Advancing Climate Justice - Conference 2009

Profile | José T. Bravo, Just Transition Alliance

2009-02-02T22:49:00.006-05:00

CLIMATE JUSTICE STORY

José T. Bravo,
Executive Director,
Just Transition Alliance,
Chula Vista, California

Catching Jose Bravo as he's traveling from San Diego to Los Angeles, he describes the kinds of effects of climate change that he sees in California.

"In the inner cities like LA, temperatures are going up dramatically," says Bravo. "There's a higher incidence of asthma, a higher incidence of heat-related death. We see more dust problems, we see more particulate problems, and we see other problems."

A longtime California resident, Bravo is a leader in cleaning up Californian communities. He is a co-convener for Californians for a Healthy and Green Economy (CHANGE) and the head of Just Transition Alliance, an umbrella organization for environmental justice groups.

Jose has been a crusader for green public transit systems. In the communities in which he works, bus depots, oil refineries, fuel depots and chemical plants often emit carbon and other pollutants, jeopardizing the health of communities of color and low-income populations, communities where it's less likely that people have health insurance and other resources to heal from disease.

On the phone at his office in Chula Vista, California, in community meetings with hardworking people of the inner city, and pounding the pavement in Californian towns, Bravo works to bring just policies to vulnerable communities so that they can breathe clean air, drink clean water, and build local economies modeled on natural systems.

"From an environmental justice standpoint, this means communities of color or low-income communities that have historically housed these types of industries will be much safer," says Bravo.

One of the things that Jose is especially concerned with is cultural practices that are lost and transformed by climate change related natural disasters, and as sea level rises and land slowly disappears underwater. He describes cultural land that was impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

"There are native Americans that lived in the area of Louisiana whose culture is very specific to that land," says Bravo. "Hurricane Katrina had an impact on the culture of the South. The hurricane worked to erode some of that culture that had been there for many, many years."

As Bravo rushes to his next appointment with communities in LA, it's clear that people like Bravo are inspired and empowered to bring about the solutions to the climate change challenge that work to benefit all people equally.

Profile | Kimberly Wasserman Nieto, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization

2009-02-02T21:05:00.001-05:00

CLIMATE JUSTICE STORY

Kimberly Wasserman Nieto,
Coordinator,
Little Village Environmental Justice Organization,
Chicago, Illinois

From her window in the South Lawndale section of Chicago, Kimberly Wasserman Nieto sees signs in nature that climate change is going to get worse, not better. “During the summer heat waves, older citizens pass on. In the winter, with rising gas prices, people can’t afford the heating bills, so they freeze in their homes.”

Nieto, a mother of three children and a lifelong resident of South Lawndale (also called “Little Village”), works as the coordinator for Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO). Their mission is to improve overall environment in their community by operating five campaigns that promote public transit, leadership development, open spaces for parks and gardens, healthy eating, and the closing of coal power pants. The Little Village's zip code has the third worse air pollution in the eight-county Chicago Metropolitan area. Toxic air pollution has public health repercussions, including higher rates of asthma.

“People on the ground are taking charge of these problems to create change. Slapping a band aid on the problem is not going to work. Building more coal and nuclear power plants aren't the answer, either,” says Nieto. LVEJO, its community, and Nieto are empowering residents to reverse air pollution. They advocate for more and better public transit to reduce car emissions and build new urban gardens to create clean air. They conduct public education on the costs of coal power. This year, they sponsored a Coalympics, a competition in the Little Village neighborhood aimed at raising awareness to two nearby coal-fired power plants that pollute the city skies.

“If I had the opportunity to talk to President Obama, I’d say, ‘Say no to coal. Technology is good but it is not the answer to everything. We know coal is dirty, and that doesn't change when you put the word clean in front of it,” says Nieto. A coal power plant is located in Little Village and another is not far away. LVEJO statistics link more than 40 premature deaths each year to power plant pollution, as well as 1,000 asthma attacks and 500 emergency room visits. Health conditions could worsen in the years to come, especially considering that over 100 various schools lie within a two-mile radius of a plant. “Privatization of energy is the problem. We need to bring energy back to the community and stop letting CEOs make millions of dollars from energy,” says Nieto.

