For two decades, I had the honor of representing communities in Riverside and Imperial Counties in local and state government—places like Mecca, Coachella, and Calexico. These are hardworking families living near the Salton Sea, where the air is often thick with dust and pollution, and kids grow up with higher rates of asthma. The jobs are scarce, the infrastructure is aging, and the health impacts are real. And yet, just a few miles down the road, you’ll find Lithium Valley, massive solar farms, and geothermal and other clean fuels initiatives—proof that this region is doing its part to power California’s future.

But the truth is, the communities bearing the weight of climate change haven’t always seen the benefits of the state’s climate investments. That never sat right with me. While I was in the California State Assembly, I pushed for policies that would actually reach the neighborhoods that needed them most, not just in theory, but in practice.

That’s why I’m proud to support a new effort that lives up to that goal: the Latino Climate and Health Dashboard, developed by the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute. It’s the first of its kind—a resource that brings together data about climate risks and health conditions in Latino communities across California. This information isn’t tucked away in hard-to-read reports or locked behind technical barriers. It’s clear, it’s visual, and it’s meant to be used by the public.

This neighborhood-level data couldn’t be more timely. A newly released data brief sourced from the dashboard finds that Latino-majority neighborhoods across California face a “triple burden” of extreme heat, pollution, and poorer health outcomes—consequences of long-standing segregation and disinvestment. Compared to non-Latino white neighborhoods, Latino communities experience 1.6 times more extreme heat days, greater exposure to air pollution, and disproportionately higher rates of asthma- and heart attack–related emergency visits.

We’re at a critical point in the state’s climate journey. Over the next year, California leaders will be making big decisions—about how to spend billions in proposed climate bond funding, and how to reform the cap-and-trade system to better serve the communities hit hardest by pollution and extreme heat. These decisions will have long-term consequences, and if we want equity to be more than a buzzword, we need to back it up with solid, localized data.

That’s exactly what this dashboard offers. You can look at data and see how heat, pollution, and poverty are impacting health outcomes. You can compare counties, download factsheets, and use that information to advocate for better policies. It’s the kind of tool I wish we’d had in more budget meetings and legislative hearings.

When I served in the California State Assembly, I worked to make sure our state’s climate policies and investments actually reached the communities most impacted. That included championing two voter-approved natural resources bonds—in 2018 and again in 2024—focused on equitable investments for communities facing the greatest environmental burdens. I also had the opportunity to lead on landmark legislation like AB 398, which extended California’s cap-and-trade program with new equity measures; AB 617, which launched community-led air quality monitoring programs; and SB 200, a statewide initiative to secure clean drinking water for underserved areas.

Throughout that work, I relied on research from institutions like LPPI to help guide policy decisions. I know firsthand how powerful it is to walk into a budget meeting, a legislative hearing, or a community forum with data that reflects people’s lived experiences—data that can’t be ignored.

This dashboard is more than a set of maps and numbers. It’s a tool for action. It empowers policymakers, legislative staff, community advocates, and public agencies to direct resources. It democratizes information in a moment when federal data access is shrinking and public trust in institutions is waning. In short, it puts knowledge in the hands of the people who need it most.

But to realize its full impact, this resource must be used. I encourage my former colleagues in the California State Assembly and every decision-maker in Sacramento and D.C. to explore the dashboard and let it inform how we legislate, allocate, and evaluate. When we know exactly where the heat is rising, where the ER visits are spiking, and where the investments are missing, we can’t look away. We can only move forward with intention.

We often hear that California leads the nation in climate action. But leadership means ensuring our bold ideas work for everyone, not just those in ZIP codes with political influence. The dashboard makes it clear: the challenges are real, but so are the opportunities. And when we lead with data and equity, we don’t just protect our planet—we protect all communities across our great state.

Eduardo Garcia is a senior policy and public policy advisor at the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute and a former member of the California State Assembly representing District 36.