 Good afternoon everyone. I am my name is Carol Werner. I'm the executive director of the environmental and energy study Institute I am very very pleased to see all of you here. I apologize for the delay in terms of Having these old technical glitches that as we all know do happen from time to time but thank you for your patience and I am so glad that you are all here because the topic before us today is one of such great Importance in terms of looking at the challenges and Opportunities for communities of color and tribal nations as we look at the issues that are confronting us with regard to climate change We have a wonderful array of speakers and sponsoring organizations And I hope that you all feel very very good about the array of organizations that have come together today in Terms of organizing this briefing our own EES I as well as the France committee on national legislation the National Congress of American Indians The National Association for the advancement of colored people the Mahapa Band of Paiute Indians and Also the Franciscan Action Network So this just gives you a sense of indeed all of the people who really really care about this There have been other briefings with regard to these issues on the Hill There was a another briefing related to the whole issue of climate And looking at impacts up on the Latino community a couple weeks ago So I think that it is incumbent upon all of us to really think about these very very important issues of Social environmental and economic justice as we look at these huge challenges facing us With that said I am so pleased to be able to introduce to you Congressman Grihalva who has come across the Hill From the house and we know that that is a very big deal to come to the other body and Congressman Grihalva is represents the state of Arizona and He has been a wonderful wonderful leader Is a co-chair of the progressive caucus on the house side is on the house education and labor committee? He brings a real history of advocacy and and deep commitment for people of all of all economic social and And ethnic Orientation and derivation so we are very very pleased to have somebody who is up to the challenge that is facing all of us And who is providing such terrific leadership in the Congress congressman Thank you very much. Thank you very much. It's a Thank friends committee on national legislation, of course the national congress from American Indians national association for the advancement of color people and always great advocates and great sources of information That at least I and other colleagues utilize all the time That's the environment and energy study Institute and the Mahapa band of Paiute Indians and the Franciscan Action Network for organizing this briefing a very important briefing Mentioning economic and social justice and and I think it's it's link to the subject of climate change and to the reality of climate change I I We walked across the impasse to get here today It's good to see how the other half lives once in a while, you know It's I think it's the two-year versus six year elections. There's a comfort zone here that We don't quite have yet but You know climate change is real and and we need to start being much more proactive about dealing with the challenges We're starting to see the realities of climate change across the world and certainly in our country Extreme weather events the wildfires that are going to come the drought throughout this country and While it didn't snow much here in Washington, DC It did in downtown Tucson where I'm from Think it's the fifth time in my lifetime and and this summer a Scientist have predicted the hottest April and May and recorded history for the state of Arizona and big thoughts of the Southwest And so I hope that people are big people are beginning to realize and we need to deal with climate change People are realizing it policy makers have yet to come to grips with that reality when you have a community In this country and let me use Latinos were 74 percent of Latinos believe climate change is real and Something needs to be done with urgency a population that sometimes pundits will say Really only care about jobs and only care about immigration and only care about those vital issues to their Existence in this country how wrong they can be and so when you have a Population that was most affected in many areas as Poor people and people of color are in this country by climate change have dealing with issues of poverty Dealing with issues of population concentration Dealing with issues of lack of resources to be able to create their own individual adaptations to this change You're seeing about who who is it in this country that'll be most impacted By climate change and who will suffer the consequences of that climate change to a greater degree everybody will Every school I go to to talk to young people and that is That's been the audience for climate change for quite a while Go to talk to them and we'll talk about the pressing issues in this country and inevitably Across gender across class across ethnicity Comes a question about climate change and what are you going to do about it and what is Congress doing about it? and And I think as we go forward with this issue And either way you look at the numbers they're compelling There's widespread support for action and climate on climate change, and it's time that we as Policymakers as elected officials and as advocates Took that mandate and ran with it We have to send the world a message that we want to lead and will lead before it's too late And part of the leadership issue is going to have to adaptation strategies for for our country and I'm concentrated on the public lands where adaptation to climate change can be a very good incubator for Issues that we can deal on a broader scale across the country in the world and also Dealing with the administration about significant monument designations across this country To not only preserve watershed habitat, but begin The adaptation strategy that links habitats and the links communities across this country Many will say we have so many other pressing issues We have we have the budget as registration We have all these things that we must deal with first before we deal with the urgency of climate change And and those pressing issues are not only facing us. They're facing the world And that's why when we submitted our budget that will be on the floor tomorrow From the progressive caucus we Priced carbon at $25 a ton to begin to making polluters and the primary suppliers of fossil fuel sources in this country responsible by reducing emissions and The levels of major impact Our budget also within that 25 Includes a rebate to make sure that poor people low-income people People without the means Will be held harmless Through this process and through this $25 per ton charge And I'm looking forward to working with senator Whitehouse With representative Waxman that I think beginning tomorrow. We will begin putting aside floor time to talk about the topic of climate change over and over again and Because I think it deserves center stage in the political dialogue in this country We can wait for a hundred percent of the scientists to say it is true instead of 97% I think that would be kind of a waste of time on our part But that's the kind of head-in-the-sand attitude that some of my colleagues are taking about the issue Something else is always too important and we can put this off the urgency Demands that we not put it off. We bring it center stage and make it part of the political dialogue and debate. I We hear a lot for my colleagues across the aisle that our nation's debt will create impassable burden for future generations So we must do these drastic immediate Deep and lasting spending cuts to bring that under control. I would wish they would harness that same kind of empathy For future generations when we deal with the subject of climate change That we need to do something immediate deep and lasting I Want to just thank everybody It's a it's an important topic and it's a topic that I think the American people I believe the American people are behind us doing something and doing something immediate and Doing something that will lead us to a lasting Method and sequenced to meet the challenge It's not enough to talk about it It's not enough to have Intellectual and scientific discourse about the subject of climate change. So now it's become an action item and those of us who believe That the challenges and the effects of climate change on the overall quality of life of this world on The threat to all species and this species in particular as we speak about it This is is a challenge. We cannot turn our back on it is the Equivalent of many other challenges we've faced in the past And I think the ingenuity and the discipline of the American people will lead the way But first we're gonna have to get the people that make decisions in this place The people that are in power in this place The policymakers in this place that if they can't lead us To confront those challenges That they get out of the way and let the American people lead us to the to confront those challenges I'm a I'm an optimist. I think it there's always an opportunity and My wife says I'm a masochist too by the way and so it's a