Staff Reports
Vice President Kamala Harris has wasted no time attempting to rally support for her presidential campaign, securing endorsements from several prominent environmental justice groups soon after her announcement. The League of Conservation Voters Action Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund, Sierra Club, and Clean Energy for America Action have all pledged their support. However, it seems that her home state of California isn’t as eager to jump on the bandwagon.
Despite her national endorsements, influential local environmental justice organizations like the California Environmental Justice Alliance, Communities for a Better Environment, and the Asian Pacific Environmental Network have opted to keep their distance. One might wonder how a vice president who has had such significant backing on a national level can’t muster enough support from her own state’s grassroots organizations. Could it be that these groups are looking for more than just green initiatives?
California environmental justice groups slow to endorse Kamala Harris for president https://t.co/hPw4ZG9xJq
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) July 31, 2024
Harris may be boasting a shiny track record on environmental issues dating back to when she was California’s attorney general, where she fought against the diesel truck invasion in Riverside County. She has also been a driving force behind funneling billions from the Inflation Reduction Act into initiatives aimed at cleaning up pollution in low-income areas. Yet, despite all this, skepticism looms. Perhaps the environmental justice crowd is starting to see that it isn’t all rainbows and butterflies when it comes to sacrificing communities for the sake of energy policies.
Interestingly, some California groups are holding off on endorsing Harris as they claim they cannot engage in federal matters. However, it’s more likely that they have some serious reservations about her performance in areas tangentially related to environmental justice. Ana Gonzalez, a board member of CEJA and a Democratic National Committee delegate, might have hit the nail on the head when she pointed out Harris’s contentious past with mass incarceration, particularly affecting minority communities. It’s hard to champion the environment while simultaneously ignoring systemic issues that impact those very communities.
Gonzalez’s comments underscore a glaring disconnect. Environmental justice is deeply intertwined with social justice, and for the California groups, Harris appears to be more of a fair-weather friend than a devoted ally. This hesitation to back her candidacy may very well signal that environmentalism isn’t just about clean air and renewable energy; it’s also about building trust and addressing deeply rooted social issues. Suppose the Harris camp truly wants to secure the grassroots endorsements they crave. In that case, they might need to expand their focus beyond the green agenda to include meaningful dialogue on criminal justice reform as well.
