Improving the Environment to Benefit Latinos

Global warming and energy may be the hot news topics of the day, but Latino communities—which are disproportionately affected by issues of environmental degradation and climate change—have been largely left out of the debate.

Part of the problem may be that Latinos generally don’t think of the environment as a bread and butter issue. But it’s this kind of thinking that is hurting our community. That’s why Latinos should use the momentum of Hispanic Heritage Month to begin galvanizing around an issue that’s truly central to the health of the community—global warming.

Low-income and minority communities are the most vulnerable to environmental threats because of where they live and a lack of access to information. Two key environmental health concerns are air pollution and mercury contamination.

According to the American Lung Association, 80 percent of Latinos live in counties that do not meet at least one federal air quality standard as mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This compares to only 57 percent of whites and 65 percent of African Americans.

Air pollutants from vehicles and emissions from power plants and factories can lead to respiratory problems such as asthma, allergies, chronic bronchitis, lung cancer, and, in extreme cases, even death. In fact, asthma is the most common chronic illness affecting Latino children living in the United States. Two and a half times more Latino children suffer from asthma than non-Latino white children. And according to the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Puerto Rican children have the highest prevalence of lifetime asthma and asthma attacks in the United States.

Hispanic health organizations have cited asthma as an urgent issue for our community and we need to be proactive about tackling the problem. This means supporting alternative fuels such as cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel, and hydrogen; and higher mileage standards for vehicles that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lead to cleaner air.

Achieving healthier air means changing the way we generate electricity and changing the type of energy we consume. Electricity generation in the United States is currently fed primarily by coal. And although coal may be cheap and plentiful, it is also incredibly dirty.

Coal is the largest source of anthropogenic mercury emissions worldwide. It pollutes the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. And it is estimated that coal combustion provides as much as two-thirds of the man-made emissions of mercury to the atmosphere.

Mercury is a toxic metal that contaminates coastlines, “bioaccumulatesâ€