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Lots of people do their holiday shopping and returns from the comfort of home. But that convenience comes at a cost.

Taylor: “Because when you have that demand of e-commerce and shopping online, it creates also that demand in warehouse development to store those goods.”

Tolani Taylor of the nonprofit Clean Water Action says her state of New Jersey is home to more than 3,000 warehouses and distribution centers.

According to a recent report co-released by her organization and the Environmental Defense Fund, about a third of the state’s residents live within a half mile of one.

Every day, diesel trucks drive in and out, creating pollution that warms the climate and aggravates asthma and other health issues locally.

Taylor’s group advocates for policies that would limit warehouse development – especially in areas already polluted by power plants, factories, and trucks.

And it pushes for existing warehouses to limit the impact of their operations.

Taylor: “The key thing for current warehouse facilities to do is to electrify, so that includes electrifying their fleet of trucks.”

So convenient online retail does not come at the expense of people’s health.

Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media