Dense , urban areas without trees , parks or cooling centers turn into heat islands . Black , pregnant women face an increased risk of complications for their children , Bullard said . Students in schools without air conditioning or reliable access to electricity fall behind . Outdoor workers suffer both heat and poor air quality , and as conditions worsen , they might not be able to work at times .
Expand the problem to the national gross domestic product , Bullard said . This measurement of all goods and services produced in the country could drop 1.2 % in the coming decades as climate change worsens .
But that ’ s a misleading figure because it averages the loss across the entire country , Bullard said . For areas across the South and the Gulf Coast , that loss could be as high as 20 %.
These environmental injustices cascade across the country and their effects ripple outward to harm us all .
So what do we do ? The movement has enjoyed some success over the years .
Bullard mentioned an executive order signed by then-President Bill Clinton in 1994 , directing federal agencies to find and address areas disproportionately suffering from environmental hazards . Then , a year ago , President Joe Biden signed another executive order reaffirming Clinton ’ s commitment and laying additional framework to achieve those goals .
Plus , with the Inflation Reduction Act , the Biden administration earmarked around $ 60 billion for the environmental justice movement , Bullard said .
“ Now , the challenge is to ensure that those dollars flow to the communities with the most need ,” he said .
Similarly , Washington has nearly $ 2 billion available for climate-related projects . A substantial amount of that money is dedicated toward environmental justice work , though some have questioned whether it ’ s being spent as intended .
With all that money available we must take care when placing hydrogen hubs and renewable energy or carbon capture projects , Bullard said . Otherwise , we run the risk of making the same mistakes we made with oil and gas refineries , mining operations , pipelines , landfills and more .