Climate change is not equitiable and communities of color are often more vulnerable to impacts due to climate change than other communities. Ecological impacts of cllimate change, such as uncertainty of water supplies, changing snow melt patterns and large scale weather events can disproportinately impact communities at the lower economic strata in both urban and rural communities.  These communities are often communities of color.  Recent developments at the Council of Parties (COP) in Copenhagen highlighted the disparate impacts of climate change on women, the urban poor, and low income communities.  These impacts include increased vulnerability to large scale climate events such as Hurricane Katrina and the city of New Orleans, or longer term impacts through retrogressive taxes that have larger impacts on lower income families.  In addition, a recent study demonstrated a disengagement of communities of color in terms of both climate literacy and personal action to address sustainability.  Here I discuss some new work looking specifically at communities of color and climate literacy in the state of Colorado.

Results/Conclusions

Climate and equity is a debate that has largely been held in the political arena but the ecological implications of uncertainty and large scale events are virtually unknown in communities of color.  Climate adaptation and mitigation actions need to account for different communities to prevent inequality.