Related Articles
-Editorial
Climate change has emerged as one of the most pressing and consequential issues facing both the United States and the world. Over the past six months, the global community has witnessed the growing threat of climate-induced catastrophes, as relentless rain battered Europe and Bangladesh, while millions in the U.S. are still grappling with the devastation left by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. These incidents underscore the accelerating impacts of climate change, which are now becoming impossible to ignore.
Yet, in the current U.S. presidential campaign, climate change remains largely sidelined. Candidates on the trail have been focused primarily on economic issues and border security, reflecting the concerns voiced by many voters. According to recent surveys, these topics continue to top the list of priorities, while climate change struggles to gain comparable attention.
This week’s Ethnic Media Services panel brought together environmental advocates and experts to emphasize the urgent stakes of inaction and discuss how to mobilize communities to prioritize climate awareness and action. Panelists argued that the devastating effects of climate change, already being felt by communities across the nation, should not be ignored and called for stronger political leadership.
In Asheville, North Carolina, residents continued to pick up the pieces after Hurricane Helene tore through the area. Erik Bendix, a longtime Asheville resident, shared a harrowing account of enduring the tornadoes spawned by the hurricane and the challenges his community now faces. Bendix and his wife, who built their log home in the 1980s, have seen Asheville transform from a quiet valley of small-town charm into a bustling tourist destination.
Reflecting on Asheville’s rapid changes over the years, Bendix noted that the town has become a haven for those fleeing climate-related disasters elsewhere. “A lot of people have moved here from California to get away from fire. A lot of people have moved from Florida to get away from hurricanes,” he said. But as Bendix pointed out, “You can’t run and you can’t hide.” The severe impact of Helene illustrated the unavoidable reality that even communities once considered safe havens are increasingly at risk.
Asheville’s vulnerability is exacerbated by its unique geographical setting—nestled among the southern Appalachians at an elevation of about 3,000 feet. While this location once provided a sense of security, the increased intensity and frequency of storms are now challenging long-held perceptions of safety in mountain towns like Asheville. Bendix’s story illustrates how climate change is reshaping both physical landscapes and people’s sense of security in their chosen homes.
In Louisiana’s St. James Parish, Sharon Lavigne has become a leading voice in the fight for environmental justice. As the founder of Rise St. James, Lavigne has spent years rallying her community against industrial encroachment in what is known as “Cancer Alley.” This 85-mile stretch between New Orleans and Baton Rouge has become notorious for its high cancer rates, attributed to pollution from numerous industrial plants.
Lavigne’s activism was sparked in 2018 when Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards announced a $9.4 billion project to build a plastics plant in St. James Parish. Situated just two miles from Lavigne’s home and within a 10-mile radius already populated by 12 industrial plants, the proposed factory would add to an already heavy environmental burden. For Lavigne, the project symbolized a line crossed. “To bring this monster of a plant so close to our homes, it was something I could not accept,” she stated, vowing to protect her community from further harm.
Since then, Lavigne has led numerous campaigns to raise awareness about the health risks posed by increased industrialization, with a particular focus on how marginalized and predominantly Black communities bear the brunt of environmental degradation. St. James Parish’s struggles echo a larger pattern of environmental injustice faced by communities across the United States, where residents in low-income areas or communities of color often live near polluting industries with limited legal protections.
Through her work with Rise St. James, Lavigne has organized rallies and pushed local and national officials to address the environmental and cultural significance of the affected land, which includes ancestral burial grounds. Her fight underscores the critical intersection of environmental and social justice, bringing attention to the way climate change and industrial expansion disproportionately impact vulnerable communities.
Environmental activist Bill McKibben, founder of Third Act, an organization dedicated to mobilizing older generations for climate action, provided a stark warning at the panel about the escalating urgency of the climate crisis. Reflecting on decades of activism, McKibben highlighted that the impacts scientists warned about decades ago are now manifesting with alarming regularity.
“There are two things to note about our current moment. One is that the things that we were warning about 35 and 40 years ago are now the things that are happening every day someplace,” McKibben stated, emphasizing the visible consequences of climate inaction. He pointed to record-high global temperatures, severe weather patterns, and intensifying natural disasters as evidence of the looming climate tipping points that could irreversibly alter our environment.
McKibben expressed concern about the proximity to these tipping points, which include the destabilization of vital ecosystems and the potential for runaway warming that would make catastrophic climate impacts a permanent reality. He cited extreme weather events worldwide—like the torrential rains that have flooded parts of Asia and Europe—as clear indicators that climate change is no longer a distant threat but a present crisis that requires immediate action.
The environmental advocate linked this rapid warming trend to the intensification of extreme weather phenomena, citing examples of devastating rain events and heatwaves seen across the globe. “That spike is what’s allowing extraordinary rain events like the ones that accompanied Helene,” McKibben explained, underscoring the urgent need for concerted action to mitigate the impacts of a rapidly changing climate.
