DC Solar Congress April 14, 2018 Hello! I am happy to be here tonight! Thank you to Envision Frederick County and specific thanks to Ann Nau and Kai Hagen for inviting me to the program. I won’t be before you long but want to talk about our work and collaborative vision for a healthy, affordable, accessible and sustainable Maryland. DC Solar Congress April 14, 2018

What We’ll Cover Today Operating Framework: Equity, Access, and Justice Energy and Health Equity Renewable Energy and Access Community Resiliency and Justice

Who We Are Mission: To eliminate environmental threats to human health. A women of color lead organization Based in Baltimore and we work across the state of Maryland. A network of health professionals, environment and health advocates and impacted community members We operate as community builders, educators, and EH policy experts

Health is a function of Environmental Justice Equity in the distribution of benefits and burdens among all Marylanders Access to decision makers at a time when their actions can inform a process rather than provide observations on the impact of an action Justice is the realization of the highest potential of each and all without the weight of structural barriers or biases

Energy & Health Equity

Housing Income impacts housing stock quality Apartment dwellings Low-income households struggle with energy efficient homes High energy consumption due to inefficiency creates economic burdens Apartment dwellings Landlords lack incentives to provide energy efficient dwellings

Pollution Pollution from non-renewable energy burdens low-income communities and communities of color Lifetime health impacts can limit social mobility Maryland residents with the lowest household income (<$15,000/yr) account for the majority of adults with asthma at 15.5%. Asthma accounts for the greatest loss of productivity through missed work days or school absenteeism Nationally it is estimated that approximately 10 million work days are missed each year due to asthma

Renewable Energy & Access

Accessibility for ALL Expensive renewable energy is everyone’s problem Energy efficient, and clean and renewable energy is good! But, not universally accessible as policies and programs that incentivize its use emphasize ownership and leave out tenants out. Leaving renters behind means continued production of greenhouse gases and climate change In the pursuit of a primarily renewable energy grid, we must consider the economics of energy. We all can not prosper if everyone does not participate. Resources must be catered to communities to fit their needs in a just way (equity not equality)

Community Resiliency & Justice

Climate Change Socioeconomic factors influence community vulnerability Poor housing - Exposure to hazards in the built environment and elements Impacts of Sea level Rise - Greater incidence of water borne illness Poor Air Quality for populations in proximity to high traffic areas - Asthma exacerbation and ground level ozone rise Extreme heat events - Increased likelihood of death to persons with fragile health facing cumulative impacts during extreme events

Building community resilience Create policies with low income residents, at the beginning of policy development so that the perspective of low-income residents is built in. Create plain language, accessible (in every language) public facing information on programs, policies and agencies where decisions are made about energy policy Consider existing and projected human health, when creating energy policy Build a culture of inclusive development, where public input is early and often

Contact Us! Website: mdehn.org Twitter: @MdENVHealth Facebook: @MdEnvHealth Email: info@mdehn.org Tamara Toles O’Laughlin, Executive Director | @Tamaraity Yinka Bode George, Program Manager | @YinkaBG