kind of weird masochist Optimist kind of a Bipolar thing I work with through my life, but I really see a great chance when you have Organizations as diverse as the ones in front of you when you see a unifying issue like climate change bringing communities of What was perceived to be diverse interest into a common cause? That is very very powerful and our task ahead of us is to turn our Knowledge and our advocacy into action and to begin to do what we have to do and what we do best to mobilize educate and Unify around this issue so that the movement for Meeting the challenge becomes overwhelming and then It need be the people to make decisions will follow. Thank you very much, and I'm very honored And I must say the congressman is Somebody that we really welcome the opportunity I think all of us welcome the opportunity to work closely with him and Through his roles on the committee on resources and education and workforce in the house It also provides an important opportunity to really raise a voice for these important issues on climate and how to best address them I now would like to turn to our lead co-sponsor with regard to this briefing to Diane Randall Who is the executive secretary with the Friends Committee on national legislation and of course the Friends Committee is very well known for? having been an important institution in this city for a lot of years since 1943 and has been a very very important leader on peace and social justice issues Diane Good afternoon everyone I want to begin by thanking senator Cantwell for her assistance with today's briefing and to the staff of the Senate committee on Indian affairs for securing this beautiful room for us to hold the briefing in I Also want to thank the center for senator for her leadership on climate change Her thoughtful work on the clear act has helped frame legislative opportunity for placing a cap on carbon emissions and Generating revenue much of which would be returned to the American people I also want to thank representative Grava for his steadfast commitment to the people in this country who live paycheck to pay Paycheck or sometimes even without a paycheck, but who often bear the dramatic impact of climate disruption FCNL as the oldest and largest registered faith-based peace lobby in the United States is pleased to stand shoulder to shoulder with the NAACP the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization And the National Congress on American Indians the nation's oldest and largest intertribal organization With the chairman of the Moapa tribe and representatives of the Center for Social Inclusion and Green for all People who meet great challenges with smart and tangible results Thank you to the Franciscan Action Network for co-sponsoring and to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute who were closely with us to make this briefing successful FCNL is a Quaker lobby in the public interest We're working here on the hill and we're represented by citizen lobbyists throughout the United States Asking for legislation that will bring about a more peaceful and just world Our office located right across the street in the Senate Heart building is the first lead certified building on Capitol Hill We invite you to tour our green building to see how a Geothermal system on a small urban footprint works and to consider the use of our conference space for your meetings We are asking Congress to act on climate change perhaps the greatest challenge facing us today a Concern based on the belief that all of us share an obligation Care for create an obligation to care for creation and all people especially the most vulnerable Because every person holds the light of God within them This concern about climate change is a non-partisan and a moral issue shared by many faith traditions last December we hosted another climate briefing in the house where voices from the evangelical Jewish and Catholic faith traditions Witnessed our concerns and our hopes for action from our political leaders And there's a there's a handout outside about different faith perspectives on climate change in Seeking an earth restored we seek mobilization of many peoples to address this great challenge And we seek especially the leadership from Congress as a critical partner to address climate change With solutions that are commensurate to the scale of impacts and threats to our present and our future well-being FC and all is on the hill today with over a hundred of our young adults from across the country for our spring lobby weekend They are meeting with their representatives asking Congress to take up this leadership role To express bipartisan recognition of the science and gravity of man-made client disruption and commit to action To set a price on the cap or a cap on carbon pollution that significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions Such as offered in the Sanders boxer bill or through reintroduction of the clear act that had the leadership of both senators Cantwell and Collins in a previous Congress and to catalyze energy efficiency Measures in ways that create jobs and reduce costs for business and homeowners through reintroductions of senator Shaheen and Portman's Energy savings and industrial competitiveness act Congress can lead by responding to the call expressed by three quarters of the American people By people of many face by people of color our nation's first peoples for action on climate change Regardless of party faith color or place of origin We can address climate change and with hope and action on real solutions for a better solution for our future our earth Our children and for generations to come Thanks Diane I would now like to turn to our next speaker who is Jacqueline Peter Who is the executive director of the National Congress of American Indians? Which as as you just heard is the oldest and largest American Indian and Alaska Native Advocacy Organization in the United States NCAI advocates on behalf of tribal governments and communities promoting strong tribal nation to federal government nation to nation policies as well as promoting a Better understanding growing understanding among the general public Regarding American Indian and Alaska Native governments people and rights Jacqueline has been She was in the Clinton administration as the deputy assistant secretary For Native American programs of the US Department of Housing and HUD and we are so pleased to have her with us today Jacqueline. Thank you Cousine you had to a sock look at the higher had cagwantan yeti. Yeah, he had dark My think it name I I'm my name is cuisine and I come from Luka. So let me tell you about what Luka means So long long time ago, and I'm not gonna take this story to tell forever to tell you the whole part of it The long long time ago We actually our people have a story where we came across and we came where we actually came through the ice and In seek of new fresher salmon because as the streams were coming in to the interior or into Where from Canada side? We saw that the fish were fresher if we would follow them a little bit further out There was a two women who decided the old women. They were beyond chart chair Childbirth in years and they said yes, they would go in the cave Go underneath the ice to see if we could get out to the fresher and get fresher salmon earlier And so they came out and we came and that's where we ended up coming out over there by wrangle Alaska southeast Alaska Anyway, the place that we ended up coming our clan comes from Luka. So I am the people from Luka and And I guess that just wants to I just wanted to tell you that a little bit of that story because it really is about tribal nations and how we've adapted to climate change from centuries and We've had dramatic forces in and outside of our communities as we you know as as we Deal with our the world and the life that we live within and but Mother Earth always taught us about what the environment What about the environment and how we adapt with that environment? but the change the the challenging thing for us right now is the climate change is the change is less predictable and It's actually has a huge human influence on our lives right now and we face major changes in the way of our life So at NCA I one of our great challenges is how do we always say we want to focus on solutions and the possibilities? I'm always positive progressive. That's the what I always say and So we are a people of hope and we are people that have moving forward to lead to our survival Our theme this year that we kind of captured to talk about is called securing our futures And there's so many reasons why this theme is important to us So I want to talk a little bit about how tribal nations are securing their futures as we deal with this issue give you a quick Synopsis, I'm not sure if my screen is working or not and whether or not you see that but really quickly Tribal nations are very much present. I want to be able to make sure you know that We're not in your history books. We're actually alive and living and thriving And there's about 566 tribal nations across the federally recognized tribes across the country and many other state recognized tribes 229 of those tribes and villages are in my state of Alaska and the remaining tribes are in 34 other states