Is it irresponsible to put air pollution ahead of the dire needs of the auto industry?
JACKSON: I would frame it differently. I would say that it is a false choice, and the President has said this, it’s a false choice to think you have to choose one or the other-a clean environment, a child without asthma and less smog versus a thriving auto industry. If we’re going to have a thriving auto industry in this country, it’s got to recognize that automobiles are, in many states, almost half of the air pollution problem. They’re a huge contributor to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, and if we’re going to build a vibrant sustainable industry, we have to address that. ESSENCE.COM: The executive orders signed on Monday also allow 14 states to regulate tailpipe emissions. None of this resonated much among African-Americans. Can you explain to the Black community how these issues affect them in particular? JACKSON: For a long time, I think the Black community thought that environmentalism is something that you worry about after some of the more pressing issues that face
