Can we solve the climate crisis without confronting global inequities?
A recent study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA found that white residents in the USA produce more climate pollution than black or hispanic residents, but black and hispanic people are exposed to more air pollution.
And that is just the USA! Think about the global inequities in the "haves" and the "have nots".
And how are we going to lift people out of poverty without making the climate crisis even worse?
If you are a resident in a wealthy country, is it your responsibility to address both problems at once? And what would that look like in terms of national and international policy?
Environmental Justice >
Why Environmental Justice is so important
A social movement called environmental justice seeks to end environmental injustice, which exposes underprivileged and marginalized groups to the negative effects of resource exploitation, the disposal of hazardous waste, and other land usage. Environmental injustices continue to occur, some of the worst which have happened over the course of the past few years.
A well-known environmental injustice is the Flint Water Crisis in Flint, Michigan. In 2014, in an effort to reduce costs, the city switched its water supply source to the Flint River, which had a corrosive nature. This decision resulted in the contamination of the drinking water with lead, causing widespread health issues and severe consequences for the predominantly low-income and predominantly African American population of Flint. This crisis highlighted the intersectionality of race, socio-economic status, and environmental factors, as residents faced not only the physical and mental health impacts of lead exposure but also the social and economic challenges of accessing safe and clean water. The Flint water crisis serves as a reminder of the urgent need for environmental justice to ensure that all communities, regardless of their background, have access to a healthy and sustainable environment. A way to promote environmental justice is to become educated on how to recognize environmental injustices and how to contribute to stopping them. Lifting up the voices of the impacted communities is another big must to achieve environmental justice, as more people will become involved once they understand the reality of those facing environmental injustices. The time is now to start doing whatever you can to support the cause of environmental justice.
source: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/crsj … te-change/