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A new task force in Rochester is focused on the people most affected by climate change

An electric city bus, painted blue and green, empty of people, parked in a large depot
Jeremy Moule
/
WXXI News
This electric bus, parked in the RTS bus depot, runs through Rochester.

When policymakers and stakeholders discuss climate change in Rochester, Andrea McLean wants those most affected by its harmful effects to finally be invited to the table. McLean — the public engagement coordinator for the Climate Solutions Accelerator of the Genesee Finger Lakes Region — is leading the charge toward equity.

Joining forces with a group of dedicated volunteers, McLean is helping to launch Color Rochester Green with the goal of prioritizing climate action in communities of color. The focus of the task force is to identify and develop municipal and neighborhood solutions to climate-related issues that disproportionately affect those communities throughout the city.

McLean explains that when those communities are faced with problems like extreme rainfall and flooding, it becomes an “injustice accelerator.”

“You don’t have all the resources needed to really get you through,” she says. “A storm hits. You may be homeless. What happens? How do you go from barely having enough, and then these challenges are hitting you?”

She also notes the irony that the most disadvantaged people, such as those from low-income communities, have smaller carbon footprints and contribute less to climate change. For example, they may be less likely to be able to afford a personal car and more likely to take climate-friendly public transportation.

Color Rochester Green joins Irondequoit, Penfield, and Brighton as the latest Color Your Community Green program from Climate Solutions Accelerator.

An example of these programs’ efforts is the Penfield chapter’s campaign urging the Penfield Central School District’s superintendent and school board to prioritize replacing some of their fleet with electric school buses.

This is the type of effort that McLean anticipates Color Rochester Green will employ, following its official launch. The goal, she says, is to embolden those who are too often forgotten to advocate for environmental justice using strategies from the organization’s toolkit. Sample actions include food-waste reduction, promoting energy storage, and electrifying homes.

McLean says she wants the climate movement to become truly equitable.

“One of the biggest things that I want to see is the populations that are affected having the knowledge about what the climate crisis is and what we can do to adapt,” she says. “We're here. We’re diverse. We're part of this city.”

The Color Rochester Green launch will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at the Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County, 115 South Ave. There will be an opportunity to join virtually. Go to climategfl.org for more information and to register for the free event.

Jasmin Singer is the host of WXXI’s Weekend Edition and Environmental Connections, as well as a guest host for Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Connections.