Education

OP:ED This is the Moment for Action on Climate Change

Published

11 years ago

July 17, 2013

President Obama kicked off the summer with a high-profile environmental speech at Georgetown University. He put forth a plan to limit carbon emissions for coal-fired power plants, and called for America to double renewable energy sources.

As the details of this plan emerge, it is important to remember who is most affected by coal pollution: low-income communities and communities of color.

Pollution from coal-fired power plants is estimated to cause 13,200 premature deaths and 9,700 hospitalizations in the United States every year. It has been linked to asthma attacks, lung inflammation, chronic bronchitis, irregular heart conditions, and birth defects.

None of the so-called “emissions controls” introduced in the past few years have gone far enough to diminish those numbers.

If we look deeper, we can see exactly which communities and neighborhoods bear the brunt of the impact. According to Census data, the six million Americans who live within three miles of a coal plant have an average income of $18,400, compared with $21,857 nationwide.

Thirty nine percent are people of color. As a result, emissions from coal combustion often harm those who are least able to afford the effects of exposure.

This is no accident. The simple fact is that very few people want a coal plant in their backyard. Therefore, power companies have a strong incentive to maintain plants in the area of least political resistance.

To add insult to injury, the sight of spewing smokestacks often brings property values down even further. The coal-fired power plant has come to serve as cause and symbol of urban and suburban blight.

In November 2012, the NAACP and our partners released a report to raise awareness about the disparate impact of coal pollution, titled, “Coal Blooded: Putting Profits Before People.” The report created the first ranking system that judged coal plants based on their demographic impact as well as their emissions levels.

“Coal Blooded” was written as a guide for local NAACP units and other community groups to take action. Each of the nation’s 378 plants operating at the time of the report received an easily-referenced “Environmental Justice Performance” score based partly on the race, income, and density of the surrounding neighborhood.

Already, NAACP units have started to host education and advocacy activities in communities that are host to the most harmful power plants.

The message of these activities is straightforward: we need to transition away from coal power and replace coal plants with profitable, clean energy alternatives. And we need to focus our energy on coal plants that have the most harmful impact on their surrounding communities.

Coal power is not without its supporters, even in the communities most affected by pollution. However, the negatives almost always outweigh the positives. No coal plant is worth the cost – in emotional loss and loss of productivity – when children are getting sick, grandparents are dying early, and mothers and fathers are missing work.

Moreover, it is possible to maintain jobs and livelihoods without relying on dirty coal. As President Obama rightly noted in his speech, the future of American energy independence lies in clean energy – an emerging sector that is poised to create millions of jobs and ensure an affordable power supply far into the future.

America is moving beyond coal. As we do so, it is important to remember the human impact of coal pollution. Climate change is more than an environmental issue – it is a civil rights and human rights issue as well.

Ben Jealous is president/CEO of the NAACP.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

TyJae’ Chenevert Wins Scholarship to Play for Louisiana’s Lady Techsters

Don't Miss

OP-ED: Letter from a Local Marin City Resident

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Art

A Prolific Painter: Artist and Advocate Lois Mailou Jones

Lois Mailou Jones was a prominent African American artist whose career spanned more than seven decades, from the Harlem Renaissance to the modern art movement. She was not only a prolific painter but also an influential educator, bridging cultural gaps and challenging stereotypes through her vibrant and diverse works.

Published

4 days ago

October 29, 2024

Oakland Post

Courtesy of National Archives, Washington, D.C.

By Tamara Shiloh

Her unique journey of self-expression, dedication to art, and advocacy for African American and African themes made her a crucial figure in the evolution of American art.

Jones was born on Nov. 3, 1905, in Boston. Raised in an intellectual and supportive family, she demonstrated an early interest in art, encouraged by her mother, who believed in the importance of creativity. Lois studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where she faced racial challenges but persisted in pursuing her passion.

Her pursuit of higher education led her to the prestigious Design Art School, where she perfected her skills in textile design. Later, Jones attended Harvard University and received further training at the Académie Julian in Paris. This European experience greatly influenced her style and broadened her perspective on art.

Jones’s career began in textile design, creating works that were used by leading textile companies. However, her true passion was painting. During the Harlem Renaissance, she moved away from textile design to focus on fine art, exploring themes that reflected her heritage and the African diaspora.

