My name is Cinthia Moore, the national lead for EcoMadres, which is a project of Moms Clean Air Force, and a proud member of the Nevada Environmental Justice Coalition. We are an organization of over a million moms and dads across the country that have come together to fight for clean air for our children. In Nevada we have over 8,000 members, and each day more moms and dads are joining us in the fight for clean air.
EcoMadres is committed to working with a community that is often left behind when it comes to conversations around climate change and climate justice; the Latino community.
I applaud the Governor’s support of the Clean Car standards, however, in pursuing cleaner transportation options, we need to consider the affordability and accessibility to electric vehicles. Oftentimes our community is left behind due to affordability.
Electric vehicles are not the only area where I have seen a huge disparity in our community. As a resident of Assembly District 11, which is a majority Latino district, I have noticed a huge disparity when it comes to rooftop solar. About 60% of the homes in Assembly District 11 are occupied by renters. Why is this important? It’s important because people like myself, and many of my neighbors are not able to have rooftop solar. Yet, for many of my neighbors, and low income communities, their power bill accounts for 20% of their monthly income. These families deserve more options, and shouldn’t be left behind because of their income level or their status as renters.
When thinking about cleaner transportation options, and renewable energy options it is important to consider the disparities that exist in our community, and for us to be more inclusive when coming up with solutions. We cannot continue to have conversations about climate issues without considering and making climate justice a priority. Transportation is a climate justice issue. Renewable energy is climate justice.
