CLIMATE JUSTICE
By Anton Antonio
September 30, 2015
The other day, I came across this Greenpeace article on the
subject “Climate Justice”. But what
exactly is climate justice and how do we get to the “end goal”? Here is a repost of that article…
“A STEP CLOSER TO CLIMATE JUSTICE
By Diah Abida
September 24, 2015
I admit, when I initially encountered the term Climate
Justice, I found it quite abstract. All
I knew was it would look at climate change in a different light – a more human
light – and for the first time, the ones responsible for the climate disasters
that have robbed many Filipinos of basic human rights will be held accountable. September 22 was a significant day for
Filipinos and climate advocates as we filed the world’s first climate change
and human rights complaint at the Commission on Human Rights of the
Philippines. It was there that I met
Elma Reyes, one of the petitioners from Alabat Island, survivor of typhoon
Glenda. She is married to a fisherman
with whom she has two kinds, and fishing and farming are their livelihood. I had previously seen her in a video,
narrating how her community faced the wrath of typhoon Glenda. She recounted the day when the typhoon hit
their town, and said all she had at the time were immense feelings of fear and
days of distress. I was dumbstruck when
she asked, in a downhearted tone, “how can we ever plan for a future knowing we
would have to deal with this degree of devastation?” It is difficult to lift her spirits after
that, but eventually, her face began to light up at the sight and thought of
people in solidarity with her from typhoon survivors to civil society
organizations.
I could only hope that our presence would always be enough
to strengthen her resolve in reclaiming our fundamental rights that continue to
be abused by fossil fuel companies responsible for climate change. Putting myself in her shoes, I felt like I
was learning to walk again, after having been paralyzed and helpless for so
long. The climate survivors and the
growing movement have come a long way to get to where we are now. Sure, the journey is far from over, but now
we have a voice and we are asking for an investigation of the perpetrators of
climate change. A day before filing the
petition, I noticed that Ate Elma looked nervous. I asked her how she was feeling, and with
moist eyes, she said “peace of mind.” I
asked why, and she said that finally, typhoon survivors like her can have a
platform to make a difference and be the voice for those who have none. However, the road towards Climate Justice
doesn’t end with the group of people that filed the complaint at the Commission
of Human Rights. We each have a role to
play in securing a future without climate change – I can think of no better
legacy to leave the next generation. The
journey to climate justice has just begun.
“Walk” in solidarity with us.”
The article seems vague and could really not explain the
“end goal” of this particular ballgame.
So I did some additional research…
“Climate Justice is generally used as a term for viewing global warming
as an ethical issue and considering how its causes and effects relate to
concepts of justice particularly environmental justice and social justice. This can mean examining issues such as
equality, human rights, collective rights and historical responsibility in
relation to climate change. Recognizing
and addressing the fact that those least responsible for climate change
experience its greatest impacts is seen by many as being central to climate
justice. The term is also used with
reference to legal systems, where justice is achieved through application and
development of law in the area of climate change. Climate justice is a fluid concept; however,
there are recurring themes across definitions.
The following definitions taken from “Organizing Cools The Planet” given
a picture of the various understandings of climate Justice:
·
Roots in Environmental Justice: Climate Justice is a vision to dissolve and
alleviate the unequal burdens created by climate change. As a form of environmental justice is the
fair treatment of all people and freedom from discrimination with the creation
of policies and projects that address climate change and the systems that
create climate change and perpetuate discrimination.
·
Climate Justice as Evaluation Model: Climate justice is a struggle over land,
forest, water, culture, food sovereignty, collective and social rights; it is a
struggle that considers “justice” at the basis of any solution; a struggle that
supports climate solutions found in the practices and knowledge of those
already fighting to protect and defend their livelihoods and the environment; a
struggle that insists on a genuine systematic transformation in order to tackle
the real causes of climate change…Climate Justice addresses four key themes:
root causes, rights, reparations and participatory democracy.
·
Climate Justice as Global Justice: The historical responsibility for the vast
majority of greenhouse gas emissions lies with the industrialized countries of
the Global North. Even though the
primary responsibility of the North to reduce emissions has been recognized in
the UN Climate Convention, the production and consumption habits of
industrialized countries like the United States continue to threaten the
survival of humanity and biodiversity globally.
It is imperative that the North urgently shifts to a low carbon
economy. At the same time, in order to
avoid the damaging carbon intensive model of industrialization, countries of
the Global South are entitled to resources and technology to make a transition
to a low-carbon economy that does not continue to subject them to crushing
poverty. Indigenous Peoples, peasant
communities, fisherfolk and especially women in these communities, have been
able to live harmoniously and sustainably with Earth for millennia. They are now not only the most affected by
climate change, but also the most affected by its false solutions, such as
agrofuels, mega-dams, genetic modification, tree plantations and carbon offset
schemes.” (Wikipedia)
Throwing-in these additional researched information still
make the concept of climate justice still relatively vague. Simplifying things, this concept is a
concoction of social, economic, political and environmental justice (in
relation to climate change) that is collaged into climate justice.
Thoughts to
promote positive action…
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REFERENCE:
Greenpeace.org, (2015). “A Step Closer to Climate Justice”. Retrieved on September 30, 2015 form http://www.greenpeace.org/seasia/ph/News/greenpeace-philippine-blog/a-step-closer-to-climate-justice/blog/54227/
Wikipedia, (2015). “Climate Justice”. Retrieved on September
30, 2015 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_justice
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