How Do Global Warming And Climate Change Affect The Latino Community?

The Latino community is most profoundly affected by changes in the Earth's climate because we are disproportionately at risk from a number of factors. First and foremost, Latinos are among those who run the highest risk of exposure to the types of pollutants produced by global warming because of where we live, the types of jobs we work, and the quality of health care that we have access to.

The percentage of Latinos living in areas where air pollution levels exceed federal air quality standards is consistently higher than it is for any other population. In a 2004 report entitled 'The Air of Injustice,' it was revealed that 71 percent of Hispanics live in counties that violate these air standards for one or more pollutants. Another study by the National Coalition of Hispanic Health and Human Services Organizations, revealed that 88 percent of Latinos live in areas where carbon monoxide exceeds federal standards, 71 percent live in areas with high concentrations of ozone, and 34 percent live in areas with high particulate matter concentrations. The high risk of exposure to these kinds of air pollutants demonstrates the acute affect of climate change on the Latino community.

Secondly, global warming is of significant importance to the Latino community because it makes up a majority of the labor force in the agricultural industry - 65% in California, 48% in Florida, and 59% in Texas. Droughts, water shortages, hurricanes and severe storms will undoubtedly affect Latino farm workers and businesses in areas like those in the Southwest and Gulf Coast states that have traditionally been hit the hardest and most frequently by these natural disasters.

Thirdly, high poverty rates in Latino communities further intensifies the impact of global warming because it impedes access to quality health care and preventative medicine. Twenty-two percent of Latinos live below the poverty level, and 13.9 million Latinos do not have health insurance. Furthermore, Latinos, and especially Latino children, are most vulnerable to the harmful effects of air pollution. Children of Latino families develop asthma at a rate 2 1/2 times more than non-Latino, white children. Twenty percent of Puerto Rican children between the ages of six months and 11 years old are diagnosed with asthma, more than any other community. These are but a few of the reasons why Latinos are most affected by global climate change.