On March 17, 2017, the Green Party of the United States endorsed two upcoming marches in Washington, D.C. for climate justice: the first one on April 22, 2017, the March for Science, and the People's Climate Movement March for Climate, Jobs and Justice on April 29, 2017. Citizens from all around the country will be meeting in Washington, D.C. or marching in cities across the country. Here in New Orleans, Louisiana, the Green Party of New Orleans will be marching with local activists in the People's Climate March on NOLA on April 29.
Louisiana is home to the first official United States climate change “refugees”. The Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaws of Isle de Jean Charles have lost 98% of their island and only about 60 of the 300 members of the tribe remain on the island. Of the 22,400-acre island that stood in 1955, only a 320-acre strip is remaining today. HUD awarded the tribe $48 million in 2016 to relocate. In Louisiana we also have a pipeline that is just one permit away from approval.
Disproportionately, the poor and people of color pay the largest costs of climate change. From floods to hurricanes, to coastal erosion and wetlands disappearing, Louisiana is in crisis. The state and country need real solutions to solve these problems, not partisan politics that leave us doing nothing to mitigate our damaged environment. The country’s policies do not help us be prepared for the future, they will leave us more vulnerable. The country and Louisiana needs to implement policies that will not only make positive impacts on the environment but also provide jobs that improve the quality of life for its citizens. The Green Party has proposed the GREEN NEW DEAL. The Green New Deal not only provides jobs with living wages, it calls for a refocus in industry and shifting our economic future into sustainability.
On April 22 and April 29, we stand with other concerned citizens across the country.
To support the organizers of the People’s Climate March on NOLA please contribute to their GoFundMe here.
Anika Ofori
Green Party of Louisiana
Green Party of the United States Black Caucus