Samantha Walters

In order to make sure our plan is socially just we must address the effects of climate change in communities with minorities and low income housing.  The people in change of drafting these plan should be diverse and reflect their community. We need to create jobs that support sustainable energy and also make sustainable energy resources affordable for the communities we're focusing on and others. We can also improve our communities by improving pubic transportation. As a New York, I believe more people would use public transportation if it were more reliable and more accessible. WE should also be making sure that our new building and infrastructure are clean and sustainable.  

I believe women tend to invest more into their families because they are usually the primary care giver. Women are typically supporting themselves along with their children making sure that they are fed, clothed and receiving an education. When we invest in women and we provide women with equal opportunities and education, they turn around and invest those earnings into their families. Therefore participating in economical growth. Overall, making sure that women are able to have financial assets will be better for the economy's growth

Many of us may not be aware of the hardships women have to endure in neighboring countries. In America, education for women is almost a given. "130 million girls around the world are not in school" (Basij-Rasikh, 2020). Educating young women can change their life path. Girls that get the opportunity to go to school are able to marry and start their families later in life. They are more equipped to handle economic challenges and support their families. Researchers have seen that women who get an education have fewer children and healthier children than women who are uneducated. "UN figures indicate that 80% of people displaced by climate change are women and in times of extreme weather conditions such as drought, girls are vulnerable to being pulled from school to help their families make ends meet, either temporarily or permanently." ( Rapid Transition Alliance Staff, 2020). In these situation women are either forced into marriages or if they are educated they able to find quality well paying jobs. If more women are educated around the world they will be able to get higher paying jobs, change family planning, be able to protect and know their rights and hopefully depending on their location change policy. 

How can you advocate for transportation systems which minimize environmental impact while also meeting human needs?

Thousands of New Yorkers take public transportation and depend on it for various reasons. By putting funding into public transportation and joining campaigns for change in our communities we can improve our transportation systems. By making an efficient transportation system it encourages more people to use public transportation and it will minimize the number of cars in transit and essentially improve the environment.

This week I decided to send a letter to my local council person to "Support Protected Bike Lanes and Busways" via  https://www.transalt.org/

Campaign description:

As New York City reopens, it’s imperative that the city builds the necessary infrastructure to accommodate the growth of cycling, and to increase bus speeds. We’ve seen what happens when even a quarter of workers decide to commute by car: dangerous conditions for cyclists and pedestrians, buses crawling through traffic, and increasing pollution. Even a slight increase of vehicles in our streets would be catastrophic to all New Yorkers.

The message we will send to Councilman Deutsch:

"As your constituent, I'm writing to ask for your help in getting protected bike lanes and busways in my neighborhood. The city has committed to installing these in certain parts of the city. Sadly, none of them are scheduled to be implemented in our district.

Protected bike lanes and busways are important as New York City continues to reopen: just a small increase of car commuters will have catastrophic consequences in terms of commute times, air quality, and increase in crashes.
Can I count on you to get protected bike lanes and busways installed in our community?"

Family planning is an important civil rights consideration because across the nation there are various legislation in place regarding women's right and organizations like planned parenthood. Planned parenthood has long been under scrutiny. Women need access to contraceptives and health care. Access to contraceptives could help women space out pregnancies, stop the rise in infant deaths and potentially help women from harming themselves when they feel like they have no other choice.