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https://theconversation.com/climate-change-isnt-fair-but-tony-junipers-new-book-explains-how-a-green-transition-could-be-just-250671>
"Inequality – between the rich and poor or between the powerful and the weak –
is the main factor stalling action on environmental problems including
biodiversity loss, pollution and climate change, according to British
environmentalist Tony Juniper.
In his new book,
Just Earth: How a Fairer World Will Save the Planet, he
argues that “if we want to build a secure future, both environmental priorities
and social justice must be pursued together”. Much of this is about how
decisions are made: “Disadvantaged groups rarely have a say, while those
deciding on policy continue to comprise a narrow social segment.”
It is interesting to see Juniper’s views on the topic of a just transition,
given his decades of experience. Juniper has served as the executive director
of environmental charity Friends of the Earth, he was a Green party
parliamentary candidate in the 2011 general election and previously led The
Wildlife Trusts. He is currently chair of Natural England, the official
government organisation working for the conservation and restoration of the
natural environment.
His views on this subject certainly matter. His key message that social justice
is at the heart of solving environmental problems helps to explain why we have
collectively failed to address these.
This injustice is an issue that has been raised for decades by those most
affected by environmental issues, those who work in the environment sector and
academics like me who focus on environmental justice.
The UK environment sector, for example, is notoriously one of the least
diverse, with only 3.5% of those working in environmental jobs identifying as
an ethnic minority. In addition, the climate change movement is sometimes
portrayed by the media as a middle-class preoccupation. Research shows a
tendency for mainstream media to position environmentalism as a position of the
wealthy. That’s reflected by the use of distancing terminology such as
“middle-class tree huggers”.
However, 39% of UK working class voters experience climate anxiety. That’s only
slightly below the 42% of middle-class voters.
Levels of climate concern have stayed high throughout both the COVID-19
pandemic and cost of living crises, while support for government action on
climate mitigation policies, such as decreased meat consumption and flying, has
remained steady."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