LVEJO is attending the WE ACT sponsored Advancing Climate Justice: Transforming the Economy, Public Health and Our Environment conference in New York to join a chorus of advocates for climate justice. “We can hook up with other brothers and sister across the nation to make the voice even stronger,” says Nieto.

MediaBlast | Grist's Gristmill: The environmental news blog

2009-02-02T20:17:00.001-05:00

Peter B. Meyer, Guest Contributor on Gristmill, covers EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson's first public appearance at WE ACT's Advancing Climate Justice conference.

Advancing climate justice: EPA Administrator Jackson's first public appearance

MediaBlast | Green Inc: The Blog of the New York Times

2009-02-02T19:58:00.002-05:00

Mireya Navarro covers the new EPA chief, Lisa P. Jackson's, first pubic appearance at WE ACT's Advancing Climate Justice conference.

‘A Sister’ Takes the Helm at E.P.A.

Pictures | Professional Photographer's Photos Received

2009-02-02T17:01:00.000-05:00

The photos from our professional photographer, Annie Etheridge at Trueblue Pictures, have been received. We will be using them in various ways and wanted to remind everyone about the notice that was posted at the conference regarding the on-site video and photography:

"Video and/or photography will take place today at this conference. The recordings will be used for WE ACT’s web site and/or for any educational/instructional media and publicity material (including but not limited to videos, DVD’s, CD-ROMs, or printed materials) developed and distributed by WE ACT for the purposes of promoting the issue of Climate Justice and the WE ACT Advancing Climate Justice Conference."

Send comments to climatejustice@weact.org.

Liveblog | Closing Performance

2009-01-30T17:44:00.008-05:00

If you weren't here you just missed an AMAZING end performance to WE ACT's Advancing Climate Justice Conference. The incredible artistic group Climbing Poetree graced everyone with an unforgettable performance. To get more information about the specific piece they performed at the event, called "Hurricane Season," go to http://www.hurricaneseasontour.com/. To get more general information about these two talented artists, Alixa + Naima, visit them at http://www.climbingpoetree.com/.

Pictures | Some snapshots from the day's workshops

2009-01-30T16:24:00.009-05:00

[Photos: Sam Lewis]

GetACTIVE | Conference participants sign on to support America's Energy Security Trust Fund Act

2009-01-30T15:00:00.008-05:00

Kiosk systems distributed throughout the main space at the conference hall put participants in touch with history. By allowing it's over 400 attendees to sign on to a letter primarily addressed to The Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, participants were able to getACTIVE by letting their numbers be heard. The letter asked that Speaker Pelosi support the reintroduced passage of H.R. 3416, America's Energy Security Trust Fund Act.

MediaBlast | TAPPED: The group blog of The American Prospect

2009-01-30T14:49:00.007-05:00

The Advancing Climate Justice conference gets TAPPED... on the group blog of The American Prospect. Take a look at their posts and catch up with the reader comments:

MediaBlast | Massey Media controls the press

2009-01-30T14:23:00.000-05:00

The team at Massey Media should get all of the credit they deserve as the press came out in force to cover this national Advancing Climate Justice conference. In attendance at the conference to manage all of the media needs were Sarah Massey (picture right), principal, and Lacy MacAuley, Project Manager (not pictured). Aside from traditional TV, radio and print media, Massey Media also helped to coordinate the efforts of volunteer and dedicated live-bloggers also at the event.

Liveblog | Workshop: Politics of Climate Change

2009-01-30T13:27:00.011-05:00

MODERATOR: Charles Komanoff, The Carbon Tax Center

PRESENTERS: Dr. Daniel Faber, Northeastern University; Peter Goldmark, Environmental Defense Fund; Dr. Rachel Morello-Frosch, University of California – Berkeley; J. Timmons Roberts, The College of William and Mary; Dr. Nicky Sheats, Thomas Edison State College

[1:28p] Charles Komanoff, the workshop's moderator, opened the session with a "confession": As a proponent of the "carbon tax approach" to carbon emission mitigation, he was the "recipient of undeserved gifts" from the environmental justice community:

"Some of the points of support for a carbon tax could also apply to cap and trade; some of the points of support for cap and trade could also apply to carbon tax."

He advised the panel and audience to "move past simple pronouncements", and to have a "thoughtful" discussion about the "real consequences" of each approach.

