>>> FOR THIS WEEKS "RISE UP," I
WANT TO TALK ABOUT CLIMATE
CHANGE AND CLIMATE JUSTICE.
BECAUSE THIS WEEK WE HIT ANOTHER
DIRE RATIO OF PLANET-WARMING
CARBON DIOXIDE IN THE ATMOSPHERE
SET A NEW RECORD, AND WHILE ALL
THE TALK ABOUT CO2 PARTS PER
MILLION AND HOW MANY DEGREES OF
CELSIUS THE PLANET HAS ALREADY
WARMED CAN BE CONFUSING AT
TIMES, PRESIDENT BIDEN PUT THE
CLIMATE CRISIS FRONT AND CENTER
THIS WEEK.
>> THE CHIEFS TOLD US THE
GREATEST THREAT FACING AMERICA
WAS?
GLOBAL WARMING.
BECAUSE THERE WILL BE
SIGNIFICANT POPULATION
MOVEMENTS, FIGHTS OVER LAND,
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE LEAVING
PLACES BECAUSE THEYRE LITERALLY
SINKING.
>> CLIMATE CHANGE CONSTITUTES A
GLOBAL EMERGENCY, AND THE
PRESSURE IS ON PRESIDENT BIDEN
AND THE REST OF THE G7 LEADERS
TO COMMIT TO BIG, BOLD
MITIGATION EFFORTS.
AND WHILE IT MIGHT SEEM AS IF AN
ISSUE LIKE A RAPIDLY WARMING
PLANET WOULD ACTUALLY IMPACT ALL
NATIONS EQUALLY, THE STORY OF
GLOBAL WARMING IS ALSO A STORY
OF GEOPOLITICAL AND RACIAL
INJUSTICE.
SCIENTISTS HAVE BEEN WARNING FOR
DECADES THAT THE WEALTHY
COUNTRIES WHOSE EMISSIONS CAUSED
A CRISIS WILL NOT BE THE ONES
WHO WILL BEAR THE BRUNT OF THE
DAMAGE.
INSTEAD RISING SEAS WILL
DISPROPORTIONATELY THREATEN
SMALL ISLAND NATIONS WHILE
DROUGHTS WILL RAVAGE AFRICAN AND
SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRIES FAR
MORE THAN THEIR COUNTERPARTS IN
EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA.
BUT IT IS NOT LIMITED TO
NATIONAL RACIAL INEQUITYIESINEQU
RIGHT HERE IN THE UNITED STATES,
THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
ARE ALREADY FALLING MOST HEAVILY
ON BLACK, BROWN AND INDIGENOUS
COMMUNITIES.
STUDIES SHOWED THAT PEOPLE OF
COLOR ARE TWICE AS LIKELY TO
EXPERIENCE INCREASED HEAT STRESS
IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, AN UGLY
LEGACY FROM THE HISTORY OF
REDLINING.
BLACK PEOPLE ARE ALSO MOST
LIKELY TO LIVE IN FLOOD-PRONE
AREAS, AND EVEN WHEN GOVERNMENT
AGENCIES LIKE FEMA COME IN TO
HELP, STUDIES SHOW PEOPLE OF
COLOR ARE OFTEN LEFT BEHIND.
MEANWHILE THE FACE OF THE
CLIMATE MOVEMENT IS OFTEN
PORTRAYED AS MOSTLY WHITE, EVEN
AS BLACK, BROWN AND INDIGENOUS ACTIVISTS HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR
ACTIVISTS HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR
RECOGNITION OF THIS ISSUE FOR
DEN
GENERATIONS.
BUT TODAYS ENVIRONMENTAL
MOVEMENT IS FINALLY STARTING TO REFLECT THE YOUNG PEOPLE.
REFLECT THE YOUNG PEOPLE.
THEY ARE STARTING TO FIGHT IN
INCESTRAL LANDS FROM GETTING
LOST IN THE SEAS.
HOW CAN ONE PERSON MAKE A
DIFFERENCE IN A CRISIS ENGULFING
THE ENTIRE PLANET?
TO START WE CAN FOLLOW THE
EXAMPLE BEING SET FOR US BY OUR
YOUNG PEOPLE.
TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE, AND
WHILE INDIVIDUAL ACTIONS LIKE
FLYING LESS OFTEN, EATING LESS
MEAT AND DIVESTING FROM FOSSIL
FUEL COMPANIES ARE GOOD, WHAT WE
NEED IS BIG SYSTEMIC CHANGE.
THE AMERICAN JOBS PLAN CURRENTLY
STALLED BY REPUBLICANS IN
CONGRESS HAS BILLIONS IN FUNDING
FOR CLIMATE ACTION.
WE SHOULD DEMAND IT BE PASSED
AND THINK EVEN BIGGER HOW
CHILDREN AND KIDS ALL OVER THE
WORLD SHOULD NOT BEAR THIS
BURDEN ALONE.
ITS TIME TO RISE UP TOGETHER