Louisiana is the only southern state to have a climate task force. But, Louisiana has also suffered more than financially from natural disasters than any other state in the nation. Hurricane Katrina remains the most expensive natural disaster in US History. The estimated cost is $86.9 billion. Behind it is Hurricane Ida, another storm that devastated Louisiana’s coast to the cost of $36 billion.
Both of our guests on this episode are members of the Climate Initiatives Task Force and offer up incredible insights regarding the systems of poverty that are tied to the climate crisis.
Camille Manning-Broome, the President and CEO of the Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX), connects the dots between poverty and the climate crisis. She is a Louisiana native whose expertise lies in resilience and adaptation planning.
According to CPEX’s mission statement, in order for sustainable prosperity and community resilience to be realized, equity and inclusion must be ensured for all Louisiana residents. To achieve this, the non-profit organization coordinates planning efforts at the urban, rural, and regional levels in Louisiana as a whole. They offer communities the opportunity to create and implement master plans that address transportation and infrastructure needs, environmental issues, and quality design for the built environment. They also provide best-practice planning models, innovative policy ideas, and technical assistance to help them create and implement master plans.
Colette Pichon Battle, is a climate justice and human rights lawyer. She is a Louisiana native and a leading voice in climate advocacy. She was named an Echoing Green Climate fellow in 2015 and in 2019 was named an Obama Fellow for her work with Black and Native communities on the frontline of climate change.
Colette’s TED Talk has over 3.6 million views on YouTube. TED is a nonprofit organization that began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, but today it spans worldwide communities and explores everything from science and business to education, arts and global issues.
WATCH: Climate change will displace millions. Here’s how we prepare
Along with her work developing advocacy initiatives that intersect race, systems of power and ecology, Colette is a vision and initiatives partner of Taproot Earth, an international organization on a mission to advance global climate solutions rooted in, and accountable to, the frontlines.
Our featured supporter of this episode is Cluey Consumer, which is a Louisiana-based company focused on conscious consumerism. The company’s founder, Maryclaire Manard, explains how she came up with the idea and what prompted her to take on this challenge. To get clued in on how to support the brands that fall in line with your values, sign up for their newsletter and listen to their new podcast.
Links
The Five Most Expensive Natural Disasters in US History
Silverleaf community in Gonzales - buyout
Terms
We’re building on this list with every episode. Below are the terms related to this episode. CLICK HERE to see the full glossary of terms.
Managed retreat - involves the purposeful, coordinated movement of people and buildings away from risks. This may involve the movement of a person, infrastructure, or community. Politicians, insurers and residents are increasingly paying attention to managed retreat from low-lying coastal areas because of the threat of sea-level rise due to climate warming.
Greenwashing - when an organization spends more time and money on marketing itself as environmentally friendly than on actually minimizing its environmental impact. It’s a deceitful marketing gimmick intended to mislead consumers who prefer to buy goods and services from environmentally conscious brands.
Adaptation to the climate crisis is means based