Currently, the Latino community is more aware of the negative effects that climate change is causing, and it has even become a matter of direct concern due to the fact that many of the jobs that Latinos perform in the United States are outdoors, exposed to the heat and the increases in temperature that are a consequence of global warming.
Climate Change held a conversation with Latino political leaders about how climate action is a priority for Latino voters, who have global warming on their agenda as one of the main threats to the future and well-being of their families and, above all, the younger generations. In fact, according to a report by the EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), 86% of Latinos would support a legislative package that provides tax incentives to access low-cost renewable energy products.
According to Danielle Deiseroth, Lead Climate Strategist at Data for Progress, 87% of US Latinos express concern about climate change. And it is not for less, because many Latino neighborhoods are surrounded by oil industries, exposing their inhabitants to high levels of pollution.
What are we waiting for to stop climate change?
“We already have the technology and the money, what we need is the will of the government and more commitment from the corporations, especially the oil companies,” says Ramón Cruz, president of the environmental organization Sierra Club. Likewise, he states that it makes no sense to continue investing in technologies from centuries ago, and that we should focus on supporting and implementing clean energies, such as solar panels.
The chairman of the Natural Resources Committee of the House of Representatives, Congressman Raúl Grijalva, stated that “We are seeing a pattern of discrimination, racism, disproportionate harm, in the Afro and Latino communities.” According to the EPA, 43% of Latinos could lose work hours and wages due to intense heat.
