Since it emerged in the early 70s, the environmental movement has appealed to wealthy and middle class people who see climate change as a social problem. But a group in Richmond is working to bring low-income minorities into the conversation.
Quan Williams is with the New Virginia Majority. She says coal burning power plants are a huge problem for inner city blacks and Latinos.
“What that means is increased asthma rates. People who don’t have medical insurance are more likely to actually die from asthma, are more likely to have asthma. Richmond, for example, has been asthma capital of the entire country at least twice in five years.”
Likewise, she says, flooding associated with climate change will be harder on the poor.
“Hampton Roads is second only to New Orleans in vulnerability to flooding. There’s a great number of people of color who live there, so you may not have the resources to treat the mold that is a result from that, or you may not have the resources to recover and be as resilient as those who may have a greater income.”
So the New Virginia Majority is organizing workshops, building coalitions and using social media to change the message – to help low-income Virginians to understand what climate change means for them and how they can weigh-in on policies and legislation designed to limit its impact.