Were you as excited as we were when you heard Climate Change would be one of the official topics in the last presidential debate of 2020? We watched last night as environmental justice became part of the presidential election. It was the first time in the history of presidential debates, a question on this topic has been posed to candidates!
Great, we got the discussion, but since the changing climate and environmental justice issues have been so overlooked, it’s important to reflect on what it means. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency describes environmental justice as the undue burden faced by low-income populations and communities of color from the causes of climate change. For example, pollution from oil refineries and fracking operations and its effects, like sea-level rise and extreme heat.
At Blue Starr Carolina’s, Climate Justice is a major focus because everyone deserves a healthy planet with clean air and water and a stable climate, but too often many communities are systematically robbed of those basic, fundamental rights.
At least three “once in a century” weather events took place in North Carolina over the course of two years. Major flooding causing coal ash and hog waste to contaminate water supplies have residents looking for answers and contacting elected officials. The importance of climate justice was reflected in the debate and is an issue we at Blue Starr Carolina’s are ready to fight to reform.
From the east coast to the western mountains, our state’s unique geography presents different types of threats from climate change. We will be exploring the numerous issues in upcoming climate justice articles, so stay tuned!
If you believe climate justice is a cause worth fighting for, please help us address these inequalities and heal our communities by donating today.