| Dear Katy, The Trump administration declared war on our climate on day one. Trump rolled back auto regulations, opened public lands to fossil-fuel polluters, sabotaged the EPA and just officially withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Accord.1 But even the Trump administration admits environmental racism is real. A report from the Trump EPA shows that people of color are far more likely to live near polluted areas and to breathe polluted air.2 It adds weight to what we already know: the worst effects of climate change land hardest onimmigrants, communities of color, low-income communities and indigeous peoples.3 Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Kamala Harris have a new bill – the Climate Equity Act – that would put fixing racial injustice at the heart of U.S. climate policy.4 The Climate Equity Act is one of the major planks of the Green New Deal, and we need to show massive support for it. Tell Congress: Fight environmental racism. Pass the Climate Equity Act now. Click here to sign the petition. Every region of the United States is already experiencing the destructive effects of climate change. From record flooding to unprecedented wildfires to extreme weather, climate change is here today. Scientists tell us we have little more than a decade to prevent the most catastrophic climate scenarios.5 But climate change hits some communities harder than others. Low-income communities, communities of color, immigrants, indigenous peoples, rural Americans, the elderly, the unhoused and people with disabilities disproportionately feel the effects of climate change. Whether they live in low-lying areas, near sources of pollution or simply cannot guard against storms and wildfires, these communities are on the frontlines of climate change. Even the best environmental legislation in the past – like the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts – focuses on broad effects and ignores crucial instances of racism and environmental injustice.6 The Climate Equity Act, in contrast, centers the problems of frontline communities. It would mandate that all environmental legislation receive an equity score of its effects on different communities, force the executive branch to do extra investigation of policies that have a disparate impact on frontline communities and create special advisory roles so advocates and representatives from these communities have a seat at the table.7 Tackling environmental racism and creating climate equity is key to achieving true environmental justice. The Climate Equity Act will protect frontline communities – and we need to show every member of Congress just how much support it has. Tell Congress: Fight environmental racism. Pass the Climate Equity Act now. Click below to sign the petition: https://act.credoaction.com/sign/climate-equity-act?t=9&akid=34755%2E12967895%2EPnfkY6 Thank you for speaking out, Jelani Drew, Campaign Manager
CREDO Action from Working Assets Add your name: References: - Katrina vanden Heuvel, "Trump's greatest dereliction of duty — his disgraceful denial of climate change," The Washington Post, Nov. 5, 2091.
- Vann R. Newkirk II, "Trump's EPA Concludes Environmental Racism Is Real," The Atlantic, Feb. 28, 2019.
- Sen. Kamala Harris, "The Climate Equity Act."
- Ibid.
- Jonathan Watts, "We have 12 years to limit climate change catastrophe, warns UN," The Guardian, Oct. 8, 2018.
- Sen. Kamala Harris, "The Climate Equity Act."
- Ibid.
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