Fresno County Gov Votes Unanimously To Block Funds To Study Warming Impacts On Public Health
In a unanimous vote, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors rejected a project that would have helped public health officials understand the impact of climate change on vulnerable, rural communities in Fresno County. The vote during Tuesday’s meeting, in effect, rejected a proposal to execute a $175,000 state grant which would have assessed how climate change impacts the health of the county’s vulnerable populations, particularly in the rural areas.
David Luchini, the director of public health for Fresno County, told the supervisors during Tuesday’s meeting, that the department applied for funding through the California Resilience Challenge 2021 Grant Program, and would have funded a project called Fresno Understands Environmental Resilience Through Equity, or FUERTE.
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Supervisor Steve Brandau said he didn’t think the project was useful, while Supervisor Nathan Magsig questioned whether the study and its cosponsors were aligned with what he called “the values of Fresno County,” namely the agriculture economy.
Community advocates say they are “disappointed” in the supervisors’ decision. “What should be our priority is the public health of people, of communities,” said Veronica Garibay, co-director of Leadership Counsel, in an interview with The Bee on Friday. “I would ask whose values are we prioritizing when making decisions about how we respond to climate change?”
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https://www.fresnobee.com/fresnoland/article258811998.html
