This draft legislative proposal introduced in the House and Senate would help address issues of environmental injustice.
John,
The dangers of pollution are not borne equally.
The racial makeup of neighborhoods, for example, can be a strong predictor of where chemical and plastics facilities and power plants are located — and these are often disproportionately sited in socially and economically disadvantaged communities.
Low-income and rural communities, and communities of color, should not have the disproportionate burdens of air and water contamination.
A lack of resources or political power prevents the residents of these communities from fighting the development of chemical and plastics facilities and power plants, causing deep environmental injustice.1,2 And, as our recent research shows, some popular climate policies, like cap and trade, actually make environmental injustice worse.3
Meanwhile, the energy and fracking industry is pushing for a colossal number of new petrochemical facilities, gas-fired power plants and liquefied natural gas export terminals — yet state and federal regulators have not assessed the impact of this building boom on the communities where these plants would be located.4,5
The Climate Equity Act focuses on communities most impacted by the climate crisis and ensures they have a seat at the table when it comes to environmental policy, regulation and projects that directly impact their communities.6
Food & Water Action and its affiliated organization, Food & Water Watch, are advocacy groups with a common mission to protect our food, water and climate. This email was sent to [email protected] - and we're glad you got it, because it's one of the most important ways you can reclaim political power, hold elected officials accountable and resist corporate control.
