Environmental Justice

The climate justice movement must work for all people

The year 2020 was, in a word, overwhelming. In May of 2020, after more than three months of pandemic-induced isolation, climate activists throughout the United States were forced to come to terms with the looming challenge of white supremacy in our country, and to decide to what extent we were going to adapt our own climate priorities to ensure that they engendered equitable, anti-racist solutions. And as thankful as we all are that 2020 is behind us, the work has just begun.

 

Many of us have chosen to commit our time to the climate movement because the climate crisis touches the lives of every single person on this planet. However, the fight against climate change is not a balanced one; the climate crisis is already threatening communities which are low-income, indigenous, and/or communities of color, so we must understand that the fight for climate justice is inherently an intersectional one. We must constantly be seeking ways to be and do better, and that includes amplifying and centering voices of color, making space, and ensuring that 350 Spokane continues to grow with the anti-racism movement. This is how 350 Spokane can follow through with its mission, which advocates for “a just transition to 100% fossil-free energy and a low-carbon economy that works for everyone.”

 

As you continue your work as a climate activist, reflect on the roles that you as an individual have to play in ensuring the dismantling of institutions such as the carceral system and white supremacy. And reflect on how each of us at 350 Spokane, as a coordinated team of people passionate about making the world a better place for all its inhabitants, can work to become wholly and actively anti-racist. We must reject the notion that nothing can be done about white supremacy. We have the power to take action.

As your journey with climate activism began with seeing and understanding the issue, so should your journey into anti-racist activism. We invite you to begin with these resources, which will provide you with some of the necessary context for the work that must be done to dismantle institutionalized white supremacy:

Read the statement / blog post from 350.org: What we must do to dismantle white supremacy.

Learn about the way BIPOC communities have taken the lead on addressing climate change. The article How Native Tribes Are Taking the Lead on Planning for Climate Change by Nicola Jones describes some of the methods that the earliest caretakers of this land are using to adapt to the climate crisis, and it’s a good starting point.

Support local & regional media led by people of color; some of my favorites include Black Lens News and Native Daily Network.

Follow groups which support local communities of color, such as the NAACP, to see the way each community is asking for support. There are a multitude of support and interest groups out there, including groups for most local cultures, and other groups which focus specifically on justice and anti-racism efforts. You can find some of these on social media sites, or tribal websites like that of the Spokane Tribe of Indians; though the latter is mostly a holding place for resources for tribe members, the events, news, and history pages include useful information for people outside of the tribe.

Check out 350.org’s videos We Demand a Just Recovery and Defending Black Lives to see how 350.org aims to center communities of color – those most impacted by climate change – in its efforts toward COVID-19 recovery and a sustainable future.

 

Additionally, it is essential to listen to the people most impacted by our racist system and build a movement that is rooted in the needs of the most oppressed, to think critically about the narratives we tell, and to exercise compassion toward one another. It is important that each of us do the work to discover our individual biases and confront our own racism, in a way that does not burden Black people and people of color. In addition to the resources listed by 350.org, read about what white people can do for racial justice, and pay special attention to local Black-led efforts here in Spokane.

I will end this with a few words from Dominique Thomas, a 350.org member and organizer:

 

There is no just recovery from this pandemic or climate justice without addressing systematic extraction, harm, and violence towards Black communities. To build the world we want, it requires more than transitioning our energy sources. We have to live and breathe in the defense and justice for Black lives every day, not just when their lives are taken on video. That means being more radical, more nimble, and intersectional in our work in order to confront white supremacy in ourselves and in every facet of our society.