There's 5.2 million American Indian Alaska Native people and there's over a hundred million acres of total landmass in the American Indian Alaska Native control this would make the fourth largest state in the United States So as we look at that landmass and we also Recognize that American Indian tribes are probably are some of the most live in the most rural areas of the country and Our people unfortunately are still some of the most poorest people in this country Eight of the ten poorest counties in the nation are in tribal communities And so you see that there is a devastating effect of climate change is having on our traditional way of life In Alaska for example, you see Alaska like the village of Kavalina Where the sea is eroding the village and the village is having to deal with relocation You see our hunt traditional hunting and gathering places whether you're in Alaska or in the lower 48 But you also see how that is changing the patterns of migration like the caribou for example You see that fishing is decreasing as well as the warmer waters are having negative effects of spawning in the habitat in oxygen supply and of course Even our traditional medicines are disappearing and to putting our health needs in jeopardy We also always talk about the high cost of fuels and sadly these effects are taking effect all over So this next picture tells you a little bit about what the front lines look like and if we had time we'd see the video But I'm gonna make sure that you guys or however You can go to our website get a copy of this video and of this PowerPoint and you can download and look at that video But this is about the Cusco Quim River and you heard about last summer where the folks from the villages of Akiak a Village of Akiak We're trying to make a decision as they were dealing with their their harvest of theirs for subsistence of their of the King salmon and was really important and as they went to prepare their nets to go fishing. They were told by the the state and federal wildlife officials that they couldn't fish because of the because of the low Numbers of fish and so 21 of their nets were seized and and obviously Thousands of pounds of salmon were from subsist of fishermen were subsist Succeeds, but what we really see here is the effect of climate change We have low salmon runs and we've had low salmon runs before and they come and go but Continually having low salmon runs and what it really challenges is a community like Akiak Who? Who recognizes in their traditional ways in my village we don't we don't even fish the first run of the salmon We wait so the first run actually has its cycle of life and we take from the second run Or we wait until the lake bubbles and we know that there's enough fish there because they're feeding and they're but and the lake is Bubbling before we take those are the lessons my elders taught me when I was a child growing up and learning how to subsist But Akiak had to make a difficult decision in the way of life is can I can I really go without my fish for this season? How will I feed my children? How will I sustain my life versus how do we decide which is available for commercial operating? Opportunities versus for that for that livelihood of subsistence tough decisions that are being made as we deal with the effect of what I think is climate change And so then we go and we see other effects of climate change on Native American communities We've got biggest fight wildfires of last year. Where were they? predominantly in Indian country and we were having to deal with can we actually light a fire I remember one of my biggest issues last year in the fall was can we light a fire to do our ceremonies when we have Trying to deal with the blazing fires around us and how else do we do our ceremonies? How else can we pray if we go to our sacred places to be able to take that week of praying? Challenges we see I talked to the climate a Klamath a tribal leader last week and actually last week We were both at res sitting to eat next to each other and who is going through their water settlements Out of the 12 regions of the country 11 regions have said water issues of tribal leaders is their number one priority as we're dealing with those issues And so we deal with the Pasemont aquatic tribes in Maine who is dealing with traditional medicines and and and lack of those You see the next slide is we have Our opportunity for securing the future Indian country as I talked about the large land mass We see as an opportunity for dealing with alternative energy. We've been working with the Department of Energy We've been working with the members of Congress to be able to make sure that those barriers are removed that tribes actually have the same opportunities to develop Alternative energy and energy that will be necessary for our communities and we also practice that and so we'll see that Department of Energy has dealt with some small community energy, but some larger energy Projects you also see tribal leaders in this slide the first stewards last year having a conference here in Washington, DC Saying we as tribal people and traditional people have some ideas up to put forward some solutions that we want to put forward to address And some of those solutions are in this next slide, which is you'll see the The Winnebago tribe of the Ho Chiang people of Winnebago And we went out there last year and actually saw the windmills in their small housing complex Didn't totally take away the energy needs, but certainly supplemented it made it more affordable and certainly a clean energy project and of course their solar panels that were actually helping them with their tribal operations and their tribal businesses and Being able to install those The next slide here you see a copy of what we think is really important and that's that next generation being able to Be able to get the next generation to capture the vision to be able to have those tools and techniques in the way that we Probably may not have as as we're older generation and we're the oldest and largest Native American organizations sitting here with many other oldest and largest We want to be able to make sure that we're seeking solutions for the community We have examples of that where in Arctic Village They're actually just trying to figure out how to optimize their community powerhouse and energy and Pasca Yaki They're doing their solar panel panel generation and Pasca Macquati is doing wind farm You'll see here and I know I'm out of time so I'm gonna go really quickly But we have the large-scale project. This is actually in Gus Frank of Forest County Pottawatomie has actually taken this environmental Project and being able to install it not only for their casino, but also for their tribal operations and for their communities We see the importance of this conversation to help us not only with our energy needs But also with our economic needs and our jobs needs as we prepare for the future as we look to the seventh generation We are looking for opportunities to be engaged in all of those issues Agriculture water fish and wildlife energy forestry and so long And as I said to Indian country, this is really about the next generations a tribal leader fond shot from the Cornal nation She's made a statement that I'll never forget and I remind myself of it all the time that every decision we make today Is really a decision for those generations in the future and we need to make that as conscientiously as we can Thank you. Good as cheese Thank you so much Jacqueline and I think that it is so important for us to always remember that everything as you said everything that we do Affects so many other things for a very long period of time So it means that we should all be very careful in terms of those decisions. So I am now very pleased to introduce William Anderson who was born and raised on the mop about band of Paiutes reservation and He brings a very interesting perspective too because as he went on to school Received a degree in communications. He also worked in advertising Ran for tribal council. So he was elected tribal chairman in 2000 and remains Council chairman and he also brings perspective as a business owner So therefore he is able in his leadership to Bring a forward that experience as as a business person and as a tribal leader To really help look at what does make sense for the future in terms of working with his people and the land William The do we have the video yet? We think we think so and I was just going to say too in terms of the power points in the video for Your video Okay, it will all be available on ESI's website as well the contractors when I was working with them They'd go ahead and say, you know, it's pretty much a death trap. You breathe in this stuff here. It's going to ruin your body Going across the window. I can see it, you know, and I just don't go outside and I don't walk those states On its worst day, it would be like walking and a sound storm You can't really breathe. It's just there. We've got a warning and it's gonna be a lot of coal ash flying around At least don't let my center daughter go out. I can't taste it Taste the salt that's going down in my throat So you can't get out you Essentially in prison in prison in your own home. The Reed Gardner power station sits right