteer/organization system that allows direct engagement in community cleanup and support.

Developed an inclusive platform design accessible to users from all backgrounds.

What we learned

Visual storytelling with data can transform awareness into action.

Technical complexity must always be guided by human-centered design.

Community engagement tools are just as important as informational content.

Collaboration across skill sets (tech, policy, community organizing) yields stronger impact.

What's next for Halo

Expand globally with layered datasets from other countries. Add real-time alerts for environmental hazards and cleanup events. Build a mobile app version with geo-notifications and volunteer matching. Partner with local orgs, schools, and climate justice movements for deeper impact. Introduce storytelling features where affected residents can share their voices directly on the map.

Built With

• css
• html
• javascript
• windsurf