Dear John, 

While climate change hurts us all, low-income communities, communities of color, and people pushed to the margins bear the brunt of the impact. Thanks to redlining, housing segregation, and the racial wealth gap, communities of color are more likely to experience the effects of climate change and less able to recover from it than white communities. For example, while Black Americans breathe 56 percent more air pollution than they cause, white Americans breathe 17 percent less than they create (1).

The environmental justice movement responds to this inequality by making sure that communities most impacted by the climate crisis are included in discussion and implementation of climate solutions. It brings racial justice to the struggle against climate change.

Environmental justice is the goal. But how do we get there?

If we want to make environmental justice a reality, we need a solution that addresses the connections between economic inequality, racial inequality, and climate change. We can start by investing in climate. By creating well-paid, high quality jobs in the clean energy sector, we can improve our economy and slash emissions. At the same time, these new jobs will benefit marginalized communities and help to reduce the disparities that exacerbate the impact of the climate crisis.

We all deserve a liveable environment, but only you can make that happen. Stand up for marginalized communities today; tell your elected officials to prioritize climate action in future economic recovery legislation.

In solidarity, 

Lotanna Obodozie
Advocacy Associate
Generation Progress

P.S. After you’ve taken action, learn more about who is most impacted by the climate crisis and environmental justice by reading my new blog.
 

Citations:

(1) https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190311152735.htm