The Energy and Environment Program has a rigorous research agenda centered on ascertaining black public opinion and knowledge about environmental issues; assessing the relationship between environmental changes and the following variables asthma, air pollution, infectious diseases and heart stress; determining how environmental changes will impact African American communities in the U.S., and people of color around the world; and, exploring efforts that can be undertaken to engage African American communities in the energy and environment debate, especially black elected officials who seek to ameliorate the problems associated with the environment in the U.S. and worldwide.  

Specific activities of the Energy and Environment Program include:

Commission to Engage African Americans on Energy, Climate Change and the Environment

In 2009, the Joint Center established the Commission which brings together leading experts from government, health, industry, civil rights, academia, labor, consumer protection and environmental interests.  The mission of the Commission to Engage African Americans on Energy, Climate Change and the Environment is to increase understanding of climate change in African American communities, and engage African American voices in conversations about climate change.  The Commission has developed legislative principles for equitable climate change that shape the Joint Center’s work toward climate change policies that are fair and equitable.  Since their inception, the Commission has also played a vital role in broadening efforts to inform, and mobilize the African American community on the issue of climate change, including the development of Legislative Principles for Equitable Climate Change.

Speakers Series

In 2010, the Energy and Environment Program launched the Speakers Series.  Consisting of a set of in-depth panel discussions with experts in environmental science, public health, epidemiology, economics, adaptation, and other environment-related issues, the Speakers Series facilitated interactive discussions with an audience of policymakers, advocates, and others about the effects of various aspects of the environment and environmental change policy on communities of color, and served as an invaluable resource for policy ideas, technical information, and relationships.

The 2010 Speakers Series included:

• Bridging 21st Century Energy Technologies with Essential Consumer Protections
• Critical Issues in Climate Change Symposium: Moving Forward on an Agenda to Combat Climate Change
• Transportation and Climate: A Path to Recovery and Economic Growth
• Climate Change, Human Health, and the Well-Being of Vulnerable Communities
• The Green Economy and Clean Energy: Implications from the Gulf Oil Spill

Research Assessing the Impact on Vulnerable Communities

Vulnerability to environmental change differs substantially across regions, communities and even households, and the communities that are most vulnerable to climate change also face poverty, health disparities, and other social inequities.  With support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture through its National Forest Service, the Joint Center has initiated a research project - Climate Change, Environmental Challenges and Vulnerable Communities - to assess the impact of environmental changes and challenges on vulnerable communities, and to recommend equitable and fair solutions to enable them to mitigate and adapt.

Energy and Environment Opinion Polls

The Energy and Environment Program has released several leading opinion surveys that share how African Americans understand climate change issues.  In March 2010, the Joint Center released a groundbreaking report, Opinion of African Americans on Climate Change and the 2010 Midterm Elections: The Results of a Multi-State Poll. This report found that a majority of African Americans in four election battleground states - Arkansas, Indiana, Missouri and South Carolina - see climate change as a critical issue that would affect their votes in the November midterms.  Last year’s work was preceded by a major public opinion poll on climate change that found that a majority of African Americans believe it is a growing problem, and that both government and individuals should take action to mitigate the potential impacts.