LATINOS ARE ESSENTIAL IN FIGHT ON CLIMATE CHANGE
Latino Community Foundation releases climate change policy directive at #GCAS2018,
lauds Latino leadership for solutions in California and beyond
(San Francisco, CA – Sept. 11, 2018) – The Latino Community Foundation today issued an urgent directive to lawmakers and policy influencers with a five-point plan for California that underscores the disproportionate impact of climate change on Latinos.
The Latino Community Foundation co-hosted an event at the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco alongside Senate President pro Tem Emeritus Kevin De León (SD 24-Los Angeles) showcasing the transformational efforts and strong commitment Latino leaders have spearheaded to stay the course on the Paris Agreement, fight climate pollution, and spur clean energy and sustainable solutions to the climate crisis.
“We as global citizens are at a turning point in the fight on climate change, and Latinos are front and center in this fight,” said Jacqueline Martinez Garcel, CEO of the Latino Community Foundation in issuing the five-point plan for climate change solutions. “We call on policymakers and candidates for public office to keep Latinos in California actively engaged in the development of policies to halt the devastating impact of climate change.”
Garcel added, “Latinos are more likely to live in cities and areas most vulnerable to the impact of climate change and have experienced the worst consequences of this assault on our earth, that is in part why there are so many Latino community leaders leading some of the most innovative and effective solutions to climate change. Latino leaders have also led some of the biggest climate policy change victories at the local, state and international levels. But we all have much more to do.”
The Latino Community Foundation’s Five-Point Climate Action Plan calls for: developing policy solutions that positively impact California Latinos’ quality of life while also creating new opportunities to grow the state’s economy; harnessing the momentum of Latino people power and advance the work already underway; investing in Latino communities to ready the workforce for green jobs; partnering with community leaders on the front lines regarding climate change issues; and most importantly mobilizing Latino voters who are eager to see more policy solutions to address climate change.
“California and the United States cannot lead the fight on climate change without input and collaboration with the Latino community,” said Senator de León “Just yesterday, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. signed my bill, SB100, into law – setting California on the path to 100 percent clean electricity by the year 2045. I was proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with hundreds of leading organizations to get SB 100 passed, including many environmental and Latino-based advocates.”
Climate change resonates with Latinos on a local, state, national and global level. Across racial/ethnic groups, Latinos (72%) are the most likely to say the effects of global warming have already begun, according to a Public Policy Institute of California study. Latinos polled repeatedly expressed concern for the safety of family members in Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean, due to the relative severity of extreme weather impacts, the lack of resiliency, and government safety nets in many of these countries.
Garcel noted that Latinos have deep roots in local communities with strong connections to the earth’s land, water and air. Generations of Latinos have made their homes in California’s rural regions, working outdoors in the fields, raising families and contributing to the economy.
In many parts of the state, contaminated groundwater threatens the health of Latinos, and they are also more likely to live in areas with the highest level of contamination in the air. In fact, Latino children are 70 percent more likely to be admitted to the hospital for asthma and have twice the asthma mortality rate.
“Latinos are essential to the fight on climate change because they live and breathe the harmful effects of climate change,” Garcel added. “State actions and priorities must target the Latino community, and state dollars and resources must be used to ensure this community has what it needs to thrive.”
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About Latino Community Foundation – The Latino Community Foundation has the largest network of Latino philanthropists in the country and has invested millions of dollars to improve the livelihood of Latino families. Its mission is to unleash the power of Latinos in California by investing in Latino-led organizations dedicated to the transformation of their communities. It is the only statewide foundation solely focused on investing in Latino youth and families in California. Learn more by visiting: https://latinocf.org/
CONTACT:
Christian Arana, Latino Community Foundation
818-312-3328
carana@latinocf.org
Daisy Castellon, Lucas Public Affairs
(916) 879-6532
daisy@lucaspublicaffairs.com
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