Janet Meissner Pritchard, Ted Kraig and others dedicate their time in the midst of the public emergency.
Milwaukee City Hall building on Water Street
Wisconsin’s state government has taken sweeping action against COVID-19, enacting emergency orders and investing lots of money to stop the virus. Climate activists have been demanding this kind of governmental action for years. “Climate change is an equal if not greater threat than this pandemic, but this pandemic is now feeling real and scary to people,” says Janet Meissner Pritchard, an environmental policy lawyer and a board member of Citizen Action of Wisconsin. Activists like Meissner Pritchard and Ted Kraig are Milwaukee residents who have invested years of their lives working on the climate issue. More than ever, they feel it is important to continue that work during these challenging times.
Meissner Pritchard and Kraig are both members of the City-County Task Force on Climate Change and Economic Equity. The group was established in late 2019 by local climate-focused organizations, the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, and the Milwaukee Common Council. Their goal is to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 while reducing the racial income inequality gap. These activists and city officials are committed to keeping the agreements made in the Paris Accord on the city and county level, even though the federal government is showing no interest in doing so.
In this climate action plan, the participants are putting extra efforts into mitigating Milwaukee’s racial and income inequality problem. They plan to accomplish this by intentionally creating jobs in this new sector for people who have not been in the workforce. They have also dedicated a focus group to community outreach, ensuring community members from across the city have input. The effects of COVID-19 are impacting African Americans the most, and Kraig argues that, as with the pandemic, “climate impacts are going to hit people the hardest that are historically discriminated against or have lower economic status.” Especially as the economy is currently taking a hit, the Milwaukee residents in impoverished neighborhoods are struggling to cover basic needs while the income gap is growing larger.
Planning is Vital
That prospect makes the planning and the future actions of the Joint Task Force vital right now. While much of the city is currently focused on disaster relief, the group is putting together a well-researched plan that will strengthen and unite the city after this is over. The partner organizations and government officials are in the final stages of drafting their preliminary report, which lays out a recommended plan detailing how to use green infrastructure to make a stronger balanced economy. The next step is for the two government representatives on the Task Force (Supervisor Supreme Moore Omokunde and Alderman Nik Kovac) to present the report to the County Board of Supervisors and Common Council for approval, respectively.
In the midst of the stay at home order, the Task Force’s efforts have been overshadowed, but they need the support of the public to successfully meet their goals. Whether that be joining Citizen Action’s organizing co-op, following the public meetings held at City Hall or telling friends about the Task Force, the team needs help raising awareness. Our climate is changing to a point that we may not be able to fix it if we don’t act immediately.
Learn more on the Milwaukee County Legistar or on the Milwaukee Equity and Climate Alliance Facebook page. Read this article on the Shepherd Express, part of the column “Hero of the Week.”