How to design an energy transition that includes everyone including the most vulnerable New Atlanticist by Katherine Walla
People use face masks to protect themselves from morning smog as they ride on bike along a road. REUTERS/Mohsin Raza
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed an “interdependent” world with “huge issues of inequity,” said Sunita Narain, director general of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). Without addressing these realities, “we cannot deal with the virus, and it’s the same with climate change.”
Narain issued the warning at the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Forum during a panel moderated by Robert Hayward, chief operating officer at Chem-Energy and a Veterans Advanced Energy fellow with the Council’s Global Energy Center. Narain was joined by Bonnie Norman, president of E3 International and Jacqueline Patterson, senior director of the Environmental and Climate Justice Program at the National
i think dr. johnson is absolutely right. we have been a part of this movement. we just haven t gotten the attention for it. moms clean air force, we were down at the national baptist convention in new orleans and had the opportunity to speak about 3,000 women with the womens auxiliary. if there s anything i know, it s when the mothers board get behind something, you have something going on. the stories i heard from those mothers and from the church about how important this is and the things that they re doing right now, lets me know there s a plummovement taking place. it just needs sunshine put on it. they have had an environmental justice program led by jacqueline patterson for 20 years now, and there is a lot of work, great work going on, and we re going to see that elevated on the 20th this friday, there s a global climate strike that s largely led by youth, teenagers of color. so we re seeing a total transformation of the movement, and a new generation coming in to lead as well,
that and show people this is something that ll i mpact your life tomorrow. that can gain tractions among our country. what some of the candidates ha are saying and what they would do? is climate change an issue where african-americans in particular are actively talking about? it is an issue in a niche group of color. i think across the country and not just communities of color everyo even though they are impacted by it. they don t see it as something that ll change the way they live tomorrow even though it will. they re not necessarily going away. tiffany, thank you very much. you will be back with us later on in the show. thank you so much. santiago ali and jacqueline
income community of color. tiffany cross is back with me and jacqueline patterson. all thank you very much for being on the program. jacqueline, let me start with you. this sort of amplifies why climate change is such an important issue for the african-american community of color. more likely to live near polluting industry. african-americans three times likely to die from asthma-related causes than white americans. latinos 50% live in areas where air quality standards do not meet epa standards. jacqueline, talk more about this. yeah, i think you pointed out
talking about the oil disaster that happened one year ago. antonia, you were really trying to get the book done by the anniversary, which you have, so congratulations. but what s the biggest takeaway for someone that wants to pick up this book and read it? that livelihoods have been devastated, the gulf has been devastated, but also, there s absolutely nothing that we learned leading to what caused this disaster and what has changed since, that should make anyone believe that i can t happen again. the lessons have not been learned, the regulations have not been put in place, and bp and transocean and halliburton and the rest of the oil industry haven t shown us that the failures that caused this disaster won t happen again. jacqueline, what s your reaction when you hear that gop lawmakers would like to revive new drilling in the gulf? it is disturbing, because as antonia said, we don t have