African Americans are among the least responsible for contributing to Green House Gas (GHG) emissions that cause climate change, but are disproportionately burdened by the environmental harm, unemployment, economic hardship, and heath impacts from heat waves and other extreme weather events that result from this phenomenon. A 2004 report by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. (CBCF) examined the relationships between African Americans, climate change, and federal policy and, unfortunately, the findings of this report authored 12 years ago still ring true today. There is no lack of reports, research, and experiences that document how climate change impacts the lives of minorities, particularly African Americans, more negatively than others.

Published Sep 22, 2016

White-Newsome, J. L. (2016). A Policy Approach Toward Climate Justice. Black Scholar, 46(3), 12–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/00064246.2016.1188353