While most Americans would now agree that climate change is real, a new study was just released uncovering what researchers call a "climate gap" or hidden pattern revealing that the poor and people of color in the United States will suffer more from environmental changes than other Americans. 

The research team behind the report also released an analysis of the global warming legislation currently moving through Congress, calling it a critical first step toward solving climate change and suggesting ways it could close the climate gap.  The research team was comprised of environmental science professors at three different American universities: the School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley; the University of Southern California's Program for Environmental and Regional Equity at USC's Center for Sustainable Cities and Center for Study of Immigrant population; and Occidental College in Los Angeles.

According to the study, climate change will disproportionately affect certain populations in the U.S., from increased air pollution to job loss and paying higher prices for the basic necessities of life.  For example, extreme weather events such as heat waves are expected to increase in frequency and intensity in the next hundred years, resulting in a higher risk of illness and death. 

The study's researchers say that the risk of heat-wave-related mortality is nearly twice as high among African Americans in Los Angeles than other residents.  Low-income urban neighborhoods and communities of color are often segregated in inner cities, leaving them particularly vulnerable to increased frequency of heat waves due to the "heat island" effect that commonly occurs in urban areas because dark-colored roads and buildings absorb more heat.  Minorities and the poor are also less likely to have access to air conditioning and cars, reducing their ability to evacuate.

Other climate change factors that disproportionately impact low-income, non-white Americans included increased air pollution, increased costs of water, and reduced or shifting job opportunities.  The study points to a nearly three-fold difference in the proportion of income that goes towards water between households in the lowest income bracket versus households in the highest income bracket. 

With regard to employment, the majority of jobs that will be significantly affected by climate change are in agriculture and tourism, typically held by people of color.  In California, Latinos comprise 77 percent of the workforce, and the majority of these men and women fall into the low-income category.  These laborers will be increasingly affected by job loss due to climate change.  California seaside and mountain destinations that also employ minority workers are likely to be particularly impacted by climate change, seeing diminished tourism jobs.

The study warns that if policymakers don't work to close the climate gap, it could reinforce and amplify existing as well as future socioeconomic and racial disparities in the U.S.  The study makes several specific recommendations for closing the gap such as coordinating reductions in greenhouse gas emissions with opportunities to reduce toxic air pollutants in neighborhoods with the dirtiest air, and adopting strategies to prepare for and prevent heat-related illnesses in urban communities of color and high poverty by disseminating messages and information targeted toward parents and caregivers of young children and the elderly.

Specific solutions suggested by the researchers to close the climate gap include: that can solve climate change and narrow the climate gap include: 

• Adopting technologies that identify neighborhoods most vulnerable to the climate gap
• Choosing either an auction or fee-based system that would generate revenue to help families living in poverty absorb the higher costs of water, food and energy
• Seizing the opportunity to reduce greenhouse gases from sources that also cause toxic air pollution in the neighborhoods with the dirtiest air
• Prioritizing the training of people who are most likely to lose their current job because of either climate change or climate solutions for jobs in the new economy
• Focusing outreach, intervention, and preparedness efforts for extreme weather events in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color

The report's researchers praised the American Clean Energy Security Act of 2009, proposed by Chairman Henry A. Waxman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and Chairman Edward J. Markey of the Energy and Environmental Subcommittee.  This legislation is expected to create new clean energy jobs, save consumers hundreds of billions of dollars in energy costs, enhance the U.S.'s energy independence, and curb global warming pollution. 

"Preventing climate change is the most important strategy towards closing the Climate Gap," said Dr. James L. Sadd, Professor of Environmental Science at Occidental College in Los Angeles, California. "That's why the American Clean Energy Security Act represents real progress. While the bill could do even more to directly address Climate Gap issues, it's a critical first step toward addressing global warming and the catastrophic consequences for all Americans."

The executive summary, full report-which includes an appendix on California's climate policy-and the American Clean Energy Security Act analysis-can be found at http://college.usc.edu/geography/ESPE/perepub.html.

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