Opinion: Tackling climate change by prioritizing impacted communities
Something remarkable is happening in the Northeast San Fernando Valley communities of Pacoima and Sun Valley – something that shows how the U.S. can fight climate change while building healthier, more livable and more prosperous communities for all.
That something is a little-known state program called Transformative Climate Communities.
The Northeast San Fernando Valley is a working-class area whose residents are predominantly Latino, Black and Asian – the essential workers who’ve helped keep California running during the pandemic. But it’s been held back by decades of redlining, disinvestment and neglect. With multiple, polluting industrial facilities and surrounded by three freeways, this community carries a heavy pollution burden, with high rates of asthma and other respiratory issues.