Where are our Human Rights in the Climate negotiations?
Over the course of the past four days at the climate negotiations, I have not had enough “Marisol time” to reflect on what has been going on in Copenhagen. At the very least, I would like to see in the final negotiations a legally binding agreement to reduce CO2 levels to 350ppm. The survival of many people is in negotiators hands. To be honest, that really scares me. I feel that the people most affected by climate change are often ignored when the countries that made the mess will be less impacted by climate catastrophe than small island states.
Yesterday, I participated in a youth “rainstorm” action at the Bella Center, reflective of the fact that together we can make a loud peaceful statement that we will not die silently and demand a legally binding agreement to reduce CO2 to 350ppm. At this action, a young girl from the Maldives spoke about how her island state is being affected by sea level rise as a result of climate change. She stated that even though 2 degrees increase in temperature may not seem too much of a change, it really does mean drastic change that may submerge the island. Listening to her testimony was very emotional for me. I had knowledge of the Maldives and other small island states that are facing the burden of climate change the hardest. However, hearing a live testimony from a climate justice youth activist is much more personal, more real, it is a first hand account.
Here’s a link to a video of our action:
Bringing it back home, I feel that communities impacted by the coal industry are also often ignored. Yes, federal government has made a big step by suing Midwest Generation, an Edison International company that owns six coal power plants in Illinois, including the Crawford plant in Little Village and Fisk Plant in Pilsen. However, we still need to wait and see what will be the outcome of this lawsuit.
With the new finding that green house gasses are a threat to public health. What will be done to address public health? People living near coal power plants are most impacted by air pollutants that lead to respiratory illness and premature deaths. People living in Appalachia are severely affected by black lung disease due to coal extraction, mining, and coal waste dumped into local rivers/valleys. Who are these people? Low income, African-American, and Latino. I’m from Little Village, a predominantly Mexican-American community. I live four blocks away from the Crawford coal power plant and I refuse to be labeled just as a “statistic”. I am a human and I deserve to breathe clean air! If politicians like coal so much, why don’t they put one in their backyard?
Some people may ask, “Well if it is so dangerous, why do you continue to live there?” When that is the only place your family can afford, you do not have the luxury of a choice.
Crawford Coal Power Plant. Photograph by Paul L. Meredith
