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 >
Environmental Justice and Who Gets Left Behind
Environmental justice is about fairness--making sure no group carries more of the environmental burden than others. But, in practice, it’s often the same communities, usually poor and marginalized, who face the worst climate impacts. They live near polluted areas, deal with rising heat, and have fewer resources to adapt.
It reminds me of the way injustice shows up in literature--like in Of Mice and Men or The Grapes of Wrath, where people at the bottom are hit hardest by forces they can’t control. Climate change works the same way. It’s not just about the environment--it’s about power, inequality, and who has the ability to recover.
When we talk about climate action, we should also be talking about justice. That means listening to the people most affected and making sure they’re part of the solution. Without that, any “solution” leaves someone behind.