The calls for an additional presidential debate moderated by (and aimed at) minorities escalated on Friday.

Ralph B. Everett, the chief executive of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a research and analysis center that focuses on the socioeconomic status of blacks and other minorities, sent a letter to Janet H. Brown, executive director of the Commission on Presidential Debates. He urged her to reconsider the commission’s rejection of a plea by Univision to stage a presidential debate moderated by its own Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena, or another host of Hispanic origin.

“It has long been the practice of the television industry to avoid placing people of color in front of the camera,” Mr. Everett wrote. He said he hoped the commission would embrace Univision’s proposal “by adding more debates to the calendar.”

Read more at nytimes.com.

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies supports AT&T’s campaign against texting and driving. The It Can Wait campaign provides statistics, stories, and experiences to create a clear picture of the consequences of texting behind the wheel. Ultimately, It Can Wait reminds drivers, particularly teenage drivers, that sending or receiving one simple message while driving can forever change their lives and the lives of those around them.

As an organization focused on issues surrounding people of color, we are well aware that African Americans and Latinos are some of the heaviest consumers of mobile technology in America. We believe programs like It Can Wait are crucial to keep these communities abreast of safety concerns involving their devices, especially behind the wheel. We applaud AT&T for its efforts to educate Americans on the dangers of texting and driving.

NASHVILLE, TN – Implementing simple, inexpensive energy efficiency measures in their church facilities can enable African Methodist Episcopal congregations across America to redirect significant amounts of money from utility payments to fulfilling their missions in communities, an official from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies told delegates attending an AME convention here today.

Danielle Deane, Director of the Joint Center’s Energy and Environment Program, used the occasion to report on her organization’s joint energy-saving project with the AME church. She noted that more than a dozen churches have been evaluated in its initial phase, and some of them have already completed low- and no-cost retrofits and upgrades that they expect to maximize their energy efficiency and save them money that can be applied to other church priorities.

“This project offers us an unparalleled opportunity to share environmental best practices in a way that can positively affect hundreds of churches and thousands of churchgoers,” she said at the 49th Quadrennial Session of the AME Church General Conference, which was expected to draw about 30,000 people to Nashville.  “Our goal is to put energy efficiency on the minds of more Americans as we all work toward making a better world.”

The African Methodist Episcopal Church will hold its 49th Quadrennial Session of the General Conference, Exalting Christ to Impact the World, from June 27 to July 4, 2012, in Nashville, Tennessee.

Danielle Deane of the Joint Center's Energy and Environment Program will appear at the Session on June 29 to present information on the green churches initative undertaken by select AME churches with help from Green DMV and the Joint Center.

For more information on the Session, please visit the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

WASHINGTON, DC – Communities of color in six southern and western states face a “perfect storm” of poor health, socioeconomic barriers and climate-related challenges, and many are being left out of government climate change and disaster planning activities, according to a report released today by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.

The report prepared by researchers at the Texas Health Institute, Climate Change, Environmental Challenges and Vulnerable Communities: Assessing Legacies of the Past, Building Opportunities for the Future, is the first to coalesce data and research across a range of demographic, health, environmental and climate-related measures for Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas.  It examines state and local initiatives for climate change mitigation and adaptation, assessing the integration of vulnerable communities into the planning process.

The webinar recording discussing the findings and recommendations of the report, which took place on Monday May 21st at 3:30 pm ET, can be found HERE.

The Joint Center report Climate Change, Environmental Challenges and Vulnerable Communities: Assessing Legacies of the Past, Building Opportunities for the Future brings together demographic, health and environmental data and research for Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas.  This first-of-its-kind study, prepared for the Joint Center by the Texas Health Institute, delves into state and local initiatives for mitigation and adaptation, assesses the progress for communities of color and highlights that some communities of color face a "perfect storm" of poor health, socioeconomic barriers and climate-related challenges. Recommendations for state and local level actions will be discussed.

