Amsterdam News: Climate Crisis Presents a Lot of Problems; Centering Equity Offers Myriad Solutions
Robinson | a Smart Surfaces Coalition feature
If you have been paying attention to the shifting climate for longer than 5 minutes, you are likely to have witnessed, or felt, adverse climate impacts. Whether it is extreme heat and flooding in urban neighborhoods, droughts and wildfires in rural settings, sky-high utility bills, or a multitude of elevated health risks, the climate crisis presents challenges on every front, particularly for those who are already marginalized. For those of us who work in climate crisis mitigation, these challenges are often so pronounced, and our experience in vulnerable communities so profound, that “climate justice fatigue” often clouds our perspective. It can also lead many in our communities to think that mitigating deadly heat waves or extreme weather events is beyond our control.
The constant reminder of looming climate threats can leave us feeling overwhelmed and discouraged. Can we really turn the tide on a catastrophe that has reached global proportions? Is it really possible to save the glaciers; or clean the air, soil, and water; or lower the temperature in our cities; or protect endangered species; or prevent flooding every time it rains; or kick our collective addiction to oil and gas? Will the transition to clean energy really be just, or will this just be a newer, greener version of the same old environmental racism and inequality that has characterized America since its inception?
The answer to these tough questions depends on our collective approach. As great as the challenges are, our collective imagination, hope, and determination are greater. If we focus solely on the challenges, it is far more likely that we will become paralyzed. However, if we 1) center equity in our response and 2) focus on solutions, we can seize the opportunity to save our planet—and our lives in the process.
Fortunately, there is a fresh approach that is just, equitable, and financially beneficial for everyone. It is called the “smart surfaces” strategy: a holistic, solutions-oriented model that addresses extreme heat with tangible, cost-effective solutions. Unfortunately, many of the cities and vulnerable communities that are most in need of these solutions have yet to hear about smart surfaces—but that reality is rapidly changing. We are beginning to see the emergence of strategic coalitions in cities across the country that recognize the critical need for a reversal in the doom-and-gloom narratives that dominate headlines and paralyze communities into inaction.
Read more …
REV. DR. JON ROBINSON is Senior Program Director at Metropolitan A.M.E. Church in Washington, D.C.