SEES OCTOBER 2020: Energy, Public Health, and Social Justice

Although the clean energy transition is happening, the most vulnerable communities continue to face public health challenges.

The pollution from the power sector remains a leading cause of cancer with over 1.37 million cases of lung cancer linked to coal-fired power plants by 2025; 63% of U.S. energy still comes from fossil fuels. Coal fired power plants are being replaced with inexpensive, clean, renewable sources of electricity. However, in order to prevent overbuilding of natural gas infrastructure, zero carbon power and a modern electricity grid is needed to support this clean energy transition. Equitable approaches also require input from impacted communities to support continued progress.

Join the UIC Energy Initiative and the Office of Planning, Sustainability and Project Management for the second SEES (Symposium on Energy, Environment, and Sustainability) event of October. In honor of Energy Awareness Month, experts from the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and UIC will discuss the intersections of energy production, public heath, and social justice, and how–in many cases–fighting for climate justice also means fighting for a healthier, more equitable society.