Arguments
How Climate Change Reinforces Racism
Posted on 15 June 2020 by Guest Author
Climate change does not threaten us all equally. Instead it deepens divides. Within countries and between continents, people of colour and indigenous people are the hardest hit. And fighting climate change means fighting this injustice.
==ACTIONS==
Black Lives Matter: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
Climate change charities https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/12/2/20976180/climate-change-best-charities-effective-philanthropy
Follow green voices of colour: https://twitter.com/i/lists/1087490564977819648
Very good video but one nit pick. I dont think that the title "climate change reinforces racism" is accurate because its hard to see how climate change would lead to racial discrimination and racial prejudice, the normal definition of racism. Better to say climate change reinforces racial inequality.
nigelj,
I would defend the title because I understand Racism to be a sub-set of Othering.
And Othering includes a lack of caring about people who are identified as Others by race. Humans can learn to avoid harmful unjust Othering. But they can be easily impressed to harmfully consider Others to be unworthy of consideration (making people Fear Others is also very Easy).
And climate change can be seen to strengthen the resolve of many people to "Resist reducing how harmful their actions are to Others, and resist helping Others". They call actions like pursuing the Sustainable Development Goals (which include climate action), unjust names like Money Grabs and Attacks by the poor on the Wealthy.
The systemic origins of Othering can be understood to include competition to develop perceptions of Superiority relative to Others. And Colonizing Europeans can be seen to be a major source of the systems that create that harmful Othering.
What is needed is developing a sustainable global common sense that the only valid "Identification of Others deserving actions that the Others would consider to be Harmful to Them" is based on expanded awareness and improved understanding applied to help develop Sustainable Improvements for the future of humanity (like achieving all of the SDGs which, by the way, can be seen to include anti-racism actions as well as other identified anti-Othering actions). And the people identified as Others that way would be Helped to correct their beliefs and behaviours and have their potential to impact Others restricted until they learn to be Better (more helpful, less harmful people).