As we consider the trajectory of green jobs over the past 18 months and where it appears to be headed, there is indeed a good story to tell. However, in order to appreciate it, we must come to terms with several setbacks.

Across the country, African American communities are suffering the consequences of the recession. Black unemployment is projected to hit a 25-year high and is nearly twice the national average, and joblessness is almost twice as severe for black men ages 16-24.

But people are not the only ones suffering. Our planet is in peril, too. The true threat of global warming, affirmed by the scientific community, does not go away when politicians and pundits stop talking about it or try to discredit it on cable television. The dirty economy, based on drilling and burning, is a direct threat to the health of all people, and especially to that of African Americans and other people of color.

As a result of the BP oil rig explosion, millions of gallons of oil per day spewed into the Gulf of Mexico over a period of two and a half months, creating widespread economic, environmental and health consequences. Regional community advocates report that minority communities — Asian American, African American and Latino — have been disproportionately impacted. While they have been hit the hardest, communities of color are receiving fewer resources for recovery and their neighborhoods are more likely to be targeted for disposal of toxic oil.