According to the 12th annual survey, the majority of Latino voters living in the west are concerned about climate change, access and other environmental issues. Conservation in the West Poll.
The Colorado Colleges State of the Rockies Project released the poll results last week, and held a press conference webinar Tuesday on Tuesday to discuss how Latino voters view a variety of topics relating to the environment.
Researchers conducted 3,440 interviews via phone and the internet between Jan. 5th to Jan. 23. The interviewees were located in eight western States, with 434 being New Mexicans.
The poll found overwhelming support to protect the environment and increase public access to public lands for all racial groups. The poll also revealed a dim view of the future of nature when looking back at 12 years worth of data. Last year, 36 per cent of respondents stated that they were optimistic about the future. This year, the number is just 28 percent.
Voters expressed concern about water supply, poorly planned growth, development, water pollution, loss of family agriculture and habitat loss, as well as climate change, air quality, and the effects of oil and gas extraction.
According to the poll results, 76% of Republicans, 87% of independent voters, and 96% of Democrats said that candidates’ positions on conservation will play a significant role in deciding their support of a candidate.
In a press statement, Katrina Miller Stevens, Director of the State of the Rockies Project (and an associate professor at Colorado College), stated that we are witnessing a storm of threats that is driving higher levels of concern than ever for the Mountain West’s lands, water, and land. It’s not surprising that most voters support policies to reduce threats by conserving more outdoor spaces.
The poll was open to voters of all races and ethnicities. Tuesday’s webinar, hosted by the Hispanic Access Foundation focused on the responses of Latino voters to the poll.
The Latinos have a clear vision for moving forward in protecting the environment because the health, the houses and the work of the community is in danger, Shawna Edberg, the director of conservation programs of Hispanic Access Foundation, said in Spanish during the webinar.
Edberg then provided statistics on the impact of climate change and pollution on Latino communities. She said that Latino children are more susceptible to developing asthma than white children.
According to Information from the U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyHispanic children are twice more likely to be hospitalized for asthma than white children, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority HealthHispanic children are 40 per cent more likely to die from asthma than non-Hispanic whites.
It is not exaggerated to say that air pollution is a matter of life or death for Latino communities. Edberg stated in Spanish that this is the third year of the COVID-19 epidemic, which has had a greater impact on Latino communities than other groups.
Edberg said that four out five Latino voters want to see the transition away from fossil fuels to clean energy sources like solar and wind.
The poll also indicated support for tighter regulations regarding oil and gas extraction on public lands. It also recommended that extractive industries remove any infrastructure from well sites once they are no longer being used.
Edberg also noted that the majority (almost 90%) of Latinos polled support the America the Beautiful initiative. It aims at conserving 30 percent of the lands, and waters, by 2030. Edberg also pointed out that Latino respondents support new designations to preserve lands and water, such as national park. She said that she was particularly interested in increasing public land access for communities that historically have had less access, like communities of color.
The webinar highlighted some New Mexico initiatives, including the proposed Wild and Scenic River designation of the Gila River and the designation of a national conservation zone in the Caja Del Rio Plateau. This would increase protections for the grasslands and canyons that run along the Santa Fe River and other waterways that drain into the Rio Grande.
The webinar featured a prerecorded video by U.S. Rep. Raul Garijalva, a Democrat representing Arizona and chairman of the Natural Resources Committee.
Grijalva spoke Spanish to say that Latino and Black communities are more vulnerable to pollution. He stated that communities of color are more likely live near contaminated sites.
Grijalva stated that he has introduced legislation known to be called theEnvironmental Justice for All ActThis piece of legislation was passed to protect communities that are affected by pollution and other environmental safety hazards. First hearing since 2020This was earlier in the month. Grijalva stated during the hearing before the Committee on Natural Resources that the bill is based on one simple principle: all people have a right to clean air and clean water. Grijalva stated that polluting industries intentionally targeted low-income and communities of color.
Grijalva stated in Spanish, during the recorded video of the webinar that the federal government could and should work towards environmental justice for all communities.
The webinar concluded with a panel discussion featuring Gabe Vasquez, a former Las Cruces city councilor, the strategy and partnership director of Hispanics Enjoying Camping, hunting, and the Outdoors(HECHO), Juan Prez Sez, the executive Director of Environmental Learning for Kids, and Linda Sosa, a member of the advisory group Por La Creacin.
The questions addressed how politicians could, in the upcoming month, address the decreasing optimism regarding the future of clean water and air.
Prez Sez in Spanish stated that the theme of hope has a lot in common with the current conditions in which we live.
Prez Sez stated in Spanish that if the Latino community doesn’t see change or a series actions that align with their priorities, it affects their attitude about whether change is possible.