There’s no climate justice without racial justice
Energy and electricity are universal necessities. And yet, they are not experienced in the same way by all communities. In South Florida, communities of color incur disproportionately higher electricity bills even when they qualify for low-income energy assistance. The energy sector lies at the heart of climate and social justice, and the movements for racial justice and environmental sustainability are inextricable. This is due to communities of color being disproportionately impacted by climate change and not always benefiting from clean-energy efforts or programs. Since Black Americans are 52% more likely to live in areas experiencing the impacts of urban heat island effects, and approximately 66% of U.S. Latinos live in areas that do not meet the federal government’s air-quality standards, it’s time Florida passes a 100% renewable-energy policy to protect our marginalized communities.
Redlining, along with a long history of segregation, places communities of color in areas that face the greatest flood and hurricane risk. Communities impacted by systemic racism also live in areas with the poorest air quality and the largest burden of pollution. This is because African Americans are more likely to live near coal-fired power plants, oil and gas refining plants while suffering from the ill effects of that.
And, if not near a power plant, they’re often near other industrial facilities that burn fossil fuels. In fact, 68% of African Americans live within 30 miles of a coalfired power plant, a reality that is tied to lower property values.
But it doesn’t end there. Black and brown people are more likely to die from power plant pollution. The placement of carbon-emitting facilities near low-income neighborhoods has led to children in these areas being hospitalized for asthma attacks and dying from those attacks. Adults are more likely to have lung disease even though they smoke at lower rates.
The burning of fossil fuels releases greenhouse gas emissions that drive human-caused climate change. It is evident that while communities affected by systemic racism are less likely to contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, they are more impacted by climate change.
Understanding these disparities shows us that finding solutions to address the climate crisis isn’t sustainable without socio-economic and racial equity. Renewable energy provides a promising and hopeful change to address some of the disproportionate impacts of the climate crisis on Black, brown, and Indigenous communities. Clean energies like solar and wind power don’t directly emit greenhouse gases.
These technologies are key tools in what’s termed a “just transition,” which is the process creating an economy based on low-carbon power sources that has a minimal output of greenhouse gas, while providing opportunity and support for those that the fossil fuel industry has historically harmed the most.
Florida’s House and Senate have introduced two bills in the Legislature, HB 283 and SB 720, to transition our state to 100% renewable energy. Supporting this legislation can bring meaningful change to the state of our climate and the livelihood of our communities. Energy bill savings, job creation, and public health are just some of the benefits intrinsically linked to renewable energy.
Black, brown and indigenous communities are already facing lack of access to sustainable energy and are experiencing disproportionate utility shutoffs. Energy policies like HB 283 and SB 720 would ensure more comfortable living conditions in Black, brown and Indigenous communities while lowering energy burdens.
The climate crisis is an urgent matter that requires a solution centered on human rights, equity and justice. All Floridians should be protected from the negative effects of climate change and able to lead lives of dignity on a healthy planet.
We owe that to the planet, and we owe it to those who’ve been told over and over again to wait for justice and for the chance to make a better life. The wait ends now.