As the nation is hit with multiple deadly heat waves this summer we are reminded of the intersection of climate change and racial justice. This past week the NYC area has had multiple days of heat advisories with New Yorkers being asked to conserve power as the grid was pushed to the brink. This has raised serious questions about infrastructure both locally and throughout the country. The homeless, the elderly, and migrant farmworkers are especially vulnerable as are those currently in prison, where extreme heat is often fatal.
Across the country climate change and pollution are shown to more severely impact Black and brown communities than the general population. Last week, many people noticed that power outages were far more common in neighborhoods with primarily non-white residents, with the majority of outages in Queens, Brooklyn, and East Harlem. Moreover, heat deaths are much higher among BIPOC populations. Black people account for close to half of the heat related deaths in the city between 2000 and 2012.
New York, which has the nation's highest rate of building emissions and fossil fuel consumption, is failing in its climate change response. While NYC often bills itself as a leader on climate related issues, climate scientists and organizers point to shortcomings in its response to extreme heat. Cooling centers, a necessary life saving measure for vulnerable populations, fell short during this most recent heat wave. Pressure must be applied on the local level as a new mayor and city council members are soon to be seated.
Current record-breaking heat waves are expected to worsen as the climate crisis intensifies. With climate crises becoming the norm we need national, state, and local leadership to address the issue with the urgency it deserves. Dozens were arrested last week when Sunrise Movement demonstrators blockaded the White House, calling for a more robust plan to tackle climate change as part of Biden's Infrastructure Deal. Globally, Indigenous communities, who are also disproportionately affected by environmental destruction, are seeking a place at the table to address climate change. Now more than ever we must understand that Climate Justice is Racial Justice.
In solidarity,
SURJ NYC