Gonzalez
How many people are projected to be displaced by climate change by 2050?
25 million to 1 billion people by 2050
What is ONE example Klein mentions in her text of a “sacrifice zone” of environmental degradation?
Niger Delta poisoned by the spilling of oil by Exxon
Alberta tar sands dug up for heavy forms of oil in Canada
Hydroelectric dam in Honduras
How can climate justice incorporate principles of racial equity and social justice to create more inclusive solutions? (From Kelsey)
Climate justice must address structural inequalities by centering racial equity, reparations, and wealth redistribution. Sealey-Huggins argues that solutions should move beyond technical fixes to challenge racial capitalism and colonial legacies. Inclusive policies and grassroots activism, like Black Lives Matter and Indigenous-led movements, are key to dismantling systemic oppression.
What are the two views about climate change that have dominated the media?
Apocalyptic (humans are responsible for ecological destruction
Optimistic (scientists and engineers will find a solution)
What is green colonialism?
Renewable energy projects (e.g., wind farms in Oaxaca) displacing Indigenous communities without fair compensation.
What does Klein mean by exemplifying that Said was no ‘tree-hugger’?
Said wasn’t an environmental activist who primarily focused on planting trees
Said didn’t overlook the social causes of environmental problems
Sometimes tree planting is problematic (e.g. planting the wrong type of trees, which erode the soils, planting trees to land grab and occupy territories)
How have movements like Black Lives Matter and climate justice activists linked environmental justice to broader struggles against racial and economic oppression?
Movements like Black Lives Matter and climate justice activists link environmental justice to broader struggles by highlighting how racial and economic oppression shape climate vulnerabilities. Sealey-Huggins argues that systemic racism and colonial histories have made Black and Indigenous communities more exposed to climate disasters while being excluded from decision-making. Activists challenge these injustices through direct action, calls for reparations, and demands for policies that prioritize marginalized communities.
What is ONE reason ArborGen (genetically engineered tree company) is problematic
Focuses on the values of trees for making paper and profit
Will plant eucalyptus which is invasive, contribute to depletion of soil, and loss of biodiversity
returns a large amount of resource production as waste to its environment
What is the Self-Determination Approach in the context of climate displacement?
Climate justice requires a self-determination approach, allowing climate migrants to:
Preserve cultural identity, language, and community ties.
Migrate collectively and with dignity.
Secure legal protections and reparations from major polluting nations.
What are the implications of the ‘aridity line? (The border of the desert in the defining where there is an average of 200 mm of rainfall a year in the Middle East)
Marks drought, water scarcity scorching temperatures, and military conflict
The city of Dara in Syria (which falls on the line) faced severe drought which displaced farmers, and lead to the outbreak of the Civil War,
Drone strikes have coincidentally accrued along this line proving that conflict follows oil and a lack of water
How does the concept of “racial capitalism” help explain the unequal distribution of climate change impacts?
Sealey-Huggins argues that the unequal distribution of climate change impacts cannot be understood without acknowledging racial capitalism, a term developed by Cedric Robinson (1983). Racial capitalism refers to the ways in which capitalism has historically relied on and reinforced racial hierarchies to extract resources, exploit labor, and consolidate wealth. The article highlights that the global economy has been shaped by colonialism and imperialism, which have systematically disadvantaged Black and Indigenous communities while concentrating power and wealth in the hands of former colonial powers.
What is Vergès critique of the term ‘Anthropocene’ to define the current era we are in of a large human impact on our planet?
The term groups the entire human race as contributing the same amount and baring the same impacts
The term leaves out the role of racialized polocies of public health, toxic waste disposal, weapons, and pollution, and deforestation which disproportionately harm racial minorities
ignores history of imperialism how rich western countries were the once to initially cause emission of greenhouse gasses and use of fossil fuels