Gr. 8 Impacts of Climate Change: Injustice

"When air quality worsens, either from the smoke and ozone of summer or the inversion of winter, most of us stay indoors. But for individuals experiencing homelessness, that’s not always an option. In a new study, researchers from the University of Utah document the effect of air pollution on people experiencing homelessness, finding that nearly all notice and are impacted by air pollution, whether or not they reside in shelters..." (2020)

"The gap between the economic output of the world’s richest and poorest countries is 25 percent larger today than it would have been without global warming, according to new research from Stanford University..." (2019)

"People with lower incomes are exposed to heat waves for longer periods of time compared to their higher income counterparts due to a combination of location and access to heat adaptations like air conditioning. This inequality is expected to rise as temperatures increase, according to new research..." (2022)

"What does racism mean for climate change — and vice versa?" (2020)

"Activist Elizabeth Yeampierre has long focused on the connections between racial injustice and the environment and climate change. In the wake of George Floyd’s killing and the outsized impact of Covid-19 on communities of color, she hopes people may finally be ready to listen." (2020)

The World Social Report 2020 examines the impact of four such megatrends on inequality: technological innovation, climate change, urbanization and international migration.

"In any crisis it is the poorest and most vulnerable that suffer the greatest impacts. What does Black Lives Matter have to do with climate change? Everything – Adelle Thomas and Rueanna Haynes outline the linkages between environmental justice and racial justice." (2020)

"The climate crisis hurts us all - but Black people are hit the hardest." (2020)

"The relationship between race and climate change is too often ignored..." (2020)

"Climate change disproportionately affects those who suffer from socioeconomic inequalities, including many people of color. As the United States becomes increasingly diverse, understanding how the current crisis impacts people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds is imperative. This article provides a brief overview of the climate challenges faced by communities of color and the steps taken to address the existing disparities." (2020)

"In this third discussion, we will hear stories from the frontlines, centered on environmental racism, the ongoing impacts of colonisation and how it connects with ecocide, the mass destruction of nature. We will be meeting with Chief Roland Willson of West Moberly First Nations and a strong advocate opposed to Site C dam, Chrissy Issacs of Grassy Narrows First Nation and long-time activist of mercury justice, and Tamara Lorincz of the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute. The webinar will be moderated by Suzanne Dhaliwal, climate justice creative, campaigner, researcher, lecturer in environmental justice and trainer in creative strategies for decolonisation." (2022)

"Jesse Firempong is a communications officer with Greenpeace Canada. She spoke to What on Earth host Laura Lynch about how major environmental groups often centre white voices to the exclusion of BIPOC voices and concerns." (2021)