next to the Moapa River Reservation It's just one of the more than 600 coal-fired power plants across America But it like every other coal plant has a dirty little secret It's called coal ash and it's making people sick Coal ash is the toxic waste generated by every lump of coal we burn It's laced with arsenic, mercury, lead and other toxic metals It's the second largest waste stream in America and it's subject to less regulation than the garbage you take to the curb every week At Reed Gardner, the coal ash is put into landfills and mixed with water and dumped into ponds And then when the wind blows just wrong It picks up like a sandstorm and blows right out the reservation It's just one of the hundreds of places across America where coal ash is threatening communities and making people sick I want to be out. I want to be able to do what the Constitution of the United States says That I have the right For happiness. Why don't have that now? The wind blows on the prisoner. I go back to jail The coal ash ponds at Reed Gardner start at the plant and then stretch across the desert to within a few hundred yards of the Homes on the Moapa River Reservation The Pervalium winds carry constant pollution straight out the Paiute people who live there And despite the high documented rates of lung heart and thyroid disease The Reed Gardner plant is currently trying to expand their coal ash ponds and landfills I live the closest to the ponds and in the and the blowing dust And I get all of it every time it blows I get sick from the air that is coming being blown towards us Fatigue the headaches nosebleeds dizziness, you know, I suffer from all that and that's what they acknowledge It's what they don't acknowledge, you know the document that addresses the chromiums the manganese the lens So, you know all the other bad stuff. I mean, what long-term effect does that have? I've never had asthma until I moved here. I now have to use an inhaler and My little girl got her first inhaler last week But I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. I've had it sore throat for six months. I Associated with that plant because after reading The chemicals and the poisons in there It has to be You flip on a light switch that power does not come up from that light switch That power is generated somewhere else and it impacts people My daughter was just born and he had just had his daughter and they lived on top of the hill Overlooking the power plant and that's where he worked And he worked so hard that he didn't even know that he was sick He was waiting three weeks for a new heart and he didn't get one and he died So I just started thinking about you know, how much all that coldest was on my brother Many people on the reservation decided they're tired of being polluted on from the outside Now they're looking for solutions to this problem on the inside So at the same time the re-gardener plant is trying to expand its coal ash storage capability The Moapa Paiutes are trying to show a different way forward One that uses the resources that are already there and moves us past coal. Oh, I'm working for a green energy and We're gonna have a solar plant and so I think we're the first tribe in the United States to be putting this plant on a reservation at this large scale, so I guess I'm really proud and I'm kind of their first worker. Oh Pollution know nothing and no sound or smell or nothing coming from it You know to go ahead and be a part of that connection to be connected with the Sun Making it into energy To be to be that connected with nature whether earth Plants rocks animals. I mean that's basically who we are. You know, that's what we started You know back before this was a reservation You know, that's how our people were from back then lived off live from the earth In some ways, I just feel like the Indian people are here for a reason and maybe it's to try to help do what we can to Preserve the environment We can't not just sit here and just take it but they'll go ahead and do something about it You know, we want to go ahead and have a solar project say hey, you know, there's alternate ways We are doing it. We are trying to go ahead and be more More positive we're trying to be more More active and trying to be more You know more supportive with regard to the environment for years Regardner and hundreds of Mr. Chairman, it's all yours Yeah, I can take from there great great You saw just a portion of what we've been facing This was two years ago was when this was made and That one of the men that were on here Calvin Myers He said he lived closest to the power plant. He is now He's in the hospital right now. He faced a stroke and before that stroke. He had a heart attack His brother who lived with them Respiratory problems heart problems. He's passed away this past year, too These are the problems that are facing our people every day our elders They're dying off for a while. I was getting very scary because it was being Like every two months one of our elders would pass away The people that live closest to the reservation they have so many respiratory problems So many problems dealing with the issues with coal that it's It just got to a point where a bunch of us started asking where I asked our people Who do you know that has respiratory problems who has health problems? Heart problems anything like that and one by one they kept on saying my cousin has this My uncle has that my aunt has these problems thyroid has been a big issue It's the highest concentration of thyroid and a small little poor small reservation and To have these type of numbers on a small reservation for health problems It's just you know, it just really just blows my mind way just to free just to see those numbers For us to go ahead and deal with these issues every day that cloud that white cloud That's the fugitive dust that's blowing over from those from those ponds You know, this is a desert community where we get up to 115 degrees Weathers and there's times where the wind blows up the 40 to 60 miles an hour It comes down it picks up that particulate matter and blows over to the homes Those homes are not fitted to go ahead and take this to block it all out So it's taken into the homes The people try to go ahead and move indoors now that they see it Our people that even our elders that just want to go outside work on their yard Just to go ahead and just to clean up the yard and work on their feet You know the everything that they have growing there their skin starts to burn and Then they have to go back inside to go ahead and you know get away from what's going on outside The smell is so bad when it comes from blowing over from the from the Power plant that it's just we have our own culture events that last all night And we bring invite other tribes to come in during this time and during these cultural events there out there And they're smelling this bad smell and you know, there's like what is that smell and said well? That's coming from the power plant All these different issues that's been coming up has been something that we were just sitting there just taking it and We didn't know what was what was you know? What was going on we had the companies tell us that well that's your genetics That's just who you are and the allergies that you're having that's just who your people are But how can we have allergies when we've been the indigenous people that's been there? Generations after generations before even anybody else showed up out there That land is very sacred to us that out there in the desert like she was saying before water is our greatest resource that we have It goes right through the reservation and continues on into the Colorado River So with that going on with the pound liners that are right there there's some that are not like and It's wondered to see what has seeped through and got into that river to move on where Las Vegas is right there, too They pump in that water for their own drinking purposes also We try to go ahead and let them know about the information that we have but it's no one wants to listen to us I've been When I first came here the very first year that part of my term Was that I started to go ahead and hear about the problems that people were facing across the country regarding coal and For me growing up in the reservation. I just didn't understand that you know It was just well That's just how things were but it turns to find out a lot of people that live closest to the coal plants are Facing the exact same problems that we've been facing and and for me to realize that to go ahead and see you know now Geez, it's not just us. I brought that back home And I told our people about these issues that we're facing and what we should do about it We've been starting a campaign to go ahead and do anything We could to go ahead and show them what we could when these to be done And what one of the main things we've been trying to focus on was getting the awareness out there we've been trying to go ahead and work together with other groups like the Sierra Club Greenpeace and So many other organizations that's out there Earth Justice here in DC just so many that we've been trying to go ahead and work with go ahead and get these this issue across earth justice was the one that Came out here made this documentary