About the NAACP Climate Justice Initiative
Staff
Jacqui Patterson is the Director of the NAACP Climate Justice Initiative.
Bio Info
jpatterson at naacpnet.org
Program Goals
Increase Awareness and Understanding across NAACP Units/Communities about the connection between climate change and our lives through regional and state level trainings across the country, as well as developing a clearinghouse database of informational resources.
Produce Research on the impact of climate change on our communities, as well as assets and opportunities for leadership in a new green economy.
Build Capacity of NAACP Units/Communities to Engage in 3 Rs of Climate Justice:
- Re-Visioning through building and advancing a new vision of what we want for our communities.
- Resistance against policies and practices that don't work for us.
- Resilience in the face of a necessary transition to an existence that is impacted by climate change by building sustainable, cooperative communities.
Advance an Advocacy Agenda which promotes policies on issues such as clean energy, transportation equity, food justice, equity in urban/rural development, economic empowerment/green economy, health justice, education justice, disaster planning, housing justice, etc with desired outcomes and processes framed by four Rs:
- Real Reductions in the emissions that are driving climate change and harming our communities
- Reparations through resource provision for mitigation and adaptation that is controlled by our communities
- Representation at state, local, national, and global levels in decision making around policies, programs and practices
- Rights Based Responses that ensure that human and civil rights are upheld through the transition.
Promote Institutional Greening internally and externally so that our operations are characterized by conservation and energy efficiency and we encourage and support others to do the same.
Cultivate a Black-Green Pipeline by working with institutions to increase paid internship opportunities for students of color as well as working with unions and others to advance economic opportunities afforded by the emerging greeneconomy.
2010 HIGHLIGHTS
Increase Awareness and Understanding across NAACP Units about the connection between climate change and our lives through trainings across the country with the development of:
Tool Kits, Fact Sheets, Training Modules, Video Project, and Online Resource Database
NAACP Climate Justice Initiative Publications
- “What the UN Climate Talks Mean for US” --Black Commentator
- “Right to a Healthy Environment”—Intercommunity Peace and Justice
- “Natural Disasters, Climate Change Uproot Women of Color” --On the Issues Magazine and TruthOut
- “10 Lessons From Copenhagen”--The Root—Washington Post
- “Clearing the Air: An Analysis of the Impact of Toxic Coal Plants on Communities of Color” (Upcoming)
- “Climate Change is a Civil Rights Issue”—The Root—Washington Post
Produce Research on the impact of climate change on our communities, as well as assets and opportunities for leadership in a new green economy.
- “Clearing the Air Report” (on coal power plants and their impact on climate change and our communities) COMING SOON!
- BP Oil Drilling Disaster Investigational Study
- Spearheaded the launch of the Gulf HBCU Consortium on Sustainability and Public Policy
Advance a Climate Justice Advocacy Agenda
Climate Justice Locally
- September participation in EPA Coal Ash Hearings in Virginia
- May-October ongoing advocacy around BP Oil Drilling Disaster
Climate Justice On the Hill
- In March 2010, the NAACP sent a letter to the full Senate urging them to support legislation “which is effective in the battle against climate change and creates sustainable green jobs”
- Washington Bureau Director participated in a rally on Capitol Hill in March (in advance of Earth Day) calling for passage of comprehensive and just climate change legislation.
Promote Institutional Energy Efficiency - internally and externally so that our operations are characterized by conservation and energy efficiency and we encourage and support others to do the same:
- Initial Assessment of Facility and Operations
- Youth and College Green Team at Convention
