Clean energy fosters a healthy society

Ellis-Lamkins drew from her own childhood stories, living in an impoverished, health-stricken "factory town" where "our community had no other options than the jobs we got."

This notion permeated her speech, as she reached out to fresh faces and ears eager for change in their society. Through her talk it was easily seen how so many of the dire problems today have to do with a lack of education and the ineffective transition from a manufacturing economy to one based in information and technology.

The health and safety standards found in black and other racial minority communities is appalling, with minorities in these industrial areas exhibiting the highest rates of asthma and other respiratory illnesses compared to all other demographics owing to air pollution and the poor environmental practices of many industries.