Earlier this month a group of 12 Latino doctors, nurses, and other public health professionals from across the country met in Washington, D.C. to deliver a clear message to the White House: Climate change and carbon pollution is a serious public health issue that affects the Latino community – and we want the EPA to do something about it!
The trip culminated with a visit to the White House, where the public health professionals met with Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). During the meeting they delivered an open-letter in support of new proposed EPA carbon rules, signed by over 40 doctors and public health professionals.
During the meeting, doctors and nurses shared personalized stories about the predominantly Latino communities where they live and work, and the effects of increased smog pollution, extreme heat and drought, fiercer wildfires, and other health-related concerns that are directly linked to global climate change. In particular, the group shared their concerns about asthma and other respiratory diseases that are worsened by carbon pollution.
Watch the video here.
Fortunately, there is a pathway to limiting dangerous carbon pollution in this country with a proposed new rule from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which would force new coal-fired power plants to reduce their carbon emissions by 40 percent to 60 percent. This Carbon Pollution Standard would clear the way for cleaner forms of energy like wind and solar power. Coal power plants are the main source of carbon pollution in this country, and their CO2 emissions are currently unregulated
This group of Latino public health professionals joins a chorus of voices calling for cleaner air and more public health protections from the EPA. So far, more than 2 million public comments have been submitted to the EPA in in support of the proposed rule.
To add you voice in supporting public health protections against carbon pollution in new power plants, click here.
Jorge Madrid is a Research Associate for the Energy Policy team at the Center for American Progress. He is also on the board of directors for Voces Verdes and a former Graduate Fellow with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.
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