Issue Position: Environmental Justice

Issue Position

As the "Ocean State" we should be leading the fight to combat climate change and protect our beautiful environment. If we do not begin to urgently address climate change now, we will begin to experience extreme weather events such as droughts, severe storms, and flooding -- we cannot allow this to happen.

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As your State Representative, I will unapologetically advocate for:

A Green New Deal for Rhode Island

To effectively address climate change, we have to take a serious approach that involves transforming our economy and energy sources. This is why I will fight for a Green New Deal in Rhode Island that:
- Guarantees clean air and water for all our communities
- Puts us on a path towards 100% renewable energy by 2030
- Retrofits/Repairs our public schools and public buildings with 21st century infrastructure
- Invests in renewable energy sources across our state at an affordable rate (Solar, Wind, and Hydropower)
- Creates thousands of well-paying unionized jobs through the rapid creation of renewable energy infrastructure, building improvements, and investments in public transportation

Clean Water for our Community

About one of every six Providence Water customers have service lines made of lead and most are located in our city. All of our neighbors deserve clean water and it is an urgent issue we have to address. After all, exposure to lead can damage a child's nervous system, causing learning disabilities, impaired hearing, and inhibited growth. Therefore, I will advocate for public investment towards repairing our water-service infrastructure.

Moratorium on Fossil Fuel Development

Environmental hazards do not belong in anyone's neighborhood. Unfortunately, fossil fuel development, power plants, and commercial facilities that produce high levels of air pollution are often placed in low-income communities (with little input from the public). The South Side of Providence is a prime example of this as there have been countless facilities emitting high levels of air pollution which have been proposed and often times, approved. As a result, these communities have been disportionately affected by asthma and other respiratory health issues.

Although our neighborhood has been fortunate to avoid these fossil fuel development projects, we must stand in solidarity with all our communities across the state. Your zip-code should not determine your public health and this is why I will fight to place a moratorium on all fossil fuel development.

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