for us They went ahead and sent a person out there to go ahead and do this for us. It's Chris Jordan So that was the first year and then once we started to get the grassroots started going with our people That was I mean that was the hardest part was getting our people involved Once we got our people involved to get them aware of what's going on and to talk about their problems The issues that we're facing we had to go ahead and talk with the EPA The EPA was going to go and host the meeting regarding the issues that were going on But they were going to have it like 25 miles away from the reservation And their excuse was was that there was no place that that had a hall available to go ahead and Host this I go well, we have a hall. We have a PA system. We have our own tribal police We have everything you need and we're just half mile away from the power plant So they go well, we already put it to the registry. We can't go ahead and go Can you have that meeting? But it took a lot of persuasion and a lot of talk here I did and we were able to go ahead and hold that meeting and to go ahead and let the EPA know about the problems we're facing and All the problems that we were facing so many people came in talking about their issues and about our heritage our culture there's a there's a cave that's right off our reservation, but It's still not is still a part of our who we are now that land is that cave That's been documented to have from archaeologists from UNLV to go ahead and show that it is there is a place in there that has Corn pottery that dates back to even Anasazi tribe that used to go ahead and for the nomadic tribes that have been around that area and Now that area is blocked off from us. So now we're losing our culture too And now we're gonna go ahead and we're now our environment is happening and the problems with that and the health problems We're facing there too with our people and so one of the things that we wanted to do Was that we wanted to go ahead and provide an alternate solution? We wanted to show the corporate people out there that there's a Alternate ways to produce power without destroying the earth without destroying the air without destroying the water land plants and animals And we wanted to go ahead and do that by providing solar And as was said in the documentary that we were starting to go ahead and work on a solar plant as of October last year We did get our power person's agreement with LEDWP and we are in construction right now to build one of the first solar scale industrial sky or solar Industrial scale solar part in Indian country We are the first and we're showing that other tribes out there that there's alternate ways to produce energy We're trying to show them that we have to protect our land best way to protect our land is to go ahead and show that by Demonstration we're providing that template for other tribes out there for them to follow us from what we're trying to do We want to show that we are proud people of who we are We really are proud of our land. We are proud of our people heritage and culture Everything you see in this room, that's who our people are and this is what we're trying to do to go ahead and fight back and take Back our land fight back and take back the environment the way it should be done And that's the way we have to do it now other ways that have not worked in the past But now a lot of people are gaining attention of what we're trying to do people are under, you know We're just a small tribe 340 around people we have that are enrolled members there very small Out in the middle of the desert out in the middle of nowhere now We're in magazines now. We're in newsletters now I was to get invited to places like this to get invited to go ahead and speak before Senate invited to go ahead and speak before Congress This is where we've been at right now This is the this is how long it's been taken for us to go ahead and get to the point to let people see the problems that we're facing and as well to provide solutions and Again, thank I want to thank everybody for your here. Thank you for inviting me to come out here to speak again And I hope you all have a good day. My name is William Anderson, chairman for my band Pius. Thank you Thank you William a really really powerful story And and I think that it will be very exciting to look at the kinds of solutions that are going to come from Indian Country that in terms of showing that leadership and that kind of oneness with the land Now look would like to turn to Joseph Reed who is a policy analyst with NAACP and And as you had heard since we have so many oldest Largest widely recognized civil rights organizations here in the US and NAACP is certainly one of those critically important voices and Joseph has a very broad portfolio within the office here in in Washington in their National Public Policy Division where he works on health international affairs economy environment housing labor Transportation and social security, but I think as we look at all of these issues We see how intertwined they all are Because our world is indeed a holistic one and that's the best way for us to both address Issues and to find solutions All right, thank you. And good afternoon I'll be reading to you a statement from the NAACP's senior vice president for advocacy and policy a Hillary Shelton Unfortunately, could not be here today. He's actually overseas in Geneva, Switzerland at the UN Human Rights Council Climate change is a crucial issue facing our world today Communities of color have historically experienced environmental inequalities more than any other group of Americans They have been and continue to be Exposed to more pollution through the air they breathe The water they drink and the food they eat Furthermore, they have less access to resources to mitigate these problems including adequate health care One need to look no further than New Orleans Where the majority of those who lost everything? Including in some cases their lives in 2005 with Hurricane Katrina for African-American The effects of the changing climate are bad enough in themselves more frequent hurricanes and droughts burning temperatures new plagues diseases and worse floods for instance, but the general failure To recognize and respond to minorities resulting problems greatly exacerbates their suffering Disadvantage and discrimination affect them at every stage Including in the immediate aftermath of climate related disasters and during official planning at local national and international Levels for coping with the current and future impacts of climate change Well, I'm pleased to report that the plight of low-income people and communities of color is beginning to attract some much-needed attention As one report by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights found and I'm going to paraphrase this Minorities among the the worst affected the effects of the changing climate are bad enough in themselves But the inability to recognize and respond to their problems worsens their suffering Yet there is much more to be done We must continue to publicize not only the desperate impact of the climate change phenomenon on racial and ethnic minorities But we must continue to clamor loudly For action to mitigate climate change We must call on our elected officials to base all the policy Whether they are related to energy the environment housing foreign affairs or Any other subject on the very real effects of climate change? We must begin to look forward. We must pass Progressive policies which will address climate change until that time We must also make plans to equitably mitigate the impact of climate change. We must prepare for the impact of hurricanes floods and drought We must figure out how we will address the urban heat island effect, which is a phenomenon That makes urban areas hotter than outline regions And by which it is estimated that African-Americans are about 150 percent to 200 percent More likely to die of heat than Caucasians We must put plates We must put policies in place which provide assistance To those who cannot afford skyrocketing heating costs associated with increased cold as well as help those Who cannot endure higher temperatures due to climate change? We must do more not only to combat climate change But until we adequately tackle the scourge, we should do what we can to minimize the harm inflicted And thank you so much to the Friends Committee and EESI For participating in this important briefing and taking the views of the NAACP in consideration again, my boss, Hilary Shelton He's currently sorry couldn't be here in person to share this Crucial information sharing session, but he wants you to know if you can carry just one message Just one message from today. He thinks it should be that climate change It's a crucial issue facing our world today and Sadly, like most serious problems facing this world It has a desperate impact on racial and ethnic minorities as well as low-income Americans Thank you, and you will find copies of Hilary's statement out on the table Some of you are probably already have it and that's it. Thank you Thank you, Joseph. We'll now turn to Shamar Bibbins Who is the senior political associate of Green for All? Green for All is a national organization built around the whole