I was very glad that I attended the panel about Climate Injustice and the call for equity in a changing climate. Going into this discussion, I already knew a lot about climate change and the way it affects how I plan to live and work. One particularly important topic that I think was addressed very well in this talk was the idea that climate change is not just an environmental issue, but a social one as well. When you think about how the environment is exponentially decaying it does not really sink in that climate change is not just a physical but social problem. There has been a lot of displacement in areas where we are already starting to see a rapid decline in livable conditions, yet many corporations and countries turn a blind eye to what is happening to our planet. This talk was a refresher for me to be more aware of this growing issue despite it not physically affecting me yet.

This was quite a different event than what I have been attending this semester, but it was super informative and very interesting! Many things were said during this keynote, but something that particularly stood out to me was that climate change is not only a threat multiplier, but that it is also a form of additional systemic racism that is ingrained in our society. I never thought of it this way until Dean Ben Houlton shared that in the USA African Americans are 3x more likely than white people to live in inferior housing and have poor access to things like air conditioning which is needed for climate protection. They are also more likely to die from air pollution. I find this all to be very disturbing, and I feel like action must be taken to protect those who are most vulnerable. I think that one way to do this would be prioritizing and supporting these BIPOC communities with the latest technology as this could successfully lead to a new green economy.

The impact of climate change not only changes the physical world, but also has impacts on our society and culture. After listening to the LWYL cafe, I gained a new perspective on these effects. Professor Shi specifically mentioned adaptation in the context of climate change. She brought a new view that I had not considered before, specifically the idea that climate change can affect the way cities and populations are structured. As a professor in the school of city and regional planning, she studies how people move and adapt to the way the climate is changing. From deforestation to the depletion of coral reefs, these can have profound impacts on the human population, and these can play into the inequalities already present in the society. She mentioned the fact that she views the problem as connecting all the way back to Colonialism, which I had never considered before. In all, this was an interesting conversation that explored beyond the typical causes and effects of our changing climate.

Climate (In)Justice: The Quest for Equity in a Changing Climate was an inspiring presentation to hear. First, I was inspired by the research and work of the panelists, as they have connected two of the most important issues of our time, including providing justice to each and every person regardless of background, as well as slowing climate change. For example, I hadn’t realized that low-income neighborhoods have on average higher temperatures than wealthy neighborhoods, because of having fewer trees and more asphalt that retains heat. Listening to them and their thoughts on the relation between inequality and climate change made me want to do something about these important issues. I think everyone needs to hear what these panelists had to say. I think it is unjust that people who have contributed very little to climate change are being affected in the most detrimental ways. Furthermore, those same people are more likely to have fewer resources to combat those effects. I wonder how we can possibly solve these challenges, and it was inspiring to listen to the thoughts of those who are experts in these fields. In addition, I was astounded by some of the facts that the panelists relayed about climate change. Dean Houlton informed us that a difference of 0.5 degrees Celsius in the amount that the global temperature rises could raise the percentage of people exposed to extreme heat from 14% to 30%! At 1.5 degrees of Celsius change, 75% of the coral reefs in the world will have died, and after two degrees of change, all of the coral reefs in the world will have disappeared. I believe it is up to our generation to work on solving these issues.

When I first heard the phrase “environmental justice,” I couldn’t wrap my head around what it really meant. Did it have to do spreading awareness of the harmful effects of pollution on our climates? Was it a means of encouraging people to reduce, reuse, and recycle? Or was it meant to (I don’t know) stop people from plucking flowers from the ground? Though these speculations might play a part in the movement, I learned after taking DEA 1500 last semester that environmental justice involves more than just how humans treat the environment. Rather, environmental justice is actively designing and maintaining environments so that people (all people) can live life without facing the barriers of homelessness, food scarcity, and toxic poisoning– it’s about promoting human equality by means of making environments safe, accessible, and beneficial.

