The Frontlines of Climate Adaptation and Disaster Recovery

KPFA - Terra Verde

This week’s Terra Verde episode lifts the hood on America’s disaster recovery and climate resilience workforce. While these workers are the ones rebuilding our homes after hurricanes or harvesting food during extreme wildfires, they often face inordinate exploitation in these unstable and invisibilized sectors. Pressure to change industry standards is growing with support from organizations like North Bay Jobs with Justice and Resilience Force that are advocating for family-sustaining wages and safe working conditions.

Host and producer Hannah Wilton speaks with Max Alper, the Executive Director at North Bay Jobs with Justice (NBJwJ), a growing, grassroots coalition of more than 30 labor and community organizations in Sonoma, Napa, and Marin Counties. Just recently, NBJwJ linked arms with hundreds of farmworks and other allies in a march over Healdsburg Memorial Bridge to demand higher wages and disaster pay. Also joining is Josh Cox who runs Resilience Works, a for-profit national labor brokerage focused on climate change adaptation. That company is owned by Resilience Force, a national nonprofit working to strengthen America’s resilience workforce – the millions of people across the country who help communities prepare for, respond to, and rebuild after disasters.

We discuss the importance of training and support for workers to transition into sustainable “green” jobs and the road ahead to building an equitable economy that honors the dignity and expertise of those who are essential to our recovery efforts.

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