The environmental movement has been slow to build a coalition “that looks like America,” says Jerome Ringo, who served as the first black chairman of the National Wildlife Federation.Ringo said minorities, who are disproportionately poor, are often left out when it comes to efforts to protect the environment.

“Poor folks can’t afford to drive a Prius,” he said. “If you give a poor person money for one of those twisty light bulbs that save energy, he will take the money and buy eight regular light bulbs.”

And he says Congress hasn’t discussed ways to include minority interests when “carving up the pie” of a proposed carbon tax that could generate $80 billion to $120 billion for the development of alternative energy.

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