Believe it or not, where you live changes who you become. The panelists at the LWYL Café on Climate (In)justice, experts on environmental justice and its deep-rooted connection to climate change, gave important insights into what still needs to be done to truly accomplish environmental justice. It begins with uplifting the concerns of those who have been directly affected by climate change and have not received the support they need to overcome it. It turns out that these people are more often than not a part of the Latinx or African American communities and are poor. Yes, it makes sense that as the climate evolves (as in more natural disasters, increasing temperatures, and increased carbon levels), people will be affected by it. But why is it that underrepresented, lower-income communities are the ones bearing the weight and blame of these affects, and not others? You guessed it: systemic racism. Land that used to be owned and taken care of by Latinxs and African Americans was taken away by colonialists, and now many of these environments are food deserts. Poor neighborhoods that were gentrified in order to bring in wealthier populations have left the original residents homeless and without community. The list goes on, and the panelists at this talk encouraged us to get involved in uplifting these voices so that, finally, our politicians may be able to consider how to implement policies that actively address the pains of hurting communities. There is more to be done for sure, but being educated on environmental justice is one step we all need to take in making life worth living, no matter who you are and where you are.

Before this event, I always thought that the concept of climate change was simple: if nobody does anything about it, then everyone suffers, and if everyone does something about it, then nobody suffers. However, it was revealed to me that there were much more important factors to take into consideration when talking about climate change. The first fact that surprised me was that climate change does not affect everyone equally. During this event, it was stated that African Americans were more likely to die from climate change than Caucasians due to various factors, which I had never thought about before. This means many people are privileged enough to not worry about climate change while others are suffering because of them, so the negative consequences of climate change are not spread out equally among humanity. Another thing I learned was that at this point in time, the problem was no longer about the science and technology, but the politics. There are people who benefit from tackling the problem of climate change, while others may suffer a loss. This makes educating the public about these issues much more difficult, and getting the people with power to actually do something even harder. There were many other things I learned at this event, but I think these were the points that stood out to me the most, and points that everyone else should be made aware of, because even if they support efforts to fix climate change, they might not realize how privileged they are.

When reflecting on the Climate (In)justice eCornell event, I found that one aspect deeply resonated with me. When it was described how the countries who are oftentimes the most affected by climate change are the ones who did everything they could to be environmentally conscious, I was perplexed. Having studied a great deal about both Geography and climate change in High School, I remembered how rising sea levels threaten to plunge certain islands and areas of the world underwater. These areas are predominantly Amsterdam and many other small island nations that are almost already below sea level. Furthermore, the countries I listed are some of the highest contributors to the collective effort to combat climate change and preserve the world in all its beauty.

When keeping this in perspective, it reaffirms how important it is to ensure the first-world countries that may not necessarily directly be affected by climate change’s devastatingly negative effects do their fair share to supplement the efforts undertaken by these countries who straddle the edge of climate-related national crises.

During this webinar, I learned a lot about the impact of climate change on society, especially the effect it has on the lower-class, island nations, more. There are so many ways that climate change affects different communities, and it is a complex issue that requires a lot of policy and action to help solve. While climate change is often presented as an overarching environmental issue that will increase temperatures, change weather patterns, and cause rising sea levels, there is and will be a major effect on people. Oftentimes the most hard hit will be those who have not contributed to emissions. 

Minorities are more likely to live in areas that are more affected by climate change. They are more affected by increased levels of pollution and rising temperatures, due to lack of quality living environments and the inherent lack of protection from poor infrastructure. With an increase in extreme weather patterns, lower air quality, loss of natural lands, these people will be more hard hit compared to people living in well designed areas with good infrastructure. Another reason why these populations are more vulnerable to these changes are because of their socioeconomic status. For example, poorer people are more likely to be in difficult living conditions and don’t have the financial resources needed to recover from natural disasters or health problems caused by severe weather or pollution. If crops fail, they are more likely to starve than the wealthy. The inequalities due to living conditions, financial status, and access to food and clean water contributes to how different groups of people are affected by climate change. It is also important to note that inequality comes in many different forms not only socioeconomic status or racial differences but also urban versus rural populations or access to larger areas of land. 

These issues facing various populations indicate that it is important to implement and follow through with policies that will mitigate climate change, from reducing emissions to expanding the development and use of renewable energy. These changes can help not only our environment but also our society. With rampant inequalities, it is important to consider the various ways in which minorities, island nations, and third world countries are affected by climate change, and how we can address these issues.

I decided to tune into the climate (in)justice panel this week because I wanted to hear how the speakers related the current crisis to other issues of systematic racism, natural disasters, and socioeconomic inequality. Their interdisciplinary approach to the issues facing our planet today truly resonated with me. All to often, I find climate issues are discussed in the constraints of a single cause and effect model; carbon emissions cause the thermometer on the wall to increase by a degree or two. Unfortunately, I know many people who scoff at such a small number and dismiss the danger that the we are in. I liked the way that they compared the increase in temperature to having a fever. It seems so obvious that the body must function within a range of only a few degrees and it is easy to make the connection to the Earth from there. I was reminded of a video my friend sent me the other day which explained the difference between heat and temperature and noted that large bodies of water are heat reservoirs. Thus, a small increase in temperature is the result of a massive increase in heat.

