In surveys, Latinos living in the United States appear as beings almost genetically inclined towards environmental conservation. A survey conducted by Yale University three years ago has become emblematic of our natural disposition towards protecting the environment.
Almost three out of four Latinos in this survey expressed not only our desire that society, government and the private sector do more to face the challenge of global warming, but we also expressed our willingness to participate in campaigns to act against climate change.
But really, how green are we Latinos? The answer comes to us from a new campaign that makes visible the efforts of Latinas and Latinos of all flavors and ages, who took the initiative to do something for themselves to protect their communities, encourage the use of public lands and encourage use of clean energy.
In other words, Latinos are green, but perhaps not as green as we think – or not as green as we can be.
The COVID-19 crisis has confirmed the enormous influence that individual responsibility has on influencing the outcomes of public policies. In other words, our grain of sand, almost imperceptible at the microscopic level, makes a difference from a collective point of view.
As a journalist I have had the opportunity to collaborate in this campaign called wisely, Latino Verde (Green Latino).
The title is illustrative and provocative. It is up to each of us to assess how green we are and how green we can be. Latino Verde’s personal stories include modest volunteers, warriors who dedicate their free time to environmental defense, but also the adventures of professionals who decided to turn their vocation into a professional project.
The message is clear: if you have a passion for the natural world, for preservation and conservation in your veins, why not make it more than just a lifestyle and perhaps a professional career with high social impact and remunerated with the reward of knowing that you’re helping to shape the future of humanity?
In the United States alone, the creation of 9 million green jobs per year is projected in the next decade in the clean transport sector; as well as 3.2 million per year to expand renewable energy.
Perhaps the COVID-19 crisis and the resulting recession will affect these projections, but the pandemic has shown us precisely that nothing is inevitable and that if we do something positive in the area of our personal commitment, there is no challenge, not even climate change, where we can’t make a difference.
For more information visit www.laredhispana.com.
