July 20, 2004
“For too long, we have overlooked the impact of environmental issues on minority communities in this country. But what we have known -- and what the results from this study confirm -- is that environmental concerns are not abstractions for our communities; they are real, and they affect us in very real ways.”
“We know that environmental decisions disproportionately affect African Americans and other people of color because it is in our communities, our homes, our places, where the worst environmental crises occur. Life expectancy itself is an environmental justice issue. In this country, life expectancy projections are shaped as much by race as by gender. These disparities follow a cradle to grave cycle: beginning with infant mortality, continuing with workplace hazards and increased exposure to pollution, and ending with disparate access to healthcare, diagnoses, and medical treatment.”
“Death rates from asthma and a host of other treatable diseases are also significantly higher among African Americans than any other ethnic group. Asthma rates in Oakland, in my district, are among the highest in the country. In fact, children in West Oakland are seven times more likely to be hospitalized for asthma than children in the rest of California.”
“We need to stop the Bush Administration’s assault on existing environmental protections, including their unwillingness to abide by the Kyoto Protocol, and we need to invest in new solutions that will create livable communities for everyone that will increase our own quality of life, as well as protect the environment around us.”
“We also need to make sure that environmental organizations such as Sierra Club and Greenpeace extend their reach to understand this crucial connection between climate change and the health of minorities. I applaud the efforts of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and Redefining Progress to make this issue real and relevant for the lives of African Americans and other people of color.”
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Congresswoman Barbara Lee Praises Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Study Showing How Climate Change Affects African Americans
Washington, DC – At a press conference today with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) today praised a new study on the impact of climate change on African Americans. The study was done by Redefining Progress, which has an office in Oakland.“For too long, we have overlooked the impact of environmental issues on minority communities in this country. But what we have known -- and what the results from this study confirm -- is that environmental concerns are not abstractions for our communities; they are real, and they affect us in very real ways.”
“We know that environmental decisions disproportionately affect African Americans and other people of color because it is in our communities, our homes, our places, where the worst environmental crises occur. Life expectancy itself is an environmental justice issue. In this country, life expectancy projections are shaped as much by race as by gender. These disparities follow a cradle to grave cycle: beginning with infant mortality, continuing with workplace hazards and increased exposure to pollution, and ending with disparate access to healthcare, diagnoses, and medical treatment.”
“Death rates from asthma and a host of other treatable diseases are also significantly higher among African Americans than any other ethnic group. Asthma rates in Oakland, in my district, are among the highest in the country. In fact, children in West Oakland are seven times more likely to be hospitalized for asthma than children in the rest of California.”
“We need to stop the Bush Administration’s assault on existing environmental protections, including their unwillingness to abide by the Kyoto Protocol, and we need to invest in new solutions that will create livable communities for everyone that will increase our own quality of life, as well as protect the environment around us.”
“We also need to make sure that environmental organizations such as Sierra Club and Greenpeace extend their reach to understand this crucial connection between climate change and the health of minorities. I applaud the efforts of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and Redefining Progress to make this issue real and relevant for the lives of African Americans and other people of color.”
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