[1:32p] Dr. Faber, the first speaker, noted the recent "mobilization of a sophisticated infrastructure" of "think-tanks and industry partners" with the goal of advancing policies designed to escape strict regulation of carbon and co-pollutant emissions. He listed his issues with the "cap and trade" approach:

"It has been demonstrated that cap and trade can impose higher electricity prices on the consumer."
"Cap and trade stifles innovation" by allowing companies to escape the requisite technological innovations by purchasing offset credits.
"Cap and trade" approaches are "fundamentally undemocratic" because of a lack of "transparency" and the consequent "strong incentive to manipulate numbers".

Dr. Faber's criticisms of a carbon tax approach were markedly fewer:

"A carbon tax does not necessarily prevent toxic hotspots from occurring"

[1:46p] Peter Goldmark opened his remarks with his (and EDF's) general position: "We are racing against a ticking clock", and therefore it was politically "unlikely" that a carbon tax could be effective enough in the short term. With respect to an issue raised about international equality, he posed a "challenge to the advocates" of a carbon tax approach: "Can you show me an example of an area where carbon tax has adequately addressed the needs of the poor?"

He went on to cite functional examples of a working cap and trade system: "The lesson of Europe is that cap and trade can produce sharp reductions" despite Europe's initial over-allocation of carbon credits, which Mr. Goldmark said was something "we could learn from".

Mr. Goldmark "respectfully" disagreed with Dr. Faber, pointing out the "pressing" need to pass carbon legislation "this year".

[1:55p] The next speaker, Dr. Nicky Sheats, listed desirable outcomes of hypothetical climate policy:

Emission reductions must be "in and near [environmental justice] neighborhoods".
"Whatever the market-based approach, we must pump revenues back into [environmental justice] neighborhoods."
Regulation attached to carbon legislation "must address co-pollutant issues", because fine particulate emissions "kills people of color" at "disproportionately high rates".

Responding to Mr. Goldmark's challenge, Dr. Sheats said "I don't know of an example of cap and trade that has benefited poor people", which elicited no clear response from Mr. Goldmark.

[2:05p] Dr. J. Timmons Roberts, the fourth speaker, further contributed to Mr. Goldmark's discussion about "international equality":

"The developing countries have been shafted; they've been asked to give up their agenda for development that they have been pursuing since the 1970's"

He argued for an "international tax" which be collected and distributed by a non-governmental entity. He cited the "experience of foreign aid" that showed that "nations don't always follow through on their promises. The injustice is so savage."

[2:19p] Dr. Rachel Morello-Frosch, the fifth and final speaker, talked about a "challenge between efficiency and equity approaches to GHG emissions", and suggested the conception of "climate opportunity zones" which would focus on "regionally based reduction". She provided analysis linking reductions in "GHG emissions" with projected "20% reductions in rates of cancers caused by air pollution".

Dr. Morello-Frosch suggested that regulations for regional reductions in carbon and co-pollutant emissions should be considered in tandem with broader approaches: "Whatever interventions we talk about, place does matter, co-pollutants do matter."

[2:28p] Moderator Charles Komanoff opened the panel to questions from the audience.

"Why advocate tradeable permits as opposed to non-tradeable permits?" Mr. Goldmark responded by citing the "dynamic" aspect of the trading process, which he said would spur innovation. He also said that the market aspect of the cap and trade system was what would drive prices down. He further pointed out that even though reductions in co-pollutant should be geographically-based, reductions in carbon emissions could happen anywhere.

A questioner took issue with Mr. Goldmark's assertion - that reductions in co-pollutants should be geographically-based, but reductions in carbon emissions could happen anywhere - citing her observation that in most cases, carbon and co-pollutant source points were identical (her examples: "oil refinery" and "cement factory"). Mr. Goldmark reiterated his statement, which was technically correct, but did not address the issue that was implicit in the questioners comment: How do you effectively separate the two?

Liveblog | EPA Admin. Lisa Jackson and the Morning Plenary

2009-01-30T11:25:00.026-05:00

The Politics of Climate Change: Steps to Achieving Just Climate Change Solutions

MODERATOR: Deehon Ferris, Sustainable Community Development Group

PRESENTERS: David Doniger, Natural Resources Defense Council; Howard Learner, Environmental Law & Policy Center; Amy O’Donnell, Chief of Staff, Office of Rep. John B. Larson

[11:27a] Moderator Deeohn Ferris opened the plenary by framing the debate between "carbon tax" and "cap and trade" approaches to carbon mitigation, and she offered some observations about the national conversation to far: "There is heavy emphasis on 'market-based solutions', and a heavy dependence on rewarding the private sector."