theme of working to Really build an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty Shamar brings with her also a background in a small business and Has worked with many different kinds of partners across the federal government at the state and local level Collaborating with many people different kinds of organizations as well as government in terms of building Alliances and and workforce projects Shamar Good afternoon everyone I first would like to just start by saying thank you and extending things that we that we have already heard but I really I'm honored to be here with this great panel, and I'm so happy that we're having this conversation So I want to say thank you to ESS ESI again the Friends Committee the National Congress of American Indians and Everyone else who just put whatever it took to put make this briefing possible today So as you already heard Green for All is a national organization whose mission is to build an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty and so what that means is that We are working to build a new economy in America where everybody has access to opportunity and that the earth is sustained And so our vision for for for moving this mission forward is ensuring that We are improving environmental quality in communities that are most affected by climate change poverty and unemployment But also by harnessing the the growth of the clean energy economy And so I want to talk a little bit about today our vision for how we feel our vision for moving for fighting climate change But also how fighting climate change can really create jobs and economic opportunities for communities of color So we've heard a lot obviously about the impacts and the threats and the challenges We know that communities of color have long been suffering the health effects that climate-authoring pollution causes 68% of African Americans live within 30 miles of a coal fire power plant and so We know that coal is a bigot one of the biggest causes of climate change So it's no surprise that African American children suffer as much at rates much higher than a national average We know from Hurricane Katrina that neighborhoods with the fewest resources have the hardest time escaping and surviving and recovering from national disasters Joe mentioned the issue of of heat islands if you're African American you live in Los Angeles You're You're you're you're twice as likely to die from heat islands as well as a national average of one or two more times of dying from heat Heat islands for communities of color So we certainly certainly know that climate change is much more than just an environmental issue It's a human and civil rights issue and it's an economic issue for all communities But especially for communities of color and low-income communities because we are hit first and worse from the impacts And so I agree for all we have a vision of how tackling climate change Can really help spur job creation and economic opportunities? And so our vision is very simple and it touches upon four points of how We can create jobs build strong healthy communities while also talk tackling climate change And this really is rooted in our work around harnessing and moving forward the clean energy economy And so first and foremost we've we've heard already from from representative Gravalha as well But and from others but the first and most important thing is holding fossil fuel industries accountable for their pollution We must and we have to continue to say no to dirty energy projects that are going to continue to threaten our communities We have to say yes to clean energy projects clean to solar and to renewables Holding fossil fuel industries accountable also means that we you know We're advocating for endings ending subsidies so that we're not giving polluters just free giveaways We can save eight billion dollars a year by just eliminating Oil and gas subsidies Also holding polluters accountable means that we should Continue to advocate for a smart pricing structure on carbon for the industries one point one point two five trillion dollars We could save and generate revenue by just putting twenty dollars per ton of a fee on carbon pollution, and I know there are other Provisions in legislation out there for even higher so that's even greater, but just for twenty dollars We can have a hundred and twenty five trillion dollars over ten years We can use these savings to reinvest in clean energy projects or for other projects that we need to continue to move Our economy forward that are on the on the chopping block Second we need to protect our communities from the effects of climate change We need to make sure that our communities are prepared for the next Sandy the next Katrina even if we if we can if we have a hundred percent Effect if we're a hundred percent effective at stopping carbon pollution We still need to make sure our communities are strong and resilient to face extreme weather conditions It's no secret that our infrastructure is declining and it's crumbling if we just look at our water infrastructure alone Every year 75 we have 75,000 sewer overflows a year 75,000 that's that's a huge number 3.5 million million Americans get sick from swimming in contaminated water because we have declining and crippling infrastructure Climate change droughts floods are just going to continue to put strain and stress on already crumbling infrastructure So we need to make sure that we're investing in in our infrastructure and making in making sure that communities are prepared the EPA estimates that if we invest a hundred and eighty eight Billion dollars just for basic repairs for our water infrastructure that would translate into two million jobs So there's an opportunity there to to strengthen make our communities resilient, but also spur job creation Third we need to make sure that we're accelerating the transition to clean energy and energy efficiency Which again fights climate change and it puts people back to work in healthy highways jobs the clean energy sector Creates three times as many jobs per dollar as fossil fuels So just a single two hundred and fifty megawatt wind farm employs about a thousand people So if we transition just to producing twenty percent of our total power to win That's about five hundred thousand good good healthy cleaning jobs and twenty percent. That's that's an achievable goal I think we can reach for with regards to energy efficiency by upgrading just forty percent of the country's Residential and commercial building stock. That's about six hundred and twenty five long term full-time and again clean jobs that are not putting Putting pollution and straining already stressed Communities and these are jobs that can't be shipped overseas when we know that when you're you're doing when we you're doing energy efficiency upgrades you also Make a put a nudge into our manufacturing sector because when you think about the materials that are used for Energy efficiency upgrades most large by large. These are materials that are created here in the United States And then finally we need to make sure that vulnerable communities have access to the opportunities in a clean energy economy And this is an area that green far is is very much rooted in it's not enough for us Just accelerate the growth But we just need to we need to make sure that people who need the jobs the most that they have access to the jobs We we find that one of the most important ways to make sure that we're Providing an inclusive green economy is around high road strategies So this is around making sure that when new green projects are Rode out that local and disadvantaged workers have access to these to these jobs We also need to make sure that we're advocating for continued training in job and in job investment and workforce training so that We can continue to make sure that people who need the training and the jobs the most that they are trained properly And there's there's opportunities for them to transition into clean power and energy efficiency in green infrastructure And we also need to make sure that the workers in coal and in oil aren't left behind either So as they're trans as we're transitioning to a cleaner economy We need to make sure that we are retraining and retooling workers who have risked their lives and risked their health for years to Work in these industries and so that they they come out to be really went to be winners in the clean energy economy so these four points are our Vision for how we can tackle climate change But also create jobs that are clean and healthy and have good wages that will continue to grow our economy We are continuing we work very very hard with members of Congress and mayors and public utility Companies green business owners. We work very closely with to make sure that they have the right contracting opportunities And until we see movement across all four of these points We won't be satisfied and we will continue to advocate for these measures and more Communities of color and low-income communities are on the front lines And we just we really need to make sure that these communities are part of the solution and that their voices and their entries and their Perspectives are can to our have a continual drum beat around the national climate Dialogue and thank