In over a decade of editing Journal, Jennifer Hernandez' Green Jim Crow is, without question, the most challenging essay I have worked on. 1/8
Thread:
Conversation
I consider myself a strong YIMBY supporter. We even slapped this iconic image of Hong Kong surrounded by forests on the cover of the Ecomodernist Manifesto. 2/8 ecomodernism.org
Replying to
But Hernandez compellingly shows how the rush to densify and cut vehicle miles traveled, led by wealthy, white, environmental technocrats, has had deeply racist and inequitable consequences in California. 3/8
1
1
2
Then there are the maps... Across CA, regional housing planners, to meet CARB's VMT mandate, are replicating the state's racist exclusionary zoning history, discouraging housing in predominantly white, wealthy, low density zips. Requiring it in lower income non-white areas. 4/8
3
1
This essay is especially poignant right now, as we are in the midst of yet another round of apocalyptic media discourse associated with the recent IPCC report. Everyone knows that almost all of the overhyping of climate impacts are based on worst case emissions scenarios. 5/8
1
1
3
But we excuse it in the name of communicating the urgency of the issue. After all the intentions are good and action is required. But Hernandez shows that there are real costs of single-minded climate catastrophism, and they fall overwhelmingly on poor communities of color. 6/8
1
3
9
The result is a state climate regime that showers the wealthy with subsidies while forcing the costs of mitigation overwhelmingly upon those who can least afford it. 7/8
1
1
8
Kudos to and , who guest edited this issue, for shepherding across finish line. This is a long read. An angry read. An uncomfortable read. And a cri de coeur. We must do better. FIN 8/8
5