Climate Justice

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The Climate Center Stands Against Racism, Police Violence and Environmental Injustice

Seattle Black Lives Matter protest by Kelly Kline

The Climate Center stands in solidarity with communities of color and with the protesters in the streets. We join them in demanding an end to institutional racism, police violence, white supremacy, and the environmental injustices that many Black, Brown, Asian and Indigenous communities experience daily. Shared responsibility and equitable, inclusive solutions are fundamental values we … Read more

Categories Climate Justice
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Deforestation, oil spills, and coronavirus: Crises converge in the Amazon

by Rachel Ramirez, Grist  Highlights Brazil now has the second-highest number of documented COVID-19 cases, with 400,000 confirmed cases and 25,000 deaths According to the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil, an indigenous rights organization, the mortality rate among the indigenous population of nearly one million is double that experienced in Brazil overall The entire Amazon region … Read more

Categories Climate Justice Public Health
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Climate Justice is Racial Justice

Black Lives Matter protest in Oakland. Photo by Daniel Arauz

The recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and too many others at the hands of police, are abhorrent and intolerable. Institutional racism, intentionally interwoven into the American fabric since long before our nation’s founding, has locked in major inequalities for people of color in wealth, income, education, health, jobs, housing, and public safety. Black, … Read more

Categories Climate Justice Fossil Fuels
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The Climate Movement’s silence on racism

by Emily Atkin, Heated Highlights As protests and demonstrations occur throughout the world in response to the murder of George Floyd, some environmental groups have responded in solitary while many other activists and groups have remained silent.   Groups such as the Sierra Club and white climate activists like Greta Thunberg have all spoken out in solidarity. However, … Read more

Categories Climate Justice
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Cities are leading on clean mobility during the COVID and climate crises. They need help.

Take action today: Ask your electeds to commit to a phase-out of dirty, gas-powered vehicles and invest in sustainable mobility as part of COVID-19 stimulus funding. On March 30th, The Climate Center and our partners sent a letter to the California Air Resources Board asking them to hold firm on clean air regulations during this pandemic. The … Read more

Categories Climate Justice Transportation
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Coronavirus is not just a health crisis — it’s an environmental justice crisis

Nick Fullerton – Richmond oil refinery fire1

 By Yvette Cabrera, Grist Highlights There are large disparities in COVID-19 deaths among people who have historically faced environmental justice issues within the US.  African-American communities have historically been disproportionately housed near sources of large pollution, particularly in the South, leading these communities to develop asthma, cancers, and other respiratory problems This life long exposure … Read more

Categories Climate Justice Public Health
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A clean, green, and just economic recovery

Take action today for a clean, green, and just economic recovery in California. On April 28, The Climate Center and many of its partners sent a letter to the California legislature asking them to use federal stimulus funds to support proven programs that improve health and resilience, and create jobs for a climate-safe future. We asked that they secure ongoing … Read more

Categories Clean Energy Climate Justice
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Earth Day 2030: California celebrates reaching net-negative emissions

Golden Gate by Benjamin W.

Let’s imagine it is April 2030. In the early 2020s, as the coronavirus pandemic swept the world, we in California finally addressed the climate crisis at the speed and scale science demanded. Nation & World Collaborating for Speed & Scale Climate Action Today, Earth Day 2030, we celebrate the deep systemic changes we have collectively … Read more

Categories Business Network Carbon Sequestration Clean Energy Climate Justice Climate Targets Community Energy Resilience Divestment Public Health Transportation
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Environmental groups sue EPA over ‘reckless’ response to coronavirus

 By Yvette Cabrera, Grist Highlights The National Resources Defence Council (NRDC) is suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on behalf of a dozen environmental groups. Environmental groups across the country petitioned the EPA to publish an emergency rule that requires polluters to submit a public notice that they are taking advantage of newly relaxed … Read more

Categories Climate Justice Fossil Fuels Public Health
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Trump’s move to suspend enforcement of environmental laws is a lifeline to the oil industry

By Marianne Levelle, Inside Climate News Highlights The Trump administration suspended U.S. environmental laws due to calls for help from the American Petroleum Institute. The suspension of the rules will ultimately lead to more pollution, making more people in frontline communities susceptible to health risks, including COVID-19.  The Environmental Protection Agency announced a policy that … Read more

Categories Climate Justice Fossil Fuels Public Health