you all so much and our final panelist is anthony jane catter to Jan Caterino who is the coordinator of research in advocacy with the Center for Social Inclusion and CSI is a non-profit policy strategy in advocacy organization that works with communities of color on transforming barriers into opportunities through policy training Anthony And thank you all again very much as everyone is a sense of their appreciation I also appreciate the opportunity and I also want to thank William and Jacqueline for sharing her stories because they're very powerful stories and It's just it's I think it's a good reminder of where we are and the innovation that Communities are really trying to do to solve this problem again CSI Not gonna go too deep into it, but we are a policy strategy organization and we really work on Learning about what communities of color are doing to innovate understand identify what their barriers are to making change and help support Local leadership on the ground to actually creating solutions for change that can go from the local level to the federal level I'm gonna go through some of these slides really quickly But what we have right now is you know We've heard in the news already, but there's going through a lot of demographic change and by 2042 We will be a majority people of color nation and that means communities of color are the drivers of our economy moving forward And they need to be part of the solutions starting at day one not as an after-effect not as being asked afterwards But as really driving and innovating and for CSI what we find that is it's going to be through a community scale approach. So That means what does community scale mean? That means it could be a neighborhood It could be a block-by-block approach or it could be larger projects on you know in Indian country, but it's like communities are actually owning operating and are the deciders in the renewable energy future So the power is actually in the community. It's kind of shifting that away from Putting out to only individuals putting out to only industry But actually putting it back into communities and for us to get there we really not need to overcome a lot of different barriers and so This if you can sorry just go real quick. We're gonna skip that real quick. Sorry This being on PowerPoint so this slide right here is a picture of solar potential in the United States and There's some hash marks which shows majority communities of color and you can tell the deepest potential is actually where a majority of people of color live All right, so this is just kind of remember this image for one second So the next slide is showing you where solar projects are really happening and if anyone sees anything Let me know catch anything Most projects are happening in Minnesota Vermont the Northeast California is the exception in this but for the most part where people of color are living are not happening But that's where the potential is so there's a huge disconnect that's actually happening right now in the country And there's a lot of policy that strives at its local policy its state policy on its federal policy Not gonna go into local and state right now But this is an issue that needs to be changed and we know communities of color really have a lot of assets to produce or to provide So they've been climate activists In the past then they'd be driving change in California alone communities of color have been leading the charge for climate change reform and adaptation planning and renewables You have a lot of local leadership really innovating and doing a lot of work and there's a lot of you know Ideas and innovation as you just learned from earlier today from Jacqueline and William The communities of color really innovating and trying to find a new way to make change and lastly communities of color really have a lot of infrastructure so For example black Mesa in in Arizona is has a huge Navajo generating power plant that they're also trying to close and They want to turn that into solar and they have the assets there because it's the power lines already set up Everything's in place. They just want to transition from coal to solar and try to just transition those jobs from coal To solar jobs and that's what they're working on. So they're innovating and they're really working on their potential But there's a couple few barriers, so I just go a couple sides more sorry All right, so a couple quick barriers that you've all heard But we've been doing a lot of different case studies with communities on the ground trying to really learn What's the challenges? Why come how come a lot of these innovative ideas are not transitioning into actual solutions and they're running up to a lot of Things so one federal policy really values individual ownership individual property individual action And that's not going to work necessary for a lot of communities of color because communities of color 50% are likely not to own a home or own property compared to 25% of white communities So therefore if you don't own property, you don't have access to ownership You can't partake in this renewable energy future for the in most of the country. It's really difficult So we need to be able to transition that from individual focus to community focus So that means allowing people to pull together their assets use brownfields as a solar site use the schools Use churches use different places that communities can come together and invest together and turn into some type of solar or Geothermal or wind depending on where you are Another barrier is around a lot of inclusion in the planning process So there's tons of energy planning going on in the country. We're based in New York. They have a plan NYC 2030 which is focusing on making New York very green city. They have not Engaged communities of color from step one They've kind of added them in here and there on the side But they're really not part of the process and and there was a community in Brooklyn that was trying to create an Energy district hub that would create housing jobs and fight climate change It would have been a huge add-on like huge addition to this plan NYC To really support to move those goals and they were ignored so that needs a change We need a lot of transparency and a lot of accountability at the local level the third barrier is Around a lot of around like lack of technical or legal assistance So right now you need to do a lot with different businesses or different legal entities to get things off the grounds So it needs to be more dedicated Support and resources in there and the last and the most important barrier that people face is lack of access to financing So we really need to find ways to help support communities get this upfront capital to be able to move forward And that's that's the key and people are really trying to figure that out So at CSI we have tons of solutions But the three very brief that I'm just going to talk about and I can talk afterwards as well is one The way to kind of help Transition this from individual to community is this idea of a national feed-in tariff the Institute for local self-reliance has been pushing this And we would just add on to their push on saying they should be really targeted to communities of color Environmental just justice communities communities that have really been left off and not part of the solution from past Should be getting these opportunities to create these clean contracts with utilities or with states or with Local governments to get paid for the solar that create that doesn't happen in every state California has been pushing it and it was called solar for all which is led by the Asian Pacific Environmental Network They had a huge role in trying to push the solar for all legislation. It failed at the very end But it had this great idea of really targeting Clean energy contracts and communities of color to use to use their resources The second one is an idea that we're pushing called energy independence districts and EIDs for short And that basically is a very specific place-based solution that's going to target investment Resources technical assistance Combined a lot of social entrepreneurs who one who have a lot of money to actually funds projects But they don't know how to do it or don't know where to do it So it's trying to bring that private sector dollars in connecting it to community control community ownership and community decision-making And we can definitely talk more about that afterwards a little more detail But these would we're asking for the EPA and and the Department of Energy to actually come together to do some pilots I mean you need the support of Congress to actually push push that through and the last is just kind of jumping on President Obama's recent claims for the energy trust is he wants to do it only for research around Fuel-efficient cars, which isn't really important, but if you're putting two billion dollars into that We're saying why don't we reserve some for actually clean energy that can happen right now So instead of just researching what cars can do People can do solar people can do wind people can do geothermal they can do energy efficiency They have the technology they have a skill set they have the tools they just need some of the financing So we need to be shifting some