BaCCC/Module 3/Lesson 2/Part 2

Why is it important to learn about climate justice?

Learning about climate justice is crucial because it helps us understand the intersection between climate change and social inequality. As you now know, climate change is a global issue that affects everyone, but its impacts are not distributed equally. Marginalised communities, such as low-income communities and communities of colour, are disproportionately affected by the consequences of climate change, such as natural disasters, displacement and health problems.

Climate justice seeks to address these disparities and promote fairness and equity in addressing climate change. By learning about climate justice, we can recognise the social, economic and political factors that contribute to these inequalities and work to promote policies and actions that prioritise the needs and voices of the most vulnerable populations. By learning (and teaching others) about climate justice, we can engage in meaningful conversations and take action to create a more just and liveable future.

Why it is important to teach climate justice

Dr Saleemul Huq: “The climate change issue can be characterised as pollution by rich people and rich countries adversely impacting poor people . . . This is morally wrong and every religion teaches that it is wrong.” Professor Kyle Whyte: “The climate justice movement . . . should not just be a movement that seeks to lower carbon footprints so that the world of privileged people is preserved.” Dr Adrienne Hollis: “Climate justice matters because we are in an era of racial and social reckoning.” Dr Jalonne White-Newsome: “I long for the day when low-income, black, Indigenous and people of colour do not suffer disproportionately from the irresponsible stewardship that we all contribute to.” Yeb Saño: “The climate crisis is a manifestation of the pervasive injustice that has brought us economic inequality, oppression, subjugation and exploitation.” Dr Mary Keogh and Gordon Rattray: “[People with disabilities] are . . . among those most impacted by climate change, whose human rights are most at risk of violation by inappropriate climate action and for whom true climate justice is essential.” Does “Climate Justice” Matter?

It would be easy enough to go through life never thinking about the impacts of climate change on those who are more – or even less – vulnerable to its impacts than we are. So, it is time for you to be the teacher, that is, to get more people thinking and learning about climate justice.

Activity

“	It is well acknowledged that across the globe, people who have the least role in causing the climate crisis are bearing the brunt of it, and unfortunately, climate justice is not talked about enough.	”
—Eric Njuguna, Youth Climate Justice organiser

You are going to explain the importance of climate justice to others by creating an arts-based social media “meme” – after you get your thoughts together in a social media post.

In your learning journal, write a social media post of approximately 150 words that supports the arguments for climate justice. Explain, with evidence, why you believe it is unfair for your generation, community or country to have to pay for the damages caused by climate change (or, to be more honest, the carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions of industrialised economies). Make sure your post shows your understanding of the climate justice concept and gives at least one real-life vivid example of a climate change impact that you have experienced or read about locally or nationally. You can incorporate your definition of climate justice (or aspects of it) into your post if you think it will increase the effectiveness of your post. Add a colourful piece of art: a photograph, drawing, painting or doodle. By the way, this paragraph is 150 words, in case you need a sense of how much to write.

Next, use your design and artistic skills to create a social media meme (an image, animation, video, piece of text or a combination of these that is sometimes humorous in nature and can be copied and spread rapidly by social media users). You can choose a quotation from those above or write your own post. Make sure your meme shows and shares your understanding of the most important elements of climate justice. Ensure that it is accurate (share it with your family, a friend or a teacher for feedback), and make it vivid and relevant. Making it colourful will motivate more people to interact with it. Who knows, maybe it will go viral!

You might want to use a metaphor to get your point across. Here is one example:

Richer countries ignoring historical emissions and responsibility is the equivalent of rich countries eating every slice of pizza but one and then arguing that all the poorer countries should pay an equal share of the cheque because they each got to have a bite of the one leftover slice. — Asad Rehman, War on Want

Or you can write a poem and share it. See the example below from one of the founders of Extinction Rebellion in the United Kingdom. Roger Hallam wrote the poem in honour of the increasing number of climate change protesters being tried and jailed in British courts. He gave us permission to share it.

Oh, the flowers of indulgence and the weeds of yesteryear.

Like criminals, they have choked the breath of conscience and good cheer. When did we forget

Things that must never be forgotten?

That we live in this blue-green paradise

spinning through the void.

See it from space and you'll splutter tears of

desperate sadness that this is all there is.

When did we forget

That we only get this one life, only one chance

to make our mark? To say we did Right. To love

those we promised to love.

When did we forget?

A letter to the British Public as Resistors enter the Heart of Darkness. ROGER HALLAM

Are you ready to publish your social media meme now? (You do not have to . . . but it would be pretty cool if you did.😊)

Lesson Summary

In this lesson, you have demonstrated that you can

• outline the importance of climate justice; and
• explain the importance of climate justice to others by creating an arts-based social media meme to post.