The climate crisis cuts across all sectors of society, from the pollution generated by oil and gas usage to the natural disasters that are intensified by a warming planet. Efforts to address it must be similarly large-scale and cross-cutting, with an urgent need for investment in communities experiencing environmental injustices. The two overlapping streams of climate action are 1) mitigation of fossil fuel emissions, including oil, gas, and coal restrictions and a just transition to a clean energy economy, and 2) resilience to climate hazards and natural disasters, enabling communities to prepare, withstand, and bounce back from the heightened risks we face in a warmer world. Climate solutions can cover one or both of these streams and could encompass renewable energy development, healthy agriculture practices, energy efficiency, public transit, nature protection and restoration, pollution reduction, green buildings, and much more.

Why is this important to Latino communities?

Latino Health

• Air pollution from fossil fuel emissions increases asthma risk and severity. Latinos are twice as likely to go to the emergency room for asthma, and Latino children are twice as likely to die from asthma as white children. Over 3.6 million Latinos suffer from asthma.
• Latinos and other communities of color are disproportionately exposed to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution. This type of pollution is the largest environmental cause of human mortality. Over 56 million Latinos live in the 15 worst urban areas for ground-level ozone pollution.
• Air pollution from agriculture kills almost 18,000 Americans per year. 80% of farmworkers are Latino.
• Communities of color and low-income communities are disproportionately located near fracking wells that contaminate the local area with toxic pollutants, leading to heart defects, infant mortality, and childhood cancer.
• Latinos have the lowest rate of health insurance, hindering their ability to access care when afflicted by illnesses and injuries caused by climate impacts. Immigrants of all statuses are less likely to be offered employer-sponsored health insurance, and undocumented immigrants are not able to use public insurance like Medicare and Medicaid. In addition, there are often language or affordability barriers preventing access.
• Most Latinos live in the three states experiencing the most serious effects related to climate change: historic droughts and wildfires in California, record-breaking heat and power outages in Texas, and increased sea level rise and flooding in Florida.
• Climate change worsens mental health in Latinos and increases risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, attachment disorders, and substance use.

Latino Disaster Preparedness and Response

• 71% of Latinos say climate change is affecting their local community.
• Latino and Black communities receive disproportionately less aid following natural disasters than white communities, and are the hardest hit in terms of property and income losses.
  • 11 million undocumented Hispanic and/or Latino immigrants are not eligible for disaster aid.
• Latino communities face many barriers when dealing with disasters, many of which are caused by government agencies’ failure to consider diverse languages, housing and transportation situations, access to information technology, and other needs. The barriers include:
  • Lack of inclusion in disaster planning, e.g. the lack of planning for socially and/or geographically isolated communities and unstable housing situations
  • Lack of access to clear, multilingual information on disaster preparedness and response, such as emergency alerts and signage, and lack of culturally competent service providers
  • Lack of understanding of the ways information disseminates, and the role of trusted information sources, in Latino and Spanish-speaking communities
  • Failure to inform immigrants of their right to disaster aid
  • Failure to address fears of deportation and distrust of government
  • Discrimination and racial profiling leading to exclusion of individuals from shelters and aid and inquiries about immigration status
  • Lack of transportation assistance, especially for migrant workers
  • Unclear process for responding to loss of documents
  • Failure to acknowledge structural inequities and different social structures in diverse, rural communities
  • Lack of coordination between different government agencies and tiers in disaster response
  • Recommendations for overcoming these barriers can be found in the Emergency Manager’s Tool Kit: Meeting the Needs of Latino Communities.

Latino Jobs & Economy

• 81% of Latino voters in the West said it’s very important for the U.S. to help jumpstart the economy by prioritizing clean energy jobs in wind and solar.
• 84% believe it’s very important to help jumpstart the economy by investing in green infrastructure.
• Latinos are more likely to work in the industries that are deeply affected by climate change, such as agriculture, manufacturing, and construction.
• Many Latinos depend on the agricultural sector for their livelihoods. Extreme weather hampers farm productivity and can mean lost jobs and incomes for many Latino farmers and farmworkers in the United States.
• Black and Latino neighborhoods have disproportionately few rooftop solar installations compared to white neighborhoods, even controlling for income and home ownership. In addition, among senior executives at solar companies, only 2% are Black and 6% Hispanic. There is large potential for solar growth in the Latino market and a need for Latinos in the clean energy industry.

Latino Public Opinion

• Compared to other groups, Latinos are more worried about the climate crisis, more willing to take action and more likely to say they will vote for a candidate because of their stance on climate change.
• Almost 90% of Latino voters in key districts and battleground states say climate change should be a priority for the President and current Congress, and 55% agree that opposition to climate legislation is a dealbreaker for them at the voting booth.
• 87% of Latinos support legislation creating jobs in the renewable energy sector, and 86% support a legislative package that provides tax incentives to make clean energy sources available at lower costs.
• 83% of Latino voters support gradually transitioning to 100% of our energy being produced from clean, renewable sources like solar and wind over the next ten to fifteen years.
• 60% of Latinos would vote for a candidate for public office because of their position on global warming.
• Two-thirds of Latinos say they have personally felt the impacts of climate change.
• 85% of Latino voters in the West are concerned about ozone and smoke worsening air quality.

Latino Education

• Children exposed to air pollution are more likely to have lower inhibition skills and poor academic skills, including spelling, reading comprehension, and math. Latinos and other communities of color are disproportionately exposed to air pollution.