During 2023, the United States witnessed extreme climatic phenomena.
As storms, hurricanes, wildfires, and extreme heat affected the entire country, their effects were uneven and most detrimental to communities of color.
Since the beginning of this month, the United States has experienced 25 meteorological and climatic disasters that have had a cost of billions of dollars, the largest number since the records began, according to an analysis from the Climate Power organization.
The year of 2023 will be the hottest registered year ever, and will have been the fourth most intense hurricane season in the Atlantic with 20 named storms.
Although in 2023 there was a relatively mild forest fire season in terms of burned acres, the United States also experienced its most deadly forest fire.
“As expected, these extreme meteorological phenomena disproportionately affected health, livelihoods and, in general, in well-being of communities of color,” the analysis concluded.
According to Climate Power, if no more measures and bold investments in clean energy and resilient infrastructure are approved, it will not be possible to stop the worst impacts of climate change and its unequal impact on the most vulnerable communities.
It is a reality that climatological phenomena represent a perfect storm for communities of color.
Latinos and African-Americans live in areas with higher concentrations of environmental pollution, contaminated water, floods and vulnerability to forest fires. And a great proportion of Latino workers works outdoors in agriculture or construction, where the largest number of heat related deaths are recorded.
The good news is that, in virtually all surveys, Latinos who live in the United States appear as almost genetically inclined to environmental conservation.
In almost all polls, most of all Latinos express not only our desire that civil society, government and private sector do more to face the challenge that represents global warming, but that we manifest our willingness to be part of campaigns to act against climate change.
The elections are always an unbeatable opportunity to demonstrate how “green” us Latinos are, supporting candidates who favor policies for sustainable development and have plans backed by science to combat climate change.
It is up to each of us to evaluate how green we are and how green we can be. If you carry in your veins the passion for the natural world, for preservation and conservation and for a green future for your family, speak eloquently with your vote at the polls on November 5, 2024.
