Sen. Obama says blacks need a seat at the table in global warming debate

[ariesgem]

By TODD SPANGLER

FREE PRESS WASHINGTON STAFF

WASHINGTON – If there were any worries that the African-American community wouldn’t respond to Sen. Barack Obama’s message that blacks need to take the debate over global warming seriously, they were unfounded.

Obama, the Illinois Democrat who is running for president, made the connection this afternoon for anyone not already aware of it.

In a forum at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference, he said as the climate warms, people of color are in increased danger from flooding and natural disasters; at the same time, there’s a new economy based on environmental change that blacks need to access to create jobs and wealth.

Those who might doubt that global warming affects blacks were given as Exhibit A the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina along the Gulf Coast and in New Orleans two years ago.

“There was no thought as to who was left behind,” said Obama. “It’s the poor and the dispossessed who are going to be disproportionately impacted.”

The crowd packed into the meeting room at the Washington Convention Center burst into cheers for Obama several times, including during the introduction of the other members of the panel, as the senator slipped into the room about 10 minutes later following a speaking engagement at nearby Howard University.

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He noted that many blacks live near toxic waste sites, suffer from asthma and often are among those who suffer most acutely during droughts and severe weather conditions because they live in impoverished conditions.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070928/NEWS07/70928076/0/NEWS06

[silverweb]

1. All true.

Keep hammering every important point home, Barack.

GObama!

[AtomicKitten]

2. Obama will breathe life into the beaten down black Americans.

Reflecting on the felonious disenfranchisement in recent past elections to the abject blind eye predominantly black Americans received during Katrina from this administration, Obama's prediction of quiet riots could lift him up as a leader for ALL Americans. I see him as a healing entity as opposed to a keeper of the status quo.

[Colobo]

3. It's Obama's time.

[Grandrose]

4. Absolutely true!

GObama!:patriot: :kick:

[Exultant Democracy]

5. Keep is up Barack.

[gateley]

6. Again in my naivete I never considered there WOULDN'T be a seat at the table

for blacks. I'm so glad Obama called attention to this.

K&R