When it comes to caring for the environment and "going green," some people might say it’s just the new "trendy cause" or "luxury issue" for people who want to do a little good. So why would PCG — an organization that focuses, for the most part, on issues pertaining to people living in poverty — take on environmental issues with such fervor?
The answer lies in what was discussed at last week’s Shriver Center Symposium Climate Change Policy and Low-Income Communities: Minimizing the Pain, Maximizing the Gain. I had the opportunity to attend this event, and I left feeling confident that we were absolutely doing the right and necessary thing by including environmental justice on our Common Good Agenda.
For those who study climate change and the effects of global warming, it is a well-known fact that low-income communities will fair far worse than others if we fail to act. According to a report from the Union of Concerned Scientists, if we do not reduce our carbon emissions in the next few decades, Illinois residents will have to deal with more severe heat waves (days over 90 and 100 degrees); droughts in the summer; heavy rains and flooding during the fall, winter, and spring; and more dangerous amounts of air pollution. Those with fewer resources, less access to health care, and an inability to afford amenities like heat and air conditioning, are far less able to adapt to or cope with these potential effects.
Our commitment to environmental justice requires us to care for God’s creation — and to help the most vulnerable among us, who have contributed the least to the problem, but stand to suffer the most.
Recognizing this moral imperative, PCG has worked diligently over the past few months to support comprehensive federal climate change legislation. In June, the House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act (HR2454) which would place a cap on greenhouse gas emissions and set energy efficiency and renewable energy standards, all at science-based levels, to mitigate against the most egregious effects of global warming. To protect low-income families — those most vulnerable to any increased fuel and utility costs — the bill sets aside 15% of the total allowance value from the cap and trade for direct reimbursements to those at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level ($33,000 for a family of four). For Illinois, that means potentially 2.5 million people could benefit.
The Senate version of this bill, named there as the "Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act," was just released last week. While the bill includes language acknowledging the need to protect "the most vulnerable populations in the United States, including low-income families that are particularly affected by volatility in energy prices," and establishes a fund for low-income rebates, it lacks particulars about how much the allocation will be and how it would be dispersed. In the weeks to come, Senate committees will be marking up the bill, and it is our job to ensure that 15 % of the total allowance value is allocated for low-income relief, as was done in the House Bill.
Contact Senators Durbin and Burris, let them know that you support the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act because it takes significant steps towards curbing our country’s carbon emissions and encourages energy efficiency and the use of renewable resources. Be sure to insist that the bill fully protects the most vulnerable Americans by allocating 15% of the total auction revenue for targeted low-income consumer relief.
We are on the verge of major environmental success. Now is the time to act! Let’s pass comprehensive environmental legislation out of concern for the well being of our country and our world and out of concern for the individuals who are set to suffer most lest we do nothing. We must pass smart, science-based legislation that mitigates against the major effects of global warming and adequately protects consumers from cost increases. The environment is indeed an issue we should all care about, and we at PCG urge your involvement.
We are grateful to the Field Foundation of Illinois, Cudahy Fund, and RE-AMP
for their support of this work.
NOTE: Courtney Eccles is PCG’s Assistant Director for Education and Advocacy. Over the past three years, she has led our work on environmental issues in Illinois and nationally.
