[en español]

Heat is a serious problem in Arizona, especially in Phoenix. The fastest warming city Climate change is causing temperatures to rise in the United States, 118 degrees Fahrenheit upon last summer day.

That heat comes at a price. According to a 2021 study, metropolitan Phoenix residents spend approximately $7.3 million each year on emergency room visits and hospitalizations for heatstroke. Economic evaluation It was commissioned by the Nature Conservancy, a non-profit environmental organization. Socially vulnerable people, such as those without cars, those with disabilities, the elderly, those living in poverty, and those with limited English skills, tend to bear a heavier burden.

This pattern is seen across the United States. 2021 EPA Report We find that marginalized communities are disproportionately harmed by climate change and its most severe consequences, including worsening air quality, rising temperatures and flooding.

In Phoenix, researchers found: low-income, predominantly Latino neighborhoods The southwestern part of the city, in particular, shows temperatures that average 3 to 5 degrees warmer than the predominantly white, affluent neighborhoods. These neighborhoods tended to be affected by policies such as redlining and investment cuts, resulting in fewer shade trees and parks to provide coolness.

Chispa AZ A climate justice organization focused on expanding political power and civic engagement in the Latinx community. In April 2022, the group launched the “Clean and Green” or “Limpia y Verde” campaign to help residents spark conversations about policies and investing in their communities.

In this interview, Masavi Perea, Organizational Director of Chispa AZ, shares why the organization is working to ensure that the voice of the public is included in public policies and climate resilience efforts developed by local governments. increase.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Yale Climate Connection: How did Chispa AZ become interested in such an initiative?

Masabi Perea: Before the pandemic began, Chispa AZ was involved in cooling experiments, working with Arizona State University’s Nature Conservancy, and officials from the Maricopa County Public Health Department to cool extreme cities in certain neighborhoods (Edison Eastlake, Mesa). coped with the heat of Kea and Lindo Roseley Park.

Residents of these communities were not only prone to heatstroke, but were also frustrated by the lack of investment in nearby parks and playgrounds.

Our job was to work with other community organizations to mobilize local residents to share ideas and what needs to be addressed in cooling corridors and green infrastructure.

As part of that effort, these areas now have resident-designed amenities, some of which provide potable water and shade to parks, bus stops, walkways and playgrounds that were previously inaccessible. Some of the results are also the proud communities that currently serve and utilize these spaces that were involved in their creation. has taught us that we need to include people’s voices in the decision-making process.

Campaigning is therefore a way to follow up on that cooling experiment while calling for equity in a system that tends to ignore its most vulnerable residents and communities.

YCC: What are the stock components included in the Limpia y Verde campaign?

Perea: In addition to revitalizing our neighborhoods and reducing the heat we are experiencing in Maricopa today by adding shade to our parks and playgrounds, we are making an impact on the Latino community, including segregation and redline. It focuses on historical issues that

Maricopa County, and Phoenix in particular, has very poor air circulation. It’s like a pit with heavy highway traffic and waste from an industrial site. Latinos are concentrated in the south of the most polluted areas. And by design, these are areas where people who don’t have access to higher paying jobs can afford to live.

So extreme heat isn’t the only thing the city has to deal with. It also addresses poor air quality and gentrification. Therefore, Limpia y Verde’s campaign also focuses on monitoring air pollutants in these areas and rent regulation so that low-income residents do not have to leave their communities.

During the pandemic, we found that property development and improvements drove rents up and families took refuge in cheaper and polluted areas of the city. I don’t want people.

YCC: So how is the campaign structured?

Perea: Limpia y Verde was launched on Earth Day, when members of Chispa AZ gathered within the community to visit public events and conduct online surveys. The idea is that these surveys will help us understand what issues are impacting our residents’ daily lives.

So far, in addition to health and environmental concerns, residents have been required to install lighting fixtures in streets and sidewalks, drink water in parks and recreation centers, and go to playgrounds after work hours. I found out. Mentioned.

YCC: What is Chispa AZ looking forward to at Limpia y Verde?

Perea: We have shared these ideas with local officials at the city and county level and hope that the voice of the community will be included and prioritized in the decision-making process.

city ​​of phoenix $500 million bond approved Fund critical needs like revitalizing parks, building storm resilience, and developing affordable housing. We know that local governments cannot afford to overlook the knowledge and first-hand experience of their residents.

The people who know best how to deal with climate change and these social issues are within these communities and are most affected. As such, power dynamics must not impede the achievement of policy and program objectives.