Latino Climate Justice Framework report - published by Green Latinos

Season 1, Episode 18,   Feb 13, 2023, 03:50 PM

In this episode, Vanguardia America welcomes some of the folks behind the national coalition, Green Latinos, about an impactful report called the Latino Climate Justice Framework. The report takes an in-depth look at climate and environmental issues affecting the Latino community nationwide.

Our guests include: Irene Burga is the Climate and Clean Air Program Director for GreenLatinos; Catalina Gonzalez, Climate Policy Analyst for the Center for Progressive Reform; and Louis Medina, Communications and Philanthropy Director at Friends of the Inyo. 

According to leading scientists, we have until 2030 — a little over seven years — to dramatically cut carbon emissions and stop, or at least slow, the warming of the planet, which has already resulted in extreme temperatures, scorching fires, worsening droughts, flooding and a range of other impacts in the world we all share. 

In the meantime, racism, classism and political apathy in the U.S. put Latinos and other communities of color, especially among low income families, on the frontlines of the climate crisis. 

As we’ll hear in the interview, the poor and working class often face the brunt of environmental pollution and climate change impacts because they live in communities where they’re generally more exposed to things like factories, warehouses, freeways and other pollution sources.

The widening income gap in the U.S. is one reason behind the disparate impacts of climate change, say experts, because Latino households, on average, have significantly less resources they can tap to help combat the effects of climate change than white households. Census figures show the median wealth of Latino families in 2019 was $36,100 as compared to $188,200 for white families.

For more information about this report, go to www.greenlatinos.org.