Climate change is a social problem, impacting both people and the planet. The people who use climate change as a issue deepen inequality in our society. The people who use the fewest resources suffer from climate change the most.

Like other social problems, climate change reveals a conflict in values. These conflicts of culture and worldview are deeply rooted in the practices of capitalism and colonialism perpetuated by Western worldviews and values that have been established through colonialism.

Sociologists and environmental activists use the theories and practices of environmental justice, critical environmental justice, environmental racism and ecofeminism to make sense of why climate change is happening so rapidly. These theories also suggest effective opportunities for action. We also now know a few of the many rich examples of collective action and agency in response to climate change.

As we look back at the Jordan Cove Energy Project, where we began this chapter, we now see how unexpected this victory is. To stop the energy company, local residents, ranchers, fishermen and women, indigenous elders, youth, and every day people like you and me had to come together. They had to promote a common vision of clean renewable energy, and the projected costs and risks of a pipeline. They had to convince local and state government officials that the pipeline was not in the best interests of the people who lived in that area, and the people who might benefit from cheap energy.

The stakes were high and their victory was uncertain. Working together, they succeeded in protecting the piece of the planet they call home.

5.6.1 Key Terms List

capitalism: an economic system based on market competition and the pursuit of profit, in which the means of production or capital are privately owned by individuals or corporations.

climate change: the long-term shift in global and regional temperatures, humidity and rainfall patterns, and other atmospheric characteristics

colonialism: the domination of a people or area by a foreign state or nation : the practice of extending and maintaining a nation’s political and economic control over another people or area

critical environmental justice: a theory which considers how all forms of structural inequality put targeted communities at risk of environmental harm, and how all forms of inequality essentially violate the human right to live in a healthy, safe, and thriving environment.

cultural universals: patterns or traits that are globally common to all societies

culture: shared beliefs, values, and practices

ecofeminism: a theory that argues that the domination of women and the degradation of the environment are consequences of patriarchy and capitalism.

enculturation: the process of learning culture

environmental justice: an intersectional social movement pioneered by African Americans, Indigenous peoples, Latinx, lower-income, and other historically oppressed populations fighting against environmental discrimination within their communities and across the world

environmental racism: the burdening of economically and socially disadvantaged communities with a disproportionate share of environmental hazards.

extreme weather events: An extreme weather event is defined by the severity of its effects or any weather event uncommon for a particular location.

indigenous peoples: Indigenous peoples have in common a historical continuity with a given region prior to colonization and a strong link to their lands

Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK): the on-going accumulation of knowledge, practice and belief about relationships between living beings in a specific ecosystem that is acquired by indigenous people over hundreds or thousands of years through direct contact with the environment, handed down through generations, and used for life-sustaining ways.

worldview: the collection of interconnected beliefs, values, attitude, images, stories, and memories out of which a sense of reality is constructed and maintained in a social system and in the minds of individuals who participate in it.

5.6.2 Discussion Questions

• What is a group or organization that does work in your community to fight climate, race, or gender injustice that you admire? What do they do and why do you admire the actions they take?
• What is a personal attribute or skill that you can contribute to climate, race, and/or gender justice movements?
• Imagine a future in which your needs are met, you and your loved ones are safe, and you are able to spend your time how you wish. What would be different? What kind of world would we need in order to achieve this for everyone?
• What does it mean to say “Those who contribute the least, suffer the most?”