HER A LOT OF CRITICISM.
WE’LL HAVE THE LATEST.
>> PROTESTS ACROSS THE WORLD
TODAY TO DEMAND ACTION ON
CLIMATE CHANGE FROM POLITICIANS.
>> Jason: THOUSANDS STAGED THE
PROTESTS IN ITALY, GERMANY AND
THE U.K.
CLIMATE CHANGE IS BECOMING A
MORE IMPORTANT THING POLITICALLY
IN MANY COUNTRIES, AMID WARNINGS
FROM SCIENTISTS THAT THE WORLD
IS HEADING TOWARD DANGEROUS
TEMPERATURE RISES UNLESS
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS ARE CUT
SHARPLY IN THE COMING YEARS.
AND WE’VE SEEN WHAT IT CAN DO
AFTER MONTHS OF FLOODING AND
CLEANING UP AND MORE FLOODING
ALONG WITH SOARING TEMPERATURES,
THE IMPACTS OF MORE EXTREME
WEATHER ARE FELT CROSS METRO
DETROIT.
>> Karen: THOSE EFFECTS ARE FELT
MOST BY THOSE WITH THE LEAST.
GRANT HERMES SHOWS HOW CLIMATE
CHANGE IS HITTING SOME MORE THAN
OTHERS.
>> IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IN
NORTHEAST DETROIT.
PEOPLE ARE REELING FROM THIS
SUMMER’S EXTREME WEATHER.
>> I LITERALLY ONLY HAD TO GO IN
THE BASEMENT DURING THE DAYTIME
BECAUSE I WAS SCARED TO TURN ON
THE LIGHTS.
>> PEOPLE LIKE SANDRA TURNER
HANDY, A RESIDENT ON THE BLOCK
OFF FLANDERS, HIT HARD BY RECENT
STORMS.
IT WASN’T JUST THE FLOODING
BECAUSE THEN WE HAD THE HIGH
WIND, AND EVERYTHING, SO A LOT
OF PEOPLE LOST POWER.
DO YOU KNOW HOW IT IS, TO HAVE A
FLOODED BASEMENT AND HAVE NO
POWER?
>> THIS PAST SUMMER WAS THE 9TH
HOTTEST ON RECORD ACCORDING TO
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND
THE 500 TO 1,000 YEAR FLOODS
INCLUDING BACK IN JUNE WHICH WAS
OFF THE CHART.
WE’RE SEEING MORE INTENSE
RAINFALL EVENTS AND THE SNOW
EVENTS BECAUSE THE STORMS
PRODUCE SNOW.
THE FUTURE IS ONE OF MORE
INTENSE PRECIPITATION EVENTS.
>> DETROIT HAS LONG BEEN
CONSIDERED ONE OF THE MOST
ENVIRONMENTALLY UNJUST PLACES IN
THE COUNTRY.
THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE, AND
NEIGHBORHOODS OF COLOR MORE THAN
OTHERS IN THE CITY.
MAPS LIKE THE UNIVERSITY OF
MICHIGAN, SHOW THE DETROITERS
ARE AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF THE
HEAT STRESS.
SOME SCIENTISTS BELIEVE WE’VE
PAST THE POINT OF NO RETURN TO
REVERSE CONSEQUENCES, AN
INCREASE OF JUST TWO DEGREES IN
THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE HAS THE
POTENTIAL TO THROW GLOBAL
WEATHER OUT OF BALANCE.
>> SO AS THE PLANET WARMS, IT’S
LIKE PUTTING THE ATMOSPHERE ON
STEROIDS AND THE STORMS ARE
PRODUCING MORE RAIN AND THEY’RE
BECOMING MORE FREQUENT.
>> AND THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE
CHANGE ONLY MAKING THINGS WORSE
FOR THE POOR, THOSE UNDERINSURED
OR UNINSURED CAN’T REPAIR
DAMAGES.
AND DRAINS WHAT LITTLE SAVINGS
THEY HAVE AND BEING DAYS ON END
IN THE HEAT AND MANY CAN’T
AFFORD CARE.
>> WE NEED TO INVESTIGATE IN THE
INFRASTRUCTURE AND WE’RE LOOKING
AT THIS BLOCK AND HAVE NOT YET
LAID EYES ON A DRAIN.
>> THERE’S NOT ONE HERE.
>> THERE’S NOT ONE HERE ON THIS
BLACK.
>> WILKINS HAS BEEN DOING
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE WORK IN
DETROIT SINCE THE EARLY 1990’S,
ONE OF HER FOCUSES IS IMPROVING
INFRASTRUCTURE TO HELP SAVE
NEIGHBORHOODS IN POVERTY FROM
BEING OVERWHELMED BY CLIMATE
CHANGE.
>> WE’RE GOING TO SEE PEOPLE WHO
ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO BE
RESCUED THERE BEFORE THEIR LIFE
JUST KIND OF GIVES, GIVES OUT.
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THE
DISABLED, WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
THE ELDERLY, FOR INSTANCE.
THERE’S ONLY SO MUCH YOU CAN
TAKE.
>> SHE SAYS SHE’S HOPING FOR
INVESTMENT FROM STATE AND
FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS TO HELP
STAVE OFF THE WORST EFFECTS OF
CLIMATE CHANGE.
RUNOFF RAINS, POWER GRIDS TO
HELP KEEP THE LIGHTS ON IN
EXTREME HEAT.
>> CAN YOU COME IN AND TREAT US
THE WAY YOU WOULD TREAT A GROSSE
POINTE RESIDENT OR BLOOMFIELD
HILLS RESIDENT.
MY GOD, THE WAY YOU WOULD EVEN
TREAT A TAYLOR RESIDENT.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE OUR LOCAL
DECISION MAKERS ARE MAKING THE
RIGHT DECISIONS BASED ON THOSE
WHO ARE IN GREATEST NEED.
>> THOSE LIKE SANDRA WHO WANT TO
STAY IN THEIR HOMES TO PROTECT
THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS BEFORE THEIR
VOICES MAY LITERALLY BE DROWNED
OUT.
>> I’M NOT GOING ANYWHERE, I
LOVE THIS CITY, LOVE MY HOME,
LOVE MY COMMUNITY, LOVE MY
RESIDENCE, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE
TO FIGURE IT OUT.
>> Karen: HOW FRUSTRATING FOR
THOSE RESIDENTS THERE, GRANT.
IS THERE ANYTHING BEING DONE
RIGHT NOW TO HELP STAVE OFF SOME
OF THE WORST OF THE EFFECTS?
>> YOU KNOW, KAREN, THE CITY OF
DETROIT DOES HAVE A CLIMATE
CHANGE STRATEGY, BUT MANY
CLIMATE EXPERTS SAY A LOT IS TOO
LITTLE, TOO LATE.
OOH EN--
EVEN WITH THAT IT WILL TAKE
GOVERNMENT OR PRIVATE HELP.
DECISIONS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO
BE MADE, WHO GETS HELP, HOW MUCH
HELP THEY GET AND IN THE END
WHAT THOSE DECISIONS SAY ABOUT
US.
>> Karen: A DISCUSSION THAT
NEEDS TO BE HAD MANY, MANY TIMES