A Joint Center webinar featuring the authors of the report and expert commentators took place on Monday, May 21, 2012 at 3:30 p.m. EST/2:30 p.m. CST/12:30 p.m. PST.   The recording can be found here.
The panelists were::

	Dennis Andrulis, Ph.D. - Senior Research Scientist, Texas Health Institute, and  Associate Professor, School of Public Health, University of Texas at Austin
	Nadia Siddiqui, MPH – Senior Health Policy Analyst, Texas Health Institute
	Mary Hayden, Ph.D. – Research Scientist, National Center for Atmospheric Research
	Michael K. Dorsey, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor, Dartmouth College
	David Edmonson – Senior Policy Analyst, Office of Texas State Senator Rodney Ellis (Senate District 13)
	Moderator: Danielle Deane - Director, Energy and Environment Program, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

The report Climate Change, Environmental Challenges and Vulnerable Communities: Assessing Legacies of the Past, Building Opportunities for the Future brings together demographic, health and environmental data and research for Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas. It delves into state and local initiatives for mitigation and adaptation, assessing the progress for communities of color and concluding that some communities of color face a "perfect storm" of poor health, socioeconomic barriers and climate-related challenges.

Register for the webinar with the authors which takes place on May 21st here.

Download the Executive Summary below, or the Full Report and Appendices.

This Joint Center webinar features U.S. experts and Mexican leaders who successfully advocated for Mexico's new global warming legislation, highlighting key features of the law and its potential impact on U.S. and international climate politics.

The full webinar can be found here (registration required).

Last week, Mexico became one of a small handful of major-emitting countries to pass domestic global warming legislation,making it a leader among developing nations working to curb carbon pollution. The law calls for Mexico to cut carbon 30 percent below business-as-usual growth rates by 2030 and 50 percent below by mid-century.  The Mexican Senate voted unanimously in favor of the law.

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies will host a webinar featuring U.S. experts and Mexican leaders who successfully advocated for this law. Panelists will highlight key features of the new law and discuss the potential impact of this breakthrough on U.S. and international climate politics.

Panelists include:

• Mary Nichols - Chairwoman, California Air Resources Board
• Adrián Fernández - Consultant for the Latin American Initiative, ClimateWorks Foundation, and Former President, National Ecology Institute
• Vanessa Perez-Cirera - Director of Climate and Energy programs for World Wildlife Fund-Mexico.
• Rodrigo Gallegos - Director of Climate and Technology, Mexico Institute for Competitiveness
• Moderator: Danielle Deane - Director, Energy and Environment Program, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

We thank our colleagues at the National Latino Coalition on Climate Change for their support of this webinar.

To register, please click the "register" button to the right.

Mexico's New Climate Law: Mary Nichols and Mexican Experts Discuss Implications for U.S. and International Policy                

A Webinar took place on April 30th  from 2:00 p.m. - 2:45 ET/ 11:00 a.m. - 11:45 PT
   
The following panel of experts participated:
 

• Mary Nichols - Chairwoman, California Air Resources Board
• Adrián Fernández - Consultant for the Latin American Initiative,
  ClimateWorks Foundation, and Former President, National Ecology
  Institute
• Vanessa Perez-Cirera - Director of Climate and Energy programs for
  World Wildlife Fund-Mexico.
• Rodrigo Gallegos - Director of Climate and Technology, Mexico Institute for Competitiveness
• Moderator: Danielle Deane - Director, Energy and Environment Program,
   Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

Summary: Recently, Mexico became one of a small handful of major-emitting countries to pass domestic global warming legislation, making it a leader among developing nations working to curb carbon pollution. The law calls for Mexico to cut carbon 30 percent below business-as-usual growth rates by 2030 and 50 percent below by mid-century. The Mexican Senate voted unanimously in favor of the law.

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies will host a webinar featuring U.S. experts and Mexican leaders who successfully advocated for this law. Panelists will highlight key features of the new law and discuss the potential impact of this breakthrough on U.S. and  international climate politics. We thank our colleagues at the National Latino Coalition on Climate Change for their support of this webinar.

Title:  Mexico's New Climate Law: Mary Nichols and Mexican Experts
Discuss Implications for U.S. and International Policy   
Date:  Monday, April 30, 2012    
Time:     2:00 PM - 2:45 PM ET / 11:00 - 11:45 PT

We are pleased to share that the recording of the webinar is now online at:
http://www.jointcenter.org/institutes/climate-change/multimedia

Talking points available for download:

• Vanessa Perez WWF-Mexico Talking Points
• Rodrigo Gallegos IMCO Talking Points