|
New America Media , News Report, Jessica Cheung , Posted: May 22, 2012 Minority populations across the south and southwest are especiallyvulnerable to climate change, according to a new report put out bythe Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. Local andstate governments, it also found, are failing to integrate suchconcerns into their climate disaster plans. "Only three states (Arizona, Arkansas, New Mexico) haveclimate change plans," noted the study"s co-author,Nadia Siddiqui, during a teleconference Monday discussing thefindings. She added researchers found "no evidence ofplanning for racially and ethnically diverse populations in anystate" included in the study. Siddiqui is Senior Health Policy Analyst with the Texas HealthInstitute (THI), which conducted the study. Joint Center President and CEO Ralph B. Everett said in the reportthe project"s aim is to "encourage the development ofpolicies that engage diverse populations while bringingenvironmental justice to their communities." The states included in the study, titled Climate Change,Environmental Challenges and Vulnerable Communities: AssessingLegacies of the Past, Building Opportunities for the Future, wereArizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas. Siddiqui pointed out the results were based in part on reviews ofexisting Web sites and literature relating to plans for coping withclimate change, as well as from talks with "representativesfrom across the states." All agreed, she said, "this isan area that has not been fully planned for." Part of the problem, she explained, is a lack of awareness amongpolicymakers of the varying degrees of vulnerability to climatechange from one community to the next. Such issues as poverty,little to no access to health care and other social inequitiescommon to minority communities make them more susceptible to thedamaging effects of climate change, she said. According to the report, nearly one in five residents living in theregion fall below the federal poverty line, one in five adultsdescribe their health status as fair or poor, and one in 10 peoplehave Limited English Proficiency (LEP). "For many communities, the convergence of socio-economic,health, and climate concerns elevates their risk for a climatechange related perfect storm," Siddiqui said. Using Louisiana as an example, she pointed to the high rates ofpoverty coexisting alongside "concentrations of diversity,high rates of obesity, healthcare access challenges… and allof that combined with climate concerns (sea level rise, poor airquality). It is the convergence of all these issues that elevatesand puts these communities at risk." Minority communities have long borne the brunt of environmentaldegradation in this country. A recent article by PhaedraEllis-Lamkins, executive director with the Oakland-based Green forAll, which advocates for the adoption of clean energy, noted"that of the 8 million people living within three miles ofpolluting coal-fired power plants, a disproportionate number arepeople of color." Citing statistics showing that one-in-six African American childrensuffers from asthma as a result of their proximity to toxicindustries, compared to one-in-ten nationally, Ellis-Lamkins writeselected officials will "have to pay more attention to theissues pressing [minority] families." THI Senior Research Scientist Dennis Andrulis agrees. DuringMonday"s teleconference he noted that part of the solutionhas to come through the political engagement of minority groups."[We must] integrate vulnerable populations," he said,taking their concerns and using them to build representationthrough task forces and advisory groups. "We found that there were a number of [these] advisorygroups," Andrulis said. "But rarely was there anyattention to vulnerable populations in these groups, in theirmissions, in their objectives… communities of color werealmost totally absent." "Despite the heightened sense of alarm, states and manycommunities are ignoring these communities in their disasterplanning and other initiatives," Andrulis said in an emailrelease. "In moving forward state and local officials must doa better job of making sure those most vulnerable are a core partof their plans and actions.". We are high quality suppliers, our products such as Led Digital Wrist Watch , China Digital Sports Wrist Watch for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Waterproof Silicone Watch.
Related Articles -
Led Digital Wrist Watch, China Digital Sports Wrist Watch,
|
