Climate Justice
Fact or Myth?
From rising sea levels to extreme droughts, climate change is taking its toll on Earth. Since climate change is an issue that impacts the entire world, then it should impact all humans equally.
What is climate change?
Climate change is an unusual, long-term shift in climate and weather patterns. Climate change is happening right here, right now. If we are not already, we will eventually feel the adverse effects of the warming climate.
Fun Fact: Did you know that the American Psychological Association officially recognized and defined the word “ecoanxiety” which is “a chronic fear of environmental doom.”
What is climate justice?
Climate justice is a term that recognizes the disproportionate effects of climate change based on differing characteristics of social, economic, and health statuses. Climate justice is a movement that recognizes the social inequalities that cause certain communities to feel the threatening impact of climate change more than other communities. Although wealthier people are more responsible for creating a carbon footprint, or the greenhouse gas emissions caused by individuals’ actions, lower income communities are most vulnerable.
Climate change affects two specific groups the most:
Low income, minority communities
Young people, a concept known as intergenerational climate justice, where the younger generations are facing the worst impacts of climate change despite the effects being a result of the older generations.
Sources:
https://www.carbonbrief.org/in-depth-qa-what-is-climate-justice
WHY is Climate Justice important?
It is a fact that climate change is affecting disadvantaged communities more than any other groups of people. Most of the individuals in these communities are already facing other burdens such as economic hardship. Climate change adds to the burdens that they are facing, making their lives more difficult.
For example, there may be a friend you know who is burdened by climate change. She may have lost her home due to a flood a couple of months ago, but her family still does not have a permanent residence, and the government is not giving her family relief aid.
Unfortunately, situations like this are common and we have to understand the struggles that disadvantaged groups are facing in regards to climate change. Although the United States is one of the most developed countries in the world, there are still individuals all over the country being affected. By fighting for climate justice, we recognize the disadvantaged groups of people being disproportionately affected by this issue and we bring attention to their struggles!
Effects of climate change:
Climate change is ongoing and the effects of the warming climate are being experienced in the United States. Temperatures in the United States have risen by 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit to 1.9 degrees Fahrenheit since the 1970s.
Urban flooding is one of the most common disasters in the United States, yet inequalities in disaster aid are responsible for exacerbating racial and economic inequalities. In Houston, Texas low-income communities have faced difficulty rebuilding their lives in the aftermath of the floods.
For example, the Evans family, who faced economic hardship prior to the flood that displaced them from their home faced great difficulty in receiving disaster aid due to accusations that she was misusing the money. On the other hand, the Papadoulous family, a higher-income family, was able to re-apply for disaster aid without any difficulty.
Bridgeport, CT, a city where racial minorities compose the majority of the population, ranks 36 in the “Top 50 Cities With Biggest Increases in Heavy Downpour,” and it will experience a 60 percent increase in precipitation in the foreseeable future.
A paper in the journal Nature Climate Change reported that the youth are facing mental health consequences due to climate anxiety. Specifically, they are facing severe distress due to “anticipated ecological losses” and a fear of not having a future.
Over 40% of individuals in the United States reside in areas affected by air pollution. Individuals living in poverty and people of color live in areas most affected by air pollution, and this has led many individuals to develop respiratory problems like asthma.
We need environmental justice. Now. Climate change is not waiting for any of us and drivers of climate change are creating public health crises and disparities for low-income and minority communities.
Facts about climate change in CT:
HOW can you address climate change?
Climate change will only continue to worsen and the climate will affect human, social, and civil rights.
What you can do to reduce the impact of climate change and further climate justice:
Recycle: this can be as easy as recycling your old homework assignments to putting recycling bins around your school.
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions: The average household in the United States produces 7.5 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, which exacerbate climate change and causes marginalized communities to be affected the most.
Take shorter showers to save water and reduce carbon emissions.
Carpool with your friends and family or, if available, utilize public transportation.
Educate: learn more about climate justice so that you feel knowledgeable about this issue. The more our communities and younger generations are educated, the easier it is to raise awareness about this issue and begin to take action.
Raise awareness on social media: social media can be used to reach wide audiences of people. Create infographics stressing the importance of climate justice and use social media platforms to strengthen activism
Create a digital protest: It is important to highlight the inequalities of climate change on disadvantaged groups of people who are already struggling socially and economically. Climate change adds to the burden. Creating an online digital protest makes the climate justice movement accessible to more people.
Lead the way: women are amongst the most the most impacted groups due to climate change. Women’s participation in local and national levels is more likely to reduce the impacts of climate change on marginalized groups.
Make a climate pledge: What will you work on to reduce the impact of climate change? How will you help communities who are disproportionately affected by climate injustices? Submit a video to our Instagram: @GoLiveGirl For example: I pledge to educate myself on the intersection of climate change and social justice, and I understand the need to address the effects of climate change on human rights.
Submit an Op-Ed: We want to hear your personal experiences with climate injustice. Share your story! Your voice is your experience and sharing your story can help others understand the true impacts of climate change.
https://www.uua.org/environment/climate/getinvolved/cat/get-involved
Get Inspired:
Meet Climate Justice Activists:
Rhiana Gunn-Wright:
Rhiana is the director of Climate Policy at the Roosevelt Institute where she conducts research on climate and factors that affect climate justice. Gunn-Wright has worked with Michelle Obama on policies and she examines how economic policies affect racial minorities.
Jaime Margolin:
Margolin is a youth climate activist and founder of Zero Hour, a group fighting for climate action and justice. She founded Zero Hour in response to experiencing the 2017 Washington wildfires and Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. She has led large crowds of thousands of activists and supporters of action against climate change and has worked alongside Greta Thunberg, testifying for the United States House of Representatives.
Kate Marvel:
Kate is a scientist researching the impacts of human activity on Earth, and has discovered that human activity is directly responsible for a change in world-wide rainfall patterns. Kate hopes to prepare future generations of climate activists and scientists by raising awareness on climate change through her extensive research with institutions like NASA, Columbia University, and Stanford.
