Georgia environmental justice advocates demand greater heat safety measures ahead of summer

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Cristal Valdez (center), an environmental justice organizer with Poder Latinx, said extreme heat disproportionately impacts Black and Latino neighborhoods.

Credit: Amanda Andrews / GPB News

Environmental justice advocates spoke outside Atlanta City Hall on Wednesday morning to demand stronger heat safety protections as temperatures rise and summer approaches. 

Organizers with Poder Latinx are raising the alarm about Black and Latino neighborhoods facing more dangerously hot days. Urban areas with less tree canopy and more pavement face greater health risks and energy costs. 

Kiya Stanford is an organizer with the Moms For Clean Air Force. She said neighborhoods in South Atlanta don’t have the same green spaces to combat heat that more affluent parts of the city do. 

“These communities will bear the weight of increased heat in our city,” she said. “Disinvestment and rerouting of focus to projects in the city that benefit the most affluent in the North while increasing the poverty and life expectancy gap for the most vulnerable communities of color to the South, further establishes the tale of two cities in Atlanta.” 

The most recent asthma data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that Black people and people from low-income backgrounds have higher rates of asthma. Extreme heat and increased ground-level ozone can exacerbate respiratory conditions. 

Cristal Valdez is an environmental justice community organizer with Poder Latino. She said people shouldn’t face greater health risk based on ZIP code. 

“The Biden administration committed to providing underserved communities with 40% of the benefits of infrastructure and climate investment,” she said. “This is proof of how our elected officials and our voting power impact our environment, health and pockets — unlike our current administration, which is boosting fossil fuels and repealing climate pollution limits.” 

State Rep. Jasmine Clark said elected officials on all levels need to consider climate change when making policy decisions. 

“Be intentional in understanding the importance of preserving the tree canopy,” she said. “Planting new trees, reducing carbon emissions and other pollutants and supporting environmental justice work.” 

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division recognized April, May and June of 2025 as the second hottest on record for that 3-month period.