Climate change Quote by Arlie Russell Hochschild
““The Measure of America, a report of the Social Science Research Council, ranks every state in the United States on its “human development.” Each rank is based on life expectancy, school enrollment, educational degree attainment, and median personal earnings. Out of the 50 states, Louisiana ranked 49th and in overall health ranked last. According to the 2015 National Report Card, Louisiana ranked 48th out of 50 in eighth-grade reading and 49th out of 50 in eighth-grade math. Only eight out of ten Louisianans have graduated from high school, and only 7 percent have graduate or professional degrees. According to the Kids Count Data Book, compiled by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Louisiana ranked 49th out of 50 states for child well-being. And the problem transcends race; an average black in Maryland lives four years longer, earns twice as much, and is twice as likely to have a college degree as a black in Louisiana. And whites in Louisiana are worse off than whites in Maryland or anywhere else outside Mississippi. Louisiana has suffered many environmental problems too: there are nearly 400 miles of low, flat, subsiding coastline, and the state loses a football field–size patch of wetland every hour. It is threatened by rising sea levels and severe hurricanes, which the world’s top scientists connect to climate change.””
About This Quote
Source Report: The Measure of America, Social Science Research Council, 2015
Louisiana’s low rankings in health, education, and economics illustrate deep systemic inequities and environmental challenges affecting its citizens.
In simple terms: Louisiana ranks poorly in many social metrics.
Address systemic inequality and environmental risk.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- policy reform
- community health programs
- education investment
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What policies could most quickly improve child well‑being?
- How can climate resilience be integrated into economic development?
Improving metrics requires coordinated effort across government, NGOs, and communities.