This week on MALN Opinion+ Reverend Mariama White-Hammond joined us to talk about the City of Boston’s effort to protect the land and its citizens from the effects of climate change. Recently Reverend Mariama was appointed Chief of Energy for the Environment and Open Spaces for the City of Boston.
As Chief of Energy for the Environment and Open Spaces, Reverend Mariama and her cabinet are looking at keeping the city prepared for the worsening climate crisis that Boston—similar to many other American cities—is currently in.
She cites the current extreme weather Boston is experiencing this week as an effect of climate change and shares that “we’ve had more rain than ever this year, we’ve had more heat than ever this year and we’re (the Energy for the Environment and Open Spaces Committee) really looking at how do we prevent that from getting worse, but also how do help residents adapt to the reality that climate change is here.”
One of the most challenging aspects of this situation is the fact that people here in Boston are affected disproportionately by the effects of climate change. Certain neighborhoods like East Boston, Dorchester, Roxbury, etc… are home to socially vulnerable people, meaning those who live there may have lower-incomes, are people of color, disabled, or non-English speaking. These people are often underrepresented in conversations about climate change where they should be the focus because they are more likely to rely on public funding to fix issues like flooding, and extreme heat.
For more on this important and ever-evolving topic make sure to watch this week’s interview with Reverend Mariama White-Hammond above.
Resources mentioned in the video:
https://www.boston.gov/departments/environment
