Warren Puts Communities Of Color At Heart Of Environmental Justice Plan

"Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren is taking on climate justice in her newest campaign proposal. On Wednesday, the 2020 hopeful released a plan to combat climate change by centering the experiences of people of color.

The rollout comes on the heels of a visit last month to Rashida Tlaib’s Detroit district, considered the most polluted zip code in Michigan and dubbed “Toxic Town.” In the intro to Warren’s plan she acknowledges that “industrial pollution has been concentrated in low-income communities for decades—communities that the federal government has tacitly written off as so-called “sacrifice zones.”

Warren also adds, “But it’s not just about poverty, it’s also about race. A seminal study found that Black families are more likely to live in neighborhoods with higher concentrations of air pollution than white families—even when they have the same or more income. A more recent study found that while whites largely cause air pollution, Blacks and Latinxs are more likely to breathe it in.”"

Tanya A. Christian reports for Essence October 9, 2019.

SEE ALSO:

"Elizabeth Warren Unveils A $1 Trillion Environmental Justice Plan For Low-Income Communities" (CNBC)

"Elizabeth Warren Debuts Ambitious Plan To Tackle Environmental Racism" (Guardian)

Source: Essence, 10/10/2019