Understanding Climate Change An Equitable Framework

As the world grapples with the massive effects of climate change and global warming, the need to understand theembedded issues associated with these complex ecological transformations becomes clear. PolicyLink commissionedUnderstanding Climate Change: An Equitable Framework to contribute to a deeper understanding of the issuesand to encourage everyone to participate in the discussion and to weigh in on proposed solutions. Climate changeultimately affects all of us, and the most vulnerable populations—nationally and globally—will bear the brunt of thiscrisis if action is not taken....
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Understanding Climate Change An Equitable FrameworkUnderstanding Climate Change An Equitable Framework Serena W. LinPolicyLink is a national research and action instituteadvancing economic and social equity byLifting Up What Works.®Design by: Leslie YangCOVER PHOTO COURTESY OF: ©iStockphoto.com (Björn Kindler).PHOTOS COURTESY OF: p.1 ©iStockphoto.com (Björn Kindler); p.5 ©iStockphoto.com (Bryan Delodder);p.6 ©iStockphoto.com (Clint Spencer); p.9 ©iStockphoto.com (Bart Sadowski); p.11 ©iStockphoto.com (Vikram Raghuvanshi);p.12 ©iStockphoto.com (David Parsons); p.16 ©iStockphoto.com (Stephen Strathdee); p.21 ©iStockphoto.com (acilo - photogra-phy); p.32 Annie Clark; p. 35 ©iStockphoto.com (Ivan Bajic); p.37 ©iStockphoto.com (Ralph125).Understanding Climate Change An Equitable Framework Serena W. Lin ©2008 by PolicyLink and Serena W. Lin All Rights Reserved.PolicyLink Preface As the world grapples with the massive effects of climate change and global warming, the need to understand the embedded issues associated with these complex ecological transformations becomes clear. PolicyLink commissioned Understanding Climate Change: An Equitable Framework to contribute to a deeper understanding of the issues and to encourage everyone to participate in the discussion and to weigh in on proposed solutions. Climate change ultimately affects all of us, and the most vulnerable populations—nationally and globally—will bear the brunt of this crisis if action is not taken. We hope this paper will inspire readers to seek information and to become advocates for solutions that are effective, fair, and equitable. PolicyLink is indebted to Serena W. Lin for writing Understanding Climate Change: An Equitable Framework and presenting the issues of climate change as she sees them. This thought-provoking work considers the equity consequences and implications associated with global warming. We welcome your thoughts and reactions to this piece by emailing PolicyLink at climatechange@policylink.org or the author at Lin.W.Serena@gmail.com. Angela Glover Blackwell Founder and CEO PolicyLink2 PolicyLinkTable of ContentsIntroduction 5We Share One Sky—We Breathe the Same Air 6Why Should You Care? 9Global Warming and Air Pollution: 12 An Inseparable PairEnergy Independence: Common Ground? 16Mitigating Global Warming: 21 The Devil is in the DetailsConclusion 35Notes 37 3PolicyLink Climate scientists have long warned that global warming could spur deadly disease epidemics. The study suggests that such a scenario may already be unfolding in the amphibian world. If so, humans and other species should consider themselves duly warned. Because amphibians are particularly sensitive to environmental change, they may serve as proverbial “canaries in a coal mine” that warn of such climate change dangers. -Brian Handwerk, National Geographic Magazine, “Frog Extinctions Linked to Global Warming,” January 12, 20064 PolicyLink1 IntroductionThere is a proverb about frogs that some people like earth’s surface temperature and the desire to slow andto recite. It goes something like this: throw a bunch of ultimately stop this increase is universal. It is a myth thatfrogs in a pot of boiling water, and they will jump out people of color and poor communities do not care aboutimmediately. If you put the frogs in cold water and bring global warming. They do care about it because theythem slowly to a boil, then the frogs won’t comprehend care about their kids who have asthma; they care aboutthe danger. By the time the frogs become alarmed, it the power plant in their backyard that spews mercury;will be too late for them. they care about how far they have to drive or take a bus or rail to work, how much more they must pay forAre w ...