Juan Declet-Barreto

Climate Vulnerability Social Scientist

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Juan Declet-Barreto is a climate vulnerability social scientist for the UCS Climate & Energy program and the Center for Science and Democracy. He partners with environmental justice groups and activists to research the potential effects of carbon trading on disadvantaged communities, as individual states begin implementation of the EPA’s Clean Power Plan. See Juan's full bio.

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Mapas mostrando dónde los más vulnerables están azotados por COVID-19 en EEUU señalan una injusticia creciente

May 15, 2020 2:28 PM EDT

Publicado en inglés el 20 de abril, 2020 a 17:08 horas EDT

Los peligros ambientales amenazan a las personas en todo el mundo. Entre estos están la contaminación del aire y del agua que proviene de riesgos industriales y tóxicos, los fenómenos meteorológicos extremos (exacerbados por el cambio climático), y las amenazas a la salud pública como el nuevo coronavirus que causa el COVID-19. Los impactos de estos peligros no se distribuyen con equidad en la población, y las pérdidas de vidas y de propiedad suelen ser mayores entre los integrantes de las comunidades vulnerables. Read more >

Photo: pexels
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Anthony Behar/Sipa Press

Hot Weather and COVID-19: Added Threats of Reopening States in Summer

May 6, 2020 5:56 PM EDT

A look at the colliding dangers of extreme weather–with a focus on extreme heat–and COVID-19, and a few ways in which Congress can bring relief to the millions in the path of both threats. Read more >

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U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Stephanie Gelardo

Maps Showing Where Most Vulnerable Are Hardest-Hit by COVID-19 in the US Point to Deepening Injustice

April 20, 2020 5:08 PM EDT

Environmental hazards threaten people all over the world. Among these are air and water pollution from industrial and toxic hazards, extreme weather events made worse by climate change, and public health threats like the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The impacts of these hazards are inequitably distributed among the population, and loss of life and property are usually higher among persons in vulnerable communities.

In this post, I present maps of places where COVID-19 intersects with vulnerable populations. But first, let’s look at the reasons why there are so many inequities in impacts among the population.

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U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Stephanie Gelardo
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Woman in nursing home Flickr/Alyssa L. Miller

Para enfrentar la pandemia del coronavirus necesitamos escuchar a los científicos y mantener el distanciamiento social

March 17, 2020 3:01 PM EDT

La pandemia global del coronavirus ha transformado nuestras vidas en cuestión de días, y es muy probable que se prolongue el estado de emergencia por semanas o tal vez meses debido a la facilidad de transmisión del virus que causa la enfermedad COVID-19. La comunidad Latina estará entre las más afectadas. Read more >

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Forest Service photo by Grizelle González

Forest Service Budget Cuts Will Deprive US Communities of Forestry Science that Improves Climate Resilience

February 28, 2020 12:31 PM EDT

“Trees are the answer.” The maxim was on a sticker on my PhD mentor’s office door at Arizona State University (ASU). But what was the question? Turns out, there were a lot of them.

  • How to reduce extreme heat in cities? More trees can provide shading and absorb humidity, contributing to lowering the heat index.
  • How to improve urban air quality? More trees that can breathe in more air pollutants.
  • How to stabilize coastal areas from erosion and reduce flooding from hurricanes? Protect mangrove trees and the ecosystems that sustain them, nurture them to grow strong roots, and they will act as barriers against storm surge and even tsunamis. Read more >
Forest Service photo by Grizelle González
Forest Service photo by Maria M. Rivera
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