I empathize with those caring about the environment in Richmond, and I wish Mr. Martinez the best on his run for mayor. But let me be frank, when there's a company town, where health and safety about it becomes an issue, well, the company easily glosses things over: 1) they use their foundation money to demonstrate how caring and philanthropic they are about X town while still harming its residents. Then, 2): they hire folks who live in the town to work for their enterprise; thus, securing their strategies since workers become obligated to them and fear reprisal. So it's a tough slog to defeat toxic enterprises and will continue to be so until our country gets tougher on environmental regulations.
Meanwhile, I will be pleased to learn if Martinez wins but I won't be shocked if he doesn't. Due to the dreadful war in Ukraine, global fossil-fuel emitters have a good excuse these days to slow or delay a transition to clean energy--backed by the military industrial complex worldwide. But, hopefully, the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 will help escalate renewable energy systems with $369 billion dedicated to climate change. (This news needs to be more broadly repeated with more reports about the impact of the legislation to counteract kudos for toxic oil, gas, methane/other chemical producers.)
I empathize with those caring about the environment in Richmond, and I wish Mr. Martinez the best on his run for mayor. But let me be frank, when there's a company town, where health and safety about it becomes an issue, well, the company easily glosses things over: 1) they use their foundation money to demonstrate how caring and philanthropic they are about X town while still harming its residents. Then, 2): they hire folks who live in the town to work for their enterprise; thus, securing their strategies since workers become obligated to them and fear reprisal. So it's a tough slog to defeat toxic enterprises and will continue to be so until our country gets tougher on environmental regulations.
Meanwhile, I will be pleased to learn if Martinez wins but I won't be shocked if he doesn't. Due to the dreadful war in Ukraine, global fossil-fuel emitters have a good excuse these days to slow or delay a transition to clean energy--backed by the military industrial complex worldwide. But, hopefully, the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 will help escalate renewable energy systems with $369 billion dedicated to climate change. (This news needs to be more broadly repeated with more reports about the impact of the legislation to counteract kudos for toxic oil, gas, methane/other chemical producers.)