Dems’ Unity Platform: Combat Climate Change, Build Clean Energy Economy, and Environmental Justice

Dems’ Unity Platform: Combat Climate Change, Build Clean Energy Economy, and Environmental Justice

The Democrats will hold their virtual Convention this week, and even had it been in person, the usual drama and disputes are nowhere to be found — the party has unified around the ticket and the platform, and climate change and environmental issues are a huge priority.

Why This Matters:  Taking a step back to recall where the Democrats began in early 2019, with the Green New Deal and the rise of progressive voices on climate in the Congress, many expected at that time that the divisions would widen and worried that a shift to the left might splinter off centrist Dems and play into the hands of the President and Republicans.  Oh, what a difference 18 months makes.

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Even As Air Pollution Drops, Communities of Color in the U.S. Still Breathe Dirtier Air

Even As Air Pollution Drops, Communities of Color in the U.S. Still Breathe Dirtier Air

Although absolute disparities in terms of exposure to air pollution have fallen, relative disparities remain a new study published this week in Science showed. What they found, in the words of Emily Holden in The Guardian, was that “wealthy white Americans are still getting to breathe cleaner air than lower-income communities of color, despite significant nationwide reductions in pollution since the 1980s.”

Why This Matters: We see time and time again how intimately intertwined environmental justice is with racial justice. It is not enough that the absolute disparity of air pollution has fallen.

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Will We Ensure Environmental Justice in the COVID-19 Recovery?

Will We Ensure Environmental Justice in the COVID-19 Recovery?

For many who live near refineries, incinerators, and other heavy industry, lockdowns and shelter in place orders like we have all experienced lately are a far too common occurrence.  The New York Times took a closer look at these communities to show why the residents are so vulnerable to the disease. 

Why This Matters:  Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali explained to put the COVID deaths into context, “we know more than 100,000 people die prematurely in the U.S. every year because of air pollution.”

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