Pamela Ritger de la Rosa
Pamela Ritger de la Rosa
Milwaukee’s recently released Climate and Equity Plan is one of the first of its kind—a roadmap to achieve net zero emissions that prioritizes equitable solutions. This plan was four years in the making, led by the Milwaukee City-County Task Force on Climate and Economic Equity comprised of government officials, community members, and volunteers.
Pamela Ritger de la Rosa has been a core member of the Task Force since the beginning, leading both the Green Buildings and the Adaptation and Climate Resilience Working Groups. She is now the environmental sustainability program manager for Milwaukee’s Environmental Collaboration Office and reflects on what it takes to build an equitable, climate resilient city.
Ritger de la Rosa grew up in Milwaukee but worked in other cities on immigration law and environmental policy prior to returning to her home city. “I wanted to come back to my hometown to make it better for the community I care about,” she said.
Her passion for environmental work is rooted in an understanding of human rights violations and oppression. During her Latin American studies at her university, she learned about the familiar story of governments and large corporations extracting natural resources at the expense of Indigenous and underrepresented communities – a story that resonates here in the United States.
Impact on Families
She has always seen human rights as a central piece to climate work and recognizes that connecting our environment to people’s health is critical if we want to make this an equitable and inclusive movement. “The priority for a lot of people is what’s happening to their families,” she said.
Most importantly, studies have shown the climate crisis does not impact our city’s residents equally. In 2021, Milwaukee was the fourth-worst asthma capital in the country due to causes such as air pollution. Black neighborhoods have the highest asthma rates. Additionally, lead poisoning continues to plague communities, especially Black children and children of color. The data doesn’t lie – child lead poisoning, asthma rates, and other environmental harm is significantly higher among communities of color.
The Task Force that built Milwaukee’s Climate and Equity Plan has made sure to include solutions that will directly address the harm done to these communities. One example is a program for low-income residents that both improves the energy efficiency of their homes and removes the risks of lead. “If you look at maps, the highest levels of lead poisoning are also those with the highest energy burden in their household,” says Ritger de la Rosa. “This protects kids while reducing their monthly energy bills.”
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This is one of many solutions outlined in the plan, and only the starting effort needed to move our city to net zero emissions by 2050. But Ritger de la Rosa says that involving the community in the planning process was one of the most vital pieces to establishing an equitable plan.
“First and foremost, we must involve more people from underserved communities in conversations… and get their feedback about the barriers people face when it comes to taking advantage of available programs,” she said. “To see people so committed to advancing environmental sustainability and making our city more efficient gives me hope.”
As the work of the Task Force is coming to a close, residents are working to get the city’s plan approved by the common council. To join the email list and get regular updates, email ourfuturemilwaukee@gmail.com.
“I think Milwaukee does great, but I think we can do more, and we can demand more. We have a responsibility to provide more and better service to our residents,” said Ritger de la Rosa.
Learn more about Milwaukee’s Environmental Collaboration Office at city.milwaukee.gov/eco.
