By: India James
At the precipice of character and courage lies an opportunity to change the world. An opportunity for environmental justice, affordable & sustainable energy resources, and a secure economy. Let this be a measuring stick for current and future leadership in one of the warmest, wettest states in the Union – the great state of Louisiana, of course.
On Black Friday, the Trump Administration released the US National Climate Assessment. The Global Research Act of 1990 requires the Assessment be delivered to Congress and the President at least every four years and articulate the causes, impacts, and risks of global change on life and society.[1] One noted impact is the increase of health related risks caused by extreme heat. One might anticipate longer blooming seasons for those of us who suffer from allergies, a heightened fight against disease spread by incests and pests, and increased exposure to heat exhaustion. And, while not necessarily health related risk (for this lady who loves boiled crawfish), unfortunate impacts to farming should be anticipated as well. To address flooding risks, local governments in southern Louisiana are already pooling resources to address some of these hazards. But what does this mean for jobs, the cost of energy, and a continuance of Louisiana’s rich culture traditions?
The short answer is: no one knows just yet – it depends. There is a significant opportunity for leadership in energy innovation. Innovation is bridging the dichotomy between what is and what can be. It does not mean devaluing the importance of petroleum production to the economy nor excluding creative energy development opportunities in wind, solar, and battery storage. Energy security requires collaboration of all great minds with a seat at the table and innovation to create sustainable solutions that are responsible and reflect the long term interests of the communities served.
Louisiana is well positioned to lead courageous conversations around energy inclusion and optionality for its citizens. With an abundance of natural resources and creative minds, it will be interesting to watch where this conversation leads – and who leads it.
India James is currently a leader at a Fortune 100 energy company. She was raised in Eunice, Louisiana and lived for many years in New Orleans, Louisiana. India now resides in Washington D.C.
[1] USGCRP, 2018: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States: Fourth National Climate Assessment, Volume II [Reidmiller, D.R., C.W. Avery, D.R. Easterling, K.E. Kunkel, K.L.M. Lewis, T.K. Maycock, and B.C. Stewart (eds.)]. U.S. Global Change Research Program, Washington, DC, USA. doi: 10.7930/NCA4.2018.
Jeff Thomas
Publisher • Opinion Columnist • Licensed General Contractor • Real Estate Appraiser • New Orleans
Jeff Thomas is the publisher of Black Source Media and one of New Orleans’ most direct voices on civic affairs, economic justice, and Louisiana politics. He writes from the intersection of experience and accountability — as a licensed general contractor,a tech company founder and executive with over 30 years experience, and a businessman who has worked across the city’s civic, media, and construction ecosystems for decades.
His Sunday column covers Louisiana legislative politics, insurance discrimination, housing policy, and the forces shaping Black community life in New Orleans and across the state. Thomas writes in the tradition of Black journalists who hold power accountable without apology — building arguments from data, delivering verdicts from evidence, and speaking to Black New Orleans with the directness the moment demands.
He is also the principal of EA Inspection Services, LLC, a government inspection services company. Black Source Media is his platform for the civic conversation New Orleans has needed and too rarely had.
Selected Articles by Jeff Thomas
Black Neighborhoods Pay the Highest Insurance Rates in Louisiana. Here’s What They Don’t Want You to Know.
They Didn’t Yell the N-Word. They Went to Law School, Bided Their Time, and Rewrote the Constitution Instead.
Vappie vs. Morrell: Why Does Justice Look Different in New Orleans?
The State Has the Money. New Orleans East Just Needs Them to Use It.
The Failure of Mitch Landrieu
Publisher — Black Source Media
Jeff Thomas
Publisher • Opinion Columnist • Licensed General Contractor • Real Estate Appraiser • New Orleans
Jeff Thomas is the publisher of Black Source Media and one of New Orleans’ most direct voices on civic affairs, economic justice, and Louisiana politics. He writes from the intersection of experience and accountability — as a licensed general contractor,a tech company founder and executive with over 30 years experience, and a businessman who has worked across the city’s civic, media, and construction ecosystems for decades.
His Sunday column covers Louisiana legislative politics, insurance discrimination, housing policy, and the forces shaping Black community life in New Orleans and across the state. Thomas writes in the tradition of Black journalists who hold power accountable without apology — building arguments from data, delivering verdicts from evidence, and speaking to Black New Orleans with the directness the moment demands.
He is also the principal of EA Inspection Services, LLC, a government inspection services company. Black Source Media is his platform for the civic conversation New Orleans has needed and too rarely had.
Selected Articles by Jeff Thomas
Black Neighborhoods Pay the Highest Insurance Rates in Louisiana. Here’s What They Don’t Want You to Know.
They Didn’t Yell the N-Word. They Went to Law School, Bided Their Time, and Rewrote the Constitution Instead.
Vappie vs. Morrell: Why Does Justice Look Different in New Orleans?
The State Has the Money. New Orleans East Just Needs Them to Use It.
The Failure of Mitch Landrieu