[11:34a] The first presenter, David Doniger, spoke about the National Resource Defense Council's support for a "cap and trade" approach:

"The problem is so severe, the hour so late, that NRDC's position is that we need to enact legislation this year. We must build on the momentum of Obama's first year, not wait for the slowdown that inevitably occurs during congressional election years."

He went on to say that we need to "pass legislation with the congress we have, not the congress we want".

[11:40a] Mr. Doniger empathized with the environmental justice community's concern with offsets, but submitted that given the "political realities" in Washington, a pragmatic approach was the only way to get a bill passed: "We must be idealistic and realistic at the same time, and we must succeed this year."

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[11:43a] Moderator Deehon Ferris interrupted the scheduled roundtable discussion to introduce the afternoon's keynote speaker, the Honorable Lisa Jackson, who is President Obama's new EPA Administrator. She received a standing ovation.

[11:55a] Administrator Jackson highlighted some of the upcoming "difficulties" facing the EPA:

She first indicated the need to "unlock" the "experts in the agency", and said that their "voices are essential" to the development of an "honest" conversation about science.
The administrator noted that the EPA had a "backlog" of court and regulatory decisions that need to be "looked at very closely", and further cited the need for the EPA to begin compliance with rulings and laws already on the books.
She then outlined how the agency could "move toward regulation" by addressing whether the threats posed by climate change could be legally classified as "endangerment". She indicated that this classification could help "trigger new legislation".

[Editorial interpolation: Administrator Jackson's statements here could be reasonably classified as "breaking news".]

[12:03p] Administrator Jackson concluded her remarks and offered to take questions from the audience. The first questioner asked if the EPA could have a "honest discussion" about the "environmental impacts" of hurricane Katrina - "as soon as you get the chance, please come to New Orleans". The administrator responded by asking community organizations in New Orleans to "demand scientific information" from the agency. The administrator reiterated an earlier promise to visit New Orleans "soon".

[12:10p] The second questioner asked the Administrator Jackson to address the "environmental justice issue of predatory lending" that "throws us out on the street". The administrator responded by empathizing with the questioners concerns and stated that she hoped to "transition the EPA" into an institution that "truly serves".

The next questioner asked about "the future of young people" and "people of color" in the EPA. Administrator Jackson responded: "We clearly need to diversify the EPA's staff", which elicited jubilant applause from the audience. She said that she wanted to create an EPA that "looks like the people we serve", and to work to move "people of color into positions of management and decision-making".

The fourth and final questioner commented, negatively, on the "80% highway, 20% public transportation mix" of the new stimulus package. The administrator agreed with the comment, calling it an "extraordinarily important point", and said that it was "a personal goal of [her's]" to work on "changing that ratio".

[12:19p] The administrator thanked the audience and exited to uproarious applause and a standing ovation.

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[12:21p] The plenary moderator, Deehon Ferris, resumed the scheduled roundtable by introducing the next speaker, Howard Learner.

Mr. Learner repeatedly emphasized that "efficiency" was the "best way" to mitigate carbon and co-pollutant emissions, and he observed the numerous opportunities to do so: "Some of the fruit hangs so low, you would have to pick it up off the ground." He ended his remarks by reiterating that "opportunities for increased efficiency" are everywhere, pointing to the lights in the auditorium as an example. "I rest my case."

Liveblog | Plenary #1: Climate Justice Advocacy: National Leadership on Climate Justice

2009-01-30T10:36:00.013-05:00

MODERATOR: Stephanie Tyree, WE ACT for Environmental Justice

PRESENTERS: Jose Bravo, Just Transition Alliance; Cecilia Martinez, Center for Earth, Energy and Democracy; Roger Kim, Asian Pacific Environmental Network

[10:47a] Moderator Stephanie Tyree introduces the speakers, who will each present some aspect of the Environmental Justice Leadership Forum on Climate Change's Principles of Climate Justice, which may be downloaded here via weact.org (.pdf 159 KB).

