With federal funding cuts to health care resources, sustainability initiatives and a surge in energy demand on the power grid, local experts, advocates and leaders are looking for solutions to remain resilient and proactive through trying times for the well-being of DMV residents and all Americans.
The Rev. Dr. Benjamin Chavis, president of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA)
“I’m asking all [Black] newspapers to have a column, a section of every paper about environmental justice, about climate justice. Sometimes, I think we [believe] these subject matters are periodic, but these matters are daily, hourly, in a second. And we can’t afford to be lacking in our information or our education.”
Montell Jordan, R&B singer
“[ZERO Prostate Cancer] has an initiative where they’re trying to help save 100,000 men’s lives over the next 10 years. With my platform [and partnership with the health awareness company], I’m trying to do that in the next couple of months. We’re taking action right now to get men tested, to get them screened for early detection. We’re inspiring the women in our lives – the mothers, aunts, daughters, sisters – to get the men in their lives checked. This is where we are. This is where my platform is.”
Sandra Mattavous-Frye, People’s Counsel for the District of Columbia
“Rising utility bills are threatening the economic stability, health, and well-being of residents across the city. [The] District should take several steps to address growing concerns about energy affordability, [including]: developing a framework for a robust assessment of affordability issues and solutions to measure how policy, infrastructure, and rate decisions impact household budgets; and to measure the impact of energy assistance programs and discount rates. Every resident deserves access to energy that is reliable, sustainable, and affordable. There must be immediate action.”