The Center for Global Sustainability is pleased to welcome Miranda Peterson to the Spring 2019 CGS Forums.
She will be presenting on "Building Climate Resilient and Equitable US Communities”. The national climate change debate
has long focused on the best way to cut greenhouse gases to avoid catastrophic global consequences. Though, today, as more families trying to make ends meet are forced to grapple with sea level, stronger storms, cold snaps, intense heat and wildfires, it’s clear that an approach solely focused on mitigation is no longer enough. The time is past due for government leaders to make resilience and equity climate change policy priorities. The United States is a nation of deep economic divides and uneven power structures. Who can prepare for, respond to, and rebuild from extreme weather events is an issue of social equity. This reality requires leaders to take a fresh look at mitigation and adaptation policies in order to give all communities, particularly low-income communities and communities of color, an equal shot at thriving in the 21st century. In this talk, Peterson will use case studies and real-life examples to discuss how climate change adversely affects millions of Americans living paycheck to paycheck and what policymakers in federal, state and local government can do to build fairer and smarter policy. Attendees will leave this talk with a new understanding of climate change as a social justice issue, the intricacies of creating equitable resilience policies and a few insights into pursuing climate policy and advocacy as a career.
Miranda Peterson is a research associate for the Energy and Environment Policy team at the Center for American Progress (CAP), a leading multi-disciplinary progressive policy and advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. At CAP, she advocates for climate change mitigation and resilience policies at the federal, state and local government levels, and she is a published author of nearly 30 policy reports and columns. Her focus is on integrating social equity and justice considerations into the national debate on climate solutions. This work allows her a keen understanding of how climate change impacts Americans – from the middle class to the most underserved communities. Peterson's work on preparing the nation for more extreme weather began at the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Infrastructure Protection, where she supported terrorist and extreme weather preparedness efforts, including the response to Superstorm Sandy. She has a degree in international studies and environmental affairs from Virginia Tech.