[ad_1]
Lately I’ve found myself thinking about one of the last conversations I had with the late Congressman John R. Lewis. It was a normal chat, touching on all kinds of things, but I remember him clearly saying, in that way that only he could: “As custodians of this piece of real estate called America, we have an obligation and responsibility to leave it a little greener, a little cleaner and a little better than we found it, especially for our children and grandchildren.”
For the better part of two decades, that moment has stayed with my heart, and I now see it, or its core sentiment, echoing throughout most of America.
It’s clear that something is happening right now. Whether it’s the political pushback from Trump-era deregulationThe Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Publishing a Report that outlines climate change’s disproportionate impacts on communities of color, or the rolling blackouts like those that have occurred in California or that happened in Texas this monthPeople are starting to see the environmental justice movement as more urgent than ever, despite the fact that it was disproportionately affecting Black and Brown families.
It’s time for politicians to understand that climate change isn’t some fringe issue owned by activists and intellectuals anymore. People care — particularly people who look like me and end up The bruntIncreasing sea levels and more frequent, stronger storms.
In short: the climate crisis has a color and it ain’t just green. It’s Black.
Consider that the United States will be impacted by increased flooding. $40 billion annually by 2050This is a 26 percent increase in the number of people affected than today. It is likely that Black communities will be the most severely affected and the least able for recovery.
Consider this: As global temperatures rise, Black people are becoming more vulnerable. 40 percent more likely to live in “heat islands” where the threat of heat death is the highest.
Consider the fact that families with low incomes and minorities are often considered to be 50 percent more likelyPeople who live near busy roads or highways are more likely to be exposed to harmful pollutants. This increases the risk of developing asthma and other chronic respiratory problems in minority communities.
Take into consideration that More than half of Black Americans are employed live in the South, where more frequent and stronger storms, such as September’s Hurricane Ida, often leave Black communities in ruins.
And, consider all of this, along with the racial wealth gap that leaves many Black families without the resources to rebuild or even protect themselves, and you can see why national organizations are launching major environmental justice programs, such as Dream Corps’s Green for All.
It’s why the NAACP unapologetically declares that “Environmental and climate justice are civil rights issues.”
This reality is not for everyone. The 2021 bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs ActEPA plans to invest close to $15 billion in five-year dedicated funding to replace lead water lines. Many of these lines will be in predominantly Black or Brown communities like Flint, Mich., S.C. and Flint, Mich.
To top it all, President Biden
Joe BidenThe US ambassador to UN labels Putin’s peacekeeping forces “nonsense”. The US moves the Ukrainian Embassy staff to Poland UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting upon request from Ukraine LEARN MORE’s Build Back Better (BBB) initiative would have earmarked $555 billion for the largest effort to combat climate change in American history, 40 percent of which would impact disadvantaged communities such as ours. It has been opposed by every Republican. In limboSince Sens. Joe Manchin
Joe ManchinOvernight Energy & Environment — Court ruling delays oil and gas leasing US and Egypt form a joint working group in preparation for the UN climate change summit Collins stresses the need for reform of the Electoral Count Act. Peaceful transfer power shouldn’t require heroes.’ LEARN MORE(D.W.Va. Kyrsten Sinema
Kyrsten SinemaDemocrats attempt to regroup ahead of rough November White House Chief of Staff to Address Senate Democrats Sinema has an excellent opportunity to stand by small businesses LEARN MORE(D-Ariz.), joined their GOP colleagues in Senate to eliminate BBB.
But the naysayers are operating under the old rules, where environmental issues mostly didn’t register outside of college campuses and Sierra Club meetings. Those rules don’t apply anymore and, as a result, shortsighted politicians may be risking their political futures along with our lives.
It’s simple: When the air is thick with toxins or a neighborhood floods with every thunderstorm or king tide, “I can’t breathe” isn’t just about George Floyd anymore.
Antjuan Seawright, a Democratic political strategist, founder, and CEO of Blueprint Strategy LLC, a senior visiting fellow at Third Way, and a CBS News contributor to the political section. Follow him on twitter @antjuansea.
[ad_2]