Her early works were influenced by European Post-Impressionism, featuring landscapes and still life, but Jones’s style evolved over time. After spending time in Haiti, she was deeply inspired by Caribbean culture, and her palette became more vivid, her subject matter more symbolic. The influence of African and Caribbean culture is evident in her later works, where she used bright colors and geometric patterns to convey the spirit and stories of the people she encountered.

Her contributions to African American art were significant during a time when Black artists struggled for recognition. She often focused on themes of African heritage, pride, and unity, blending African illustrations and portraits with Western artistic techniques to create a unique visual language that celebrated Black culture.

She was also a dedicated educator. She began her teaching career at Palmer Memorial Institute in North Carolina and later became a professor at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where she taught for almost 50 years. Through her teaching, she influenced generations of young Black artists, encouraging them to explore and express their cultural heritage through art.

In the 1930s and 1940s, she worked to exhibit her work alongside other Black artists, helping to create a platform for voices that had long been excluded from mainstream galleries.

Recognition and Legacy

Jones achieved significant recognition throughout her lifetime, both in the United States and internationally. She exhibited her work across the globe, including in Paris, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Jones continued painting until her death in 1998, leaving behind a rich legacy of artistic achievements and contributions to art education. She broke boundaries by celebrating Black identity and heritage at a time when these themes were often marginalized.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

California Black Media

New California Law Will Protect Students During Extreme Weather

On Sept. 22, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that will protect students from extreme weather conditions by requiring the California Department of Education to develop guidelines for school districts to implement during weather patterns harmful to student health. Authored by Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger), “Yahushua’s Law” or Senate Bill 1248 addresses an extreme heat-related fatality in Lake Elsinore. During the summer of 2023, a student died after participating in physical education suffered extreme heat-related illness.

Published

4 days ago

October 29, 2024

Oakland Post

Yahushua Robinson

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

On Sept. 22, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that will protect students from extreme weather conditions by requiring the California Department of Education to develop guidelines for school districts to implement during weather patterns harmful to student health.

Authored by Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger), “Yahushua’s Law” or Senate Bill 1248 addresses an extreme heat-related fatality in Lake Elsinore. During the summer of 2023, a student died after participating in physical education suffered extreme heat-related illness.

“No student should ever lose their life on campus to extreme weather when we can take steps to protect them by preparing statewide plans to minimize exposure to the most harmful elements of exposure,” Sen. Hurtado stated last Spring. “I commend the family of Yahushua Robinson, the twelve-year student who lost his life due to heat related illness during on-campus physical education, for lending their emotional strength and compassion for others in order to help ensure that no other student loses their life this way.”

Supporters of the legislation say the lack of uniform guidelines and protocols across schools and school districts in California intensifies the issue, creating an urgent need for safeguards to ensure student safety during extreme weather conditions.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

California Black Media

More Than 1.2 Million Youth Pre-Registered to Vote, Secretary of State Weber Announced

Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber announced on Sept. 26 that more than 1.2 million young people between the ages of 16 and 17-years-old have pre-registered to vote since the state launched the initiative in September 2016. The state program automatically activates voter registration for pre-registered youth when they turn 18 years of age.

Published

4 days ago

October 29, 2024

Oakland Post

California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber. Photo Courtesy of ShirleyWeber.com.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Weber, who has visited dozens of high schools across the state to promote voting initiatives, said that students are eager to vote and look forward to casting their first ballot, and “the numbers back them up.”

“Young Californians want to be engaged, active participants in our democracy and they can position themselves to do so by preregistering to vote,” said Weber.

Weber said that she is committed to encouraging young people to pre-register to vote, adding that she looks forward to partnering with the California Department of Education, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, school officials, and leaders of community-based organizations to expand this effort.

According to Weber’s office, approximately 42% of young voters are registered Democrats, while over 13% are registered Republicans. Another 35% of young voters registered as having “no party preference.”

For more information, Californians can visit the online pre-registration website at www.RegisterToVote.ca.gov. Registration is open to residents who are 16 or 17 and meet all the following criteria:

A United States citizen and a resident of California.
18 years old or older on Election Day.
Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony
Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court.

More information about pre-registration for California youth can be found at sos.ca.gov/elections/pre-register-16-vote-18.

Upcoming key deadlines and dates for the November 5, 2024, General Election can be found at here.

Plus, visit http://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/statewide-elections/2024-primary/section-08-general-election-calendar.pdf to view a complete California General Election Calendar with more voting details and updates.