Climate Justice Strategies: Exploring the Intersections of Climate Change

The topic of climate change often brings to mind images of melting glaciers and starving polar bears. For too long we’ve failed to connect the direct impact of environmental injustices, including climate change, on our lives, families, and communities. The effects of climate change are widespread: people die from exposure to toxins from coal fired power plants and are sickened from breathing toxic ask from mountain top removal. Drought and flooding impact the availability of nutritious food and increase the likelihood that those in flood-prone cities will lose their homes and livelihoods. And communities of color and low-income communities are usually hit the hardest.

In this Netroots Nation 2016 plenary session, panelists talked about what needs to happen to stem the effects of climate change for our most vulnerable communities. Speakers included Tom Steyer, president of NextGen Climate; Jacqui Patterson, director of the NAACP’s Environmental and Climate Justice Program; Michelle Romero of Green for All; and Anthony Rogers-Wright, Policy and Organizing Director for Environmental Action.

Here are a few highlights from the session, as told by Netroots Nation attendees: