Friday, March 29, 2024

Latinos Believe Having More ‘Green’ Jobs Will Help the Economy


In a recent poll commissioned by the California League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, two-thirds of Latinos voters identify as conservationists and overwhelmingly believe they can protect the environment and create jobs at the same time.

Susana De Anda, co-director and co-founder of the Community Water Center says she agrees that “Latinos value the environment,” especially the role it plays in enhancing the health of the family.

While the environmental issue proves to be important to this demographic looking forward to the upcoming election, both the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates have remained silent on the growing problem of climate change, despite what Jorge Madrid, a Fellow Environmental Defense Fund, shows as evidence that a clean ‘green’ economy has the potential to create new businesses and new jobs.

“Jobs in the clean economy are diverse, across a wide range of education-level and skills,” says Madrid on Voces Verdes. “On average, clean economy jobs offer a higher median wage and career advancement opportunities, and almost half of all jobs in the clean economy don’t require a college degree, according to the Brookings Institution.”

Madrid also says on La Plaza that these ‘green jobs’ will result from the growing deployment of clean energy and can help many Latino families reach the middle class, especially low/medium-skill workers with education and language barriers.

“We [Latinos] not only support conservation; we live it,” says Adán Ortega Jr., Chair of the Board of Mujeres de la Tierra. “Meet us where we are at and give us the support and resources to take us to the next step.”

Latina Lista
New America Media

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  1. […] previously reported on La Plaza, Latinos feel that protecting the environment not only helps create jobs, but also enhances the […]