By Tony Cardenas
Dec 19, 2024, 10:45 PM EST
As a child living in Pacoima, California, I personally experienced the devastating effects of climate change. My neighborhood was surrounded by freeways, industrial companies, and landfills that caused many respiratory problems and other illnesses in my community. Unfortunately, my working-class, majority Latino community has suffered and continues to suffer disproportionately from poor air quality caused by harmful pollutants, reckless polluters, and increasingly severe wildfires caused by extreme heat and droughts. For that reason, I have dedicated the majority of my career to righting those wrongs as a public servant and, more importantly, as a father and grandfather, to ensure that we address climate change with effective action.
The environmental injustices my community faces reflect a broader trend across our country: climate change disproportionately affects Latino communities. Approximately 3.3 million Hispanics in the United States live within a mile or less of operating oil and gas facilities, exposing them to significant air pollution. Latino children suffer higher rates of asthma and Latinos are 165% more likely to live in counties with unhealthy levels of particle pollution. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that Latinos are more than 40% likely to live in places where it will often be too hot to work a full day outdoors. Given that 75% of U.S. farmworkers are Latino, this disproportionately places outdoor workers at higher risk of exposure to heat-related illnesses.
Over the past four years, the Biden/Harris administration and Democrats have made significant progress to address climate change and ensure environmental justice. Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the administration invested in emissions reductions. In fact, due to the passage of these historic laws, EPA has already implemented several new programs to reduce dangerous emissions that have poisoned the air our community breathes. These programs include, but are not limited to, the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, the Methane Emissions Reduction Program, funding to clean up contaminated Superfund sites, and the Clean School Bus Program, a program I was proud to champion. The programs being implemented through these laws will result in tangible benefits: the IRA alone is projected to prevent 3,900 deaths and 100,000 asthma attacks by 2030 thanks to its cuts to air pollution.
The achievements for our community do not end there. Since President Biden signed the IRA into law in 2022, it has already created more than 330,000 clean energy jobs nationwide. By 2030, it is estimated that the IRA will not only dramatically reduce our country’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but will double our country’s clean energy workforce, creating up to 1.5 million jobs and saving the average American taxpayer $1,000 annually in energy costs.
The investments the current administration has made will build a clean energy economy that works for everyone and leaves no one behind. Latino families and communities have already seen the benefits of these opportunities in action, particularly through pathways to stable, well-paying careers in the renewable energy sector. To me, that means families in my district will now have access to reliable careers that will serve them for years to come as technology advances.
One of the EPA investments I am especially proud of is the Clean School Bus program. In 2021, I worked with Congresswoman Jahana Hayes and Senators Alex Padilla and Raphael Warnock to introduce the Clean Rides for Kids Act. The bill, which directly addressed harmful diesel pollution that impacts the health and well-being of our children, teachers, and communities, inspired the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s (IIJA) Clean School Bus Program. I am delighted that not only will my grandchildren benefit from this important investment, but generations of children will also benefit from the proactive decisions we have made recently.
In stark contrast, the previous administration’s record and proposed policies included withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, lowering emissions standards, and reducing funding for renewable energy. I saw how those policies harmed my community and often resulted in significant economic benefit to the oil and gas industry. My community was tired of big oil and gas corporations selling our health for profit. Looking ahead, for the sake of our children, we cannot go back.
As newly elected representatives decide on the future of the IRA, any proposal that threatens to dismantle our significant climate and economic progress under the current administration should not be taken lightly. Our community has benefited from new jobs, vast resources, economic growth, and most importantly, the promise of clean air for our children thanks to recent advances in climate legislation. Before we allow our communities to be sold to the highest bidder, we should be deeply aware of how our communities lose when corporations prioritize profits over environmental regulations designed specifically to protect our communities.
The Latino community is especially affected by the ramifications of corporate greed. We must be vigilant about policies that attempt to circumvent environmental regulations designed to protect our communities. As we seek to preserve a planet fit for our children like my own grandchildren, it is essential to support policies and leaders that prioritize climate action and sustainable development. I am proud of the recent progress I have had the privilege to champion and will continue to fight for our environment and our future. Now is the time to build on our important progress on climate legislation and continue fighting for solutions that ensure a healthy planet for our youth.
Tony Cárdenas, congressman representing California in Washington.