Think Globally, Act Locally: Think Globally, Act Locally: Global Warming and Global Warming and

Richmond, CARichmond, CA

Michel Sam, MS, MDMichel Sam, MS, MD

Richmond Demographics – Richmond Demographics – Environmental RacismEnvironmental Racism

US Census 2000Richmond, CA  Laotian Asian Black Latino White Total

Population 1,849 12,198 35,777 26,319 31,117 99,216% of Richmond Population 2 12 36 27 31  Median Household income in $ 39,444 56,558 35,918 41,362 50,390 44,210Average Household size 5 3 3 4 2 3Per Capita Income in $ 8,062 20,543 17,473 12,239 26,612 19,788

Individuals below poverty level 360 1,084 7,822 4,819 3,538 15,873

% below poverty level 19 9 22 18 11 16

Richmond and the EnvironmentRichmond and the Environment Strong history of environmental Strong history of environmental

activism, esp. re: Chevronactivism, esp. re: Chevron West County Toxics Coalition – group West County Toxics Coalition – group

of local organizations led by Henry of local organizations led by Henry ClarkClark

Communities for a Better Communities for a Better EnvironmentEnvironment

Asian Pacific Environmental Network Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) and Laotian Outreach Project(APEN) and Laotian Outreach Project

APENAPEN APEN, founded in 1993, its mission is APEN, founded in 1993, its mission is

to empower low-income API to empower low-income API communities to achieve communities to achieve environmental and social justice.environmental and social justice.• Direct organizing in local communitiesDirect organizing in local communities• Network buildingNetwork building• Multiracial alliances to affect regional Multiracial alliances to affect regional

and national changeand national change

APEN – LOPAPEN – LOP Branch of APEN specifically created Branch of APEN specifically created

to address the needs of the Laotian to address the needs of the Laotian community in CC Countycommunity in CC County

Membership base of 200 families and Membership base of 200 families and 20 leaders20 leaders

Torm Nompraseurt, Lead Organizer. Torm Nompraseurt, Lead Organizer. Featured in “Unnatural Causes”Featured in “Unnatural Causes”

LOP - Fighting Fire with FireLOP - Fighting Fire with Fire After the March 1999 chemical After the March 1999 chemical

explosion at Chevron revealed CC explosion at Chevron revealed CC County’s inadequate English Only County’s inadequate English Only emergency response system, the emergency response system, the LOP got the county to implement a LOP got the county to implement a multilingual emergency phone alert multilingual emergency phone alert systemsystem

Trying to Stop the New Chevron Trying to Stop the New Chevron IncineratorIncinerator

APEN-LOP, Communities for a Better APEN-LOP, Communities for a Better Environment, and the West Toxics Environment, and the West Toxics Coalition are suing the city of Coalition are suing the city of Richmond over the city council’s Richmond over the city council’s decision to allow Chevron to proceed decision to allow Chevron to proceed without public input or proper without public input or proper environmental review.environmental review.

Global Warming and RichmondGlobal Warming and Richmond APEN: How does global warming affect the APEN: How does global warming affect the

health of people in Richmond and Contra health of people in Richmond and Contra County?County?

Rising Global TempRising Global Temp

JAMA, Jan 2004

Lyme DiseaseLyme Disease

Dengue FeverDengue Fever

JAMA, Jan 2004

Thinking GloballyThinking Globally

WHO estimated mortality attributable to climate change in 2000 (CVD, diarrhea, malaria, flooding, malnutrition). Nature, Nov 2005

Where to go from here?Where to go from here? Infections. Malaria, Dengue Fever, Infections. Malaria, Dengue Fever,

Lyme Disease? Not very realisticLyme Disease? Not very realistic Heat Wave Related Events and Heat Wave Related Events and

PreparednessPreparedness• Related to LOP’s multilingual emergency Related to LOP’s multilingual emergency

response systemresponse system Allergies – High rates of asthma and Allergies – High rates of asthma and

SAR in CC CountySAR in CC County

ReferencesReferences Knowlton et al. The 2006 California Heat Wave: Impacts on

Hospitalizations and Emergency Department Visits. Environ Health Perspect 117:61–67 (2009).

Hess et al. Climate Change, The Importance of Place. Am J Prev Med 2008;35(5):468–478.

McMichael et al. Climate change and human health: present and future risks. Lancet 2006; 367: 859–69

Campbell-Lendrum et al. Climate change: Quantifying the health impact at national and local levels. WHO Public Health and the Environment, Geneva 2007.

Ebi et al. Community-Based Adaptation to the Health Impacts of Climate Change. Am J Prev Med 2008;35(5)

Frumkin et al. Climate Change: The Public Health Response. Am J Public Health. 2008;98:435–445.

Patz et al. Impact of regional climate change on human health. Nature Vol 438|17 November 2005.

Haines et al. Health Effects of Climate Change. JAMA, January 7, 2004—Vol 291, No. 1

US Census Bureau www.silentspring.org www.apen4ej.org