[10:55a] Cecilia Martinez presented principles 2, 7, and 10, and invoked Dr. Martin Luther King's apophthegm: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."

[11:02a] Roger Kim presents the EJLFCC's first principle: Carbon emissions must be reduced to 25% below 1990 levels by 2020, and that this must happen within the framework of a carbon tax. "Keep the cap, ditch the trade." He also presented on principles 3 and 5.

[11:14a] Jose Bravo, the final speaker, presented principles 4, 6, 8, and 9. When he spoke about principle 8, he reminded the audience to consider how "structural adjustments" during the transition from a "carbon-based" to "green" economy could "unfairly" affect low-income and Indigenous People:

"A friend said, 'Taking farmers in China that have been working their land for thousands of years and putting them into an industrial factory making solar panels for white people - this is not a green job.'"

Liveblog | Congressman Charles B. Rangel

2009-01-30T09:51:00.019-05:00

[9:52a] Congressman Charles B. Rangel (15th Congressional District) is introduced; he takes the stage.

[10:00a] Congressman Rangel spoke about the importance of grassroots organization, particularly around the upcoming census:

"I will be organizing, in my district, every church, every mosque, every synagogue, every not-for-profit because I want them to know that now is the time that decisions are being made that will affect the poorest, the most vulnerable."

[10:05a] Congressman Rangel said he seeks to use part of the new stimulus package - "there is $10 billion for community organizations in there" - for energy-efficiency and pollution-education initiatives:

"Its the poorest people in the world that sometimes fail to realize that it is the environment that is affecting their health and their livelihoods."

[10:09a] The Congressman spoke about two broad categories of carbon and co-pollutant mitigation strategies, "cap and trade" and "carbon tax":

"No matter which one we choose, if we do say that we will use the free market, one thing is clear: We have no make certain that we keep an eye on what happens on Wall Street."

[10:14a] The Congressman ended his remarks and received a standing ovation. He agreed to take audience questions.

[10:18a] In response to a question about the effectiveness of community organization, the congressman spoke about the importance of mandate: "You can be more courageous in making political decisions when you know that people are supporting you."

[10:21a] An audience member commented on the census policy that counts incarcerated persons as residents of the location where they are incarcerated, as opposed to "the neighborhoods where they are forcibly removed from". The audience member asked Congressman Rangel to look into how this policy might be changed; he courteously agreed.

Liveblog | Breakfast Keynote

2009-01-30T09:15:00.016-05:00

Dr. Robert D. Bullard - Environmental Justice Resource Center at Clark-Atlanta University

[9:18a] Opening remarks from Cecil D. Corbin-Mark (WeAct):

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” -Nelson Mandela

[9:24a] Dr. Bullard framed climate justice as an extension of "old struggles" for equality and civil rights:

"Its not about the facts" Bullard said, citing for example the well-documented connections between pollution point sources and childhood lead poisoning. "It's about political will. There has to be a political will if we are to really tackle environmental justice issues."

[9:38a] Dr. Bullard:

"Just because we have a president that happens to be an African-American; just because we have an EPA administrator that happens to be an African-American; just because we have an attorney general that happens to be an African-American; does not mean that we are in a post-racial, post-environmental justice era."

[9:43a] Dr. Bullard called for an interdisciplinary "policy incubator" to tackle issues of urban environmental justice. He said that "narrowly focused", "stovepipe" initiatives lose effectiveness by losing sight of the big picture: the diverse and complicated array of "pollution and co-pollution" problems in an urban setting.

[9:49a] "To what extent are these things going to be too green for us?" - Dr. Bullard linked urban "greening" initiatives with the "displacement of people of color".

On-Site Kiosk Systems Provide Access to Connect With Elected Officials

2009-01-28T22:20:00.005-05:00

The Advancing Climate Change conference organizers will have three(3) kiosk systems in the lobby of the event location that will make it easy for conference attendees to sign on to a letter that will go out to both President Barack Obama, President of the United States of America and the new administration at the White House as well as to The Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. This letter will focus around legislation regarding Climate Change.

Advancing Climate Justice Conference

2009-01-28T18:48:00.003-05:00

From January 29-30, 2009 the 20th Anniversary National Conference Hosted by WE ACT for Environmental Justice will be held at the Fordham University Lincoln Center Campus in New York City.

For more information about conference speakers, please click here.