One of our 2021 Climate Justice for All grant recipients is training youth organizers in Michigan to stand up to environmental injustice.
The climate crisis is happening. That is a fact we no longer can deny. Across the United States and around the world, low-income and BIPOC communities have found themselves facing the effects of environmental degradation and climate change first and worst.
It’s a disparity that stems from cycles of institutional inequality – from a history of disenfranchising marginalized communities by leaving them out of the decision-making process. Without a voice, these communities continue to face environmental pollution and are more prone to infrastructural concerns related to natural disasters than many of their whiter or more-financially secure neighbors.
In environmental justice circles, the term “intergenerational justice” has been coined to affirm the responsibility of present generations to protect the environment and mitigate the effects of climate change for future generations. But to achieve this, we must amplify the voices of our youth.
In Michigan, One Love Global is doing just that, modeling how we can better support young people on their journeys to becoming better advocates for their communities and our planet.
Read more at Climate Reality Project.