Waking up with an itchy throat, tight lungs, and dozens of coughs is a ritual for me during the summer time in Riverside, California. I am finally thinking about getting an air filter to stop this. Smoggy summers are normal for Inland Communities in Southern California. They leave the most vulnerable, like newborns and children, at high risk for asthma, bronchitis, and chronic respiratory disease. Many of these diseases can be caused by bad air quality, which comes from the increased use of gas and diesel in our cars, trucks, buildings, and power generation.
We have seen an increase of goods movement, with some streets recording up to 800 trucks driving by in one hour. My community is resilient in the Inland Region, where we fight for solutions to solve our health and climate crises together under the My Generation Campaign. Solutions for our air quality are deeply tied to green jobs in zero emissions, clean energy, and storage, which is why I was delighted to represent our local work on the tele town hall for a Green New Deal a few weeks ago.
In our movement with the My Generation campaign, our volunteer leaders avoid silos when it comes to jobs and the environment. We see both as both necessary to our survival. The Green New deal is pivotal for these dynamics to coexist. The Green New Deal is a framework that matches the scale of the problems—to tackle climate change and inequity. Something this big and this historic will take more than one piece of legislation. 100% clean energy and clean transportation are important first pillars and key components in advancing a Green New Deal framework.
Our youth volunteers carry the implementation of local and statewide solutions that evoke the spirit of the Green New Deal:
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Regional policy for smog reduction at the South Coast Air Quality Management District on warehouses, railyards, and new development
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Implementing transportation electrification for heavy- and medium-duty vehicles
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Passing 100% clean energy legislation for California
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Supporting environmental justice and labor groups on community benefits agreement
We have worked hard on accomplishing and winning these actions, with support from our chapter, San Gorgonio in California. It was our chapter that first organized the Green New Deal town hall, inspiring our base to think big about a national movement for climate. It’s been amazing to work with chapter leaders who weave the My Generation campaign in the Green New Deal, alongside partners at the Sunrise Movement and in the Sierra Club’s Resist campaign.
This summer, Congress has introduced bills in support of a just path to 100% clean energy for our country and for building out clean transportation with an electric vehicle tax credit. We are excited to engage with congressional leaders in our communities who haven’t supported the vision of the Green New Deal. Educational visits, speaking with constituents, town halls, petition drives, and working with intersectional partners across movements to grow the Green New Deal will be some of our priorities this summer and for the rest of the year.
Together, we are one movement working for a better future. It is crucial that we hold our elected officials accountable for the vision of the Green New Deal, ensuring that we organize for support on it. Labor, faith-based, and social-justice grousp support this movement. Building across interests is crucial to achieve this win, and we cannot do it without your help.
This summer, My Generation and Sierra Club activists around the country are #GrowingTheGreenNewDeal. Starting in our communities we’ll be taking our vision to our legislators to ask them to help make a 100% clean energy future a reality. Visit sc.org/recess to learn more about how you can help.
We look forward to growing the Green New Deal with YOU wherever you are in the country.