We need to approach the environmental crisis as the social justice catastrophe it is.

The environmental movement needs a new framing. It is not about being a ‘tree-loving hippie’, or someone with left leaning politics, it is so much bigger than that. It is about the largest socio-economic crisis that has ever faced humanity. Being impassioned and angry about this crisis cannot just be left to environmentalists. If you are a nature-lover or someone who has had no interest in the environmental movement, if you care about the social and economic welfare of you and your family, you should listen up. The climate crisis is here. We are witnessing five-hundred year floods, extreme drought, unbearable heat, large-scale snow events, devastating hurricanes; the social implications of which are heartbreaking. Just look at the water crisis in India – Chennai is almost out of water and 21 other Indian cities will run out by 2020. 40% of India’s population will have no access to drinking water by 2030 – that’s over 100 million people, which will lead to hundreds of thousands of deaths. While bad governance has exasperated this situation, it is a prime example of the mess we’ve created. Globally, the welfare of each and every one of us will continue to be at stake, and sadly, those already struggling will get the worst of this catastrophe.

Here are a few other ways this crisis is a social justice issue: (1) The livelihoods of small farmer’s will be threatened as climate change forces a shift in climate and agricultural zones and extreme precipitation and drought make production unpredictable. (2) The poor will be hit the hardest in both rural and urban areas, for example residents in poor neighborhoods will have less access to air conditioning, plus air pollution (already worse in these areas) intensifies with increased heat (as air becomes stagnant and traps pollutants). (3) Women, children, and the elderly are most vulnerable, especially those in the least developed countries (LDCs), and children and the elderly are more at-risk for health related issues, such as disease related to flooding. (4) Relocation of communities – when people are forced to leave their homes and livelihoods due to climate change, the socio-economic implications are great. And this is not something we, as a global community, are prepared for. For example, the term ‘climate refugee’ is not even legally defined, and of course, if we look to the recent handling of refugees from Syria, we have much to worry about.  So let’s start talking about this climate crisis as a social justice catastrophe it is - and through this reframing perhaps more people will take notice.