Energy is essential to modern life—it powers our homes, protects our health, and enables daily function. Yet for millions of Americans, keeping the lights on and homes comfortable is a constant struggle. In Powerless: The People’s Struggle for Energy, Diana Hernández and Jennifer Laird, uncovers the often-overlooked crisis of energy insecurity—the struggle to afford or access the basic household energy needed to live safely and with dignity.

Drawing from in-depth interviews and national survey data, Powerless brings to light the lived experiences of families forced to choose between heating and eating, enduring unsafe living conditions, and navigating a broken energy safety net. Hernández and Laird show that energy insecurity is not just an economic issue—it is a public health emergency, a social injustice, and a silent epidemic hiding in plain sight.

This talk will explore the book’s major findings, the structural drivers of energy inequity, and the bold, actionable policies needed to make safe, affordable energy a reality for all.

Event Speakers

• Diana Hernández, Associate Professor of Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia University
• Sheila Foster, Professor of Climate at Columbia University
• Samuel Roberts, Associate Professor of History, Sociomedical Sciences and of African American and African Diaspora Studies at Columbia University

Event Information

Free and open to the public; registration required. Please email centerhistoryethics@cumc.columbia.edu and scienceandsociety@columbia.edu with any questions.

Hosted by the Center for Science and Society and Center for the History and Ethics of Public Health& at Columbia University.