As a STEM major, I especially appreciated the connection between cities, chemistry, climate, and culture. The link between fewer trees and the heat absorption properties of asphalt in urban areas leading to hotter temperatures, and a greater proportion of minorities without access to good living conditions inhabiting these areas was really relevant. I think this is an important, but largely unrecognized connection. They also mentioned the disparity between those who significantly contribute to the climate crisis and those who are most affected by it. Even if your daily routines are not affected by the affect of environmental patterns, the lives of so many others are negatively changed. Climate change is a rapidly progressing issue which needs to be addressed.

I was very fortunate to attend tonight’s talk about justice and equality as it relates to climate change. The impacts of climate change are not far off in the future; they are here right now in the form of extreme weather, failing infrastructure, increasing wildfires, dilution of the planet’s micronutrients, and more. One thing that stuck with me was the way the speakers talked about the urgency of climate change action. I appreciated their wording that to avoid global warming, our last best chance is now and that we need to create policies for survival. One speaker referenced the statistic that to avoid irreversible global warming, we must prevent the average temperature of the planet from rising beyond 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius more than pre-industrial times. Even though it sounds like a very small number, a 1.5-degree rise in temperature will lead to a doubling of global crop failures, which will affect the most vulnerable communities. I think this context is something many people are not aware of and is essential for getting people to care about this issue.

This talk was very informative and helped me understand the intersectionality of environmental and social justice. One thing that impacted me greatly was that the technological challenge of decarbonizing manufacturing and transportation pales in comparison to helping people who bear the brunt of climate change. More often than not, it is the people who have contributed very little to climate change who experience the most consequences of it. This social inequity is partially rooted in inequities in the distribution of land and of resources like clean water. The speakers referenced America’s racist agricultural model as a source of this inequity in terms of lack of access to technology and rich land. Historically, land was taken away from African-Americans, Latinx farmers, and Native American tribes. In modern times, minoritized communities experience inequities like food deserts as a result of continual systemic racism. The statistics were eye-opening to me. For example, low-income neighborhoods are 5 to 12 degrees hotter than high-income neighborhoods because of a lack of resources like fewer trees. Furthermore, 11% of white people are food insecure in America compared to 22% of BIPOC; this disparity in food insecurity is indicative of environmental and social injustice.

Overall, I think one speaker put it best when they posed the question “How do we improve the human condition?” While the answer is multi-faceted and involves the intersection of many fields, I think it is a great way to contextualize the problem of climate change and the need for action in terms of improving people’s lives. I appreciated the speakers’ honesty when they talked about hope since they could not do their work if they weren’t at least a little bit optimistic about the future. I hope we are able to mitigate the problems of climate change, for our sake and the sake of future generations.

I attended the LWYL Cafe: Climate (IN)Justice: The Quest for Equity in a Changing Climate and it was a really informative, eye-opening talk for me. I am a firm believer in climate change and global warming. I believe the world will be in serious jeopardy if we don’t do anything to live more green right now. Of course, people think about things such as increase in temperature, melting glaciers, and rising sea levels, but the domino effect of climate change impacts society much deeper.

For example, in the United States, certain groups of people are more likely to live in poor areas with substandard housing. In the future, as the effects of climate change become more severe, we will begin to see people living in housing that no longer is able to protect them from these effects, whether it be an increase in temperature, extreme weather, flooding, etc. Something like a flood should be equalizing in that it affects everyone in the same way. However, we see that because of wealth disparity, richer people are going to be able to land on their feet much more quickly after a disaster like that then poorer people.

Similarly, something like a pandemic should have been equalizing but we can see that it has not been. Especially when it comes to work, we saw that some people were able to keep their jobs and work from home while others lost their jobs and had to file for unemployment or rely on stimulus checks. This is due to the disparity in ability to do remote work in a time where remote work is prevalent and deeming what is “essential”. 

Overall, I think that it is important to consider how different groups of people in society will be affected by inevitable changes in the future. Equity is always something that people aim for in general but when it comes down to it, there are some people who are not motivated to share their wealth or change their lifestyle for the betterment of others.