My work at Blue Shield is part of a lifelong journey, it started when I was about five years old. I used to sit in the backseat of my parents’ car and stare out at the power plants that billowed big clouds of pollution into the skies. When I wondered out loud what they were emitting, my parents encouraged me to think about solutions that could help the power plants capture their emissions. That kick started my desire to help companies adopt more environmentally-friendly solutions.
At Blue Shield of California, we recognize that the health of our environment and of people are inextricably linked. Extreme heat is associated with more emergency room visits and poor air quality events can impact our respiratory, cardiovascular, and mental health. And far too often, it’s low-income and communities of color that are overburdened by environmental pollution.
Environmental inaction is not an option for us. We set our first ever environmental sustainability goals in 2015 and are now preparing for the launch of our next generation goals — they are ambitious and rightfully so. Now is the time to dramatically accelerate our actions around environmental stewardship and the climate crisis and to encourage others to do the same.
The climate crisis requires that we all participate and share ideas. We can all make a difference when we demand protection for the environment and our health. If we are silent, how will we hold companies and governments accountable?
I am grateful for this opportunity to stand for what’s right when it comes to protecting the environment and people’s health.
