A LETTER TO OUR COMMUNITY: OUR CLIMATE, AN EFFORT TO MAKE A POSITIVE CHANGE

Climate change is affecting everyone worldwide, from floods, super storms, heatwaves and all types of disasters never seen with such intensities before.  Buffalo is not immune. A group of community leaders this past summer won the most aggressive climate justice in New York State and in the nation.

Many in our communities, unfortunately, are oblivious to what it means to the everyday Michael or Miguel. It’s important to know, because we as frontline communities (communities of all color, low income, etc.…), are the people usually impacted by climate pollution the most.

This pollution is transformed in the worst health disparities in our communities. It  has  the worse level of asthma, respiratory problems, and other medical problems by way of where we live, and in the proximity of where corporate polluters have their companies, and how they practice their environmental carbon footprint, or how they reduce their carbon emissions and waste products in our cities.

We need to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2050, or sooner within the next 10 years if we are to advert a worldwide catastrophe. I wish it was sooner rather than later!

We need to switch from extractive fossil fuel to a more renewable reusable solar, wind, geothermal, energies that will save us billions of dollars. If we did, it will stimulate the creation of new jobs, for retraining of fossil fuel workforce, green sustainability livable wages, new job markets that will prioritize frontline people to be trained and open job opportunities.

By 2030, if we can invest 50% emission reduction, via changing the way corporations change the way they do business, by using new and cleaner energy efficient, reducing pollutants, and other strategies. Our planning committee members are working with groups such as the NY RENEWS (labor and environmental coalition), our local PUSH BUFFALO, and other state and national affiliates.

Our local and state effort has taken notice on a national level; Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep Ilhan Omar, and Senator Bernie Sanders, have heard of our work regarding “Climate Justice and Homes Guarantee/Housing is a Human Rights”, and have publicly acknowledged our movement and hard work.

Our work and effort are being recognized on a national level, yet, not in our own local communities, and that is tragic! The public needs to know about our work and effort, that we are doing everything possible, and to our human capabilities, to protect families regarding their personal interest in fair housing, fair rent, maintaining our communities intact, and to make sure that our quality of life and health is maintained and preserved – now and for a secure future for your children’s, for our next generation; and to safeguard this movement, we need to be heard, and to be heard, we need community support.

Information on how you can get involved: Geovaira Hernandez, 716-884-0359, ext. 228; https://www.pushbuffalo.org/blog-list/