of that financing towards that as well So thank you very much for your time, and I'll definitely be here around to talk after thank you We just have a few minutes left, but we can take a few questions and again I also just wanted to say thank you very much to senator Cantwell's office and her staff for Helping make sure that this very appropriate room was available for today's briefing looking at these impacts upon communities of color And what it means with regard to climate and how to better address solutions any questions or comments? And if you could just identify yourself, please okay, we'll start here if you can keep your questions pretty brief since we don't have much time Yes, I'm Ted Riley from front's house retirement Center Member of Friends Committee on National legislation, I would just like to ask the Members who are on the panel Why we haven't heard the panelists In their presentations to go back to senator carries Nomination hearing where he replied to a question on Keystone Pipeline. He gave an excellent Contrast between the pipeline and green energy alternatives Okay, who wants to comment on that? Does anybody okay? Could you put your mic on please use maybe Williams or You know I Even though they've done a great Even though they've done a great job as at least trying to map around tribal communities There still is some overlap So that's one issue and how's the tribes gonna affect the tribe that's affected addressing that Second issue is really the aquifer that aquifer that actually helps support and sustain those tribal communities Is at risk and the tribes that the basis for our concern of The issue from the inception is really that the tribal leaders questions on the Protections and the science around Those protections in place Have not been thoroughly answered to the tribal leaders themselves to make them feel comfortable That they won't have a problem with Some kind of leakage into the aquifer corrosion of the pipes question over here Thank you. I'm Russell. I'm a member of gonna walk in Mohawk Nation first Nation Um There's a question for mr. Anderson You referred to the river that flows through your reserve and Down to Las Vegas And I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about the reduction in the snowpack from climate change in the Sierra Nevada For all the eastward flowing rivers to like pure mid-lake Walker Lake Mono Lake and so forth Yeah, that has been a big issue that's been going on the state of Nevada has been water One of the things that they've been trying to do also is that they're trying to go ahead and get a pipeline from up From Las Vegas to northern Nevada and it is gonna be taking a lot of water from up there That's gonna affect a lot of the tribes in the community The go shoot tribe is one of them there they're gonna have a main impact on their tribe because all They're farming and everything they have out there resides on on water And it's not gonna just take away from that aquifer But it's gonna do from the surrounding communities as well So it's not just the tribes that are facing this but it's all also the other people around surrounding areas Our area we do have a large aquifer that we do have in place also, but it still is being pumped out In the energy the power plant that I'm in the question has been buying all the water rights surrounding the tribe Above us so they're pumping the water from up above around there to go ahead and go around the reservation back to their place too and We try to go ahead and we want to be involved But again, it's always a jurisdiction issue that comes up saying it's not our jurisdiction that comes up each time Every department we try to talk to you from the bad Department of Environmental Protection to eat the EPA It always falls into the same category, but we always try to go ahead and show Tell them about the problems that we're facing and since to us its water is gold out there And we want to make sure that we protect all our rights And we want to make sure that the surrounding tribes are involved with the talks as well I know a few of them are doing a lot of work on their side too, but So far it's just another battle that we've been facing right now, but we're still trying to address it Thank you. Any last question? Okay last question over here Hi there, my name is Eric Miller. I'm with I'm student at American University Was recently working with Mr. Reed and the NAACP I'm curious to know what your guys's thoughts are on the leadership changes at the EPA with Lisa Jackson leaving and Gina McCarthy Likely coming in how you think that affects the all the great work that Jackson was doing on the Office of Environmental Justice and how Changes at the federal level are Chains are affecting the work you guys are doing I'll just start by saying As many of us work very closely with the EPA green far also works very closely with the EPA and we of course are sad to see Have seen former administrator Jackson leave and she was just such a jewel and so Committed to our issues and so it obviously, you know is a is a loss, but we know that Soon to be a minute straighter Gina McCarthy will you know, we feel very strongly that she will continue to Push forward and move forward on on much of the groundwork that That Lisa Jackson laid at the EPA and so we feel very confident that she will you know be a great Leader in her in her right in turn in that new position. So I guess I just want to add one thing You know, we see transition all the time and it's really important that we have sustainable policies And so, you know, Lisa was great. She came out to Indian country. She was a great voice for us But beyond that we need to be able to make sure that those policies are in place at those agencies For the way I look at it is, you know, I look at the federal government as a whole and right now because the president cares about Things like climate change and he said it in his remarks because he cares around things about energy There's a lot of agencies that are hopping on board and saying oh, we're gonna we're gonna be the energy agency of interior because you know Department of Interior BIA and Department of Energy and And I think most of all is beyond what they do as initiatives But how can we really create the framework that will last beyond any administration and that's where we really need to be focusing our energies Well, the one of the problems that we've been facing was trying to go ahead have a meeting with Lisa Jackson We never had the opportunity. We always try to go ahead and make up make time for her Senator Reed personally written her a letter to go ahead and arrange for a meeting to be to be set up on the reservation or with either Reservation or for us to come out here Every time we wouldn't hear nothing. We've been having a big problem in our region in region 9 The BART regulations regarding regard or they regarding our plant. They weren't as tight as they were across the country and That allows them to go and continue on to keep the power plant as it is And we've been trying to go ahead and push it as much as we could but we still have our face in these problems with our with the BART regulation and right now the only person that really has been listening to us has been Gina Every time we try to set up a meeting here in DC It was with Gina and she's been able to she's been the one that's been actually listening to our tribe on our issues That we're facing regarding the coal plant So it's really when I heard that I was like wow I go geez I was just talking to her last year about this here in DC And I'm like oh just to me if I felt really good about it because it was somebody that was actually listening to our comments again Our small little tribe that was able to go ahead and listen to us actually Through her she was the one that was a actually able to go ahead and get the range to have that meeting set up on the reservation I mean when I was sitting right across from her at the desk and to hear the region 9 people talking on the conference call and Having her sitting right there next to me, and I'm like you know, I couldn't believe the excuses they were giving and I'm telling her I go This is the kind of issues we've been dealing with with region 9, but I'm glad that she's gonna be coming on board and I'm You know looking looking forward for this Great. Thank you very very much And I think that as it's been clear with regard to all of the comments from all of our panelists Climate is an enormous issue that is confronting all of us Across the country and it is hitting some communities harder than others as we look at more and more extreme weather events And we've already seen the impacts in many areas of our country with regard to that Think that it's very very clear that there is so much work to be done And that it is a very important that all of these voices as a Democracy it's so important that all of these voices keep coming forward over and over again as we look for Solutions for the country as a whole so I want to thank all of you very very much for being here The information from the briefing will be up on EESI's website And so people are welcome to to link to that and I want to thank all of our presenters very very much And all of our sponsoring organizations. Thank you. Thank you