ON THE COVER

Climate Justice is

Human Justice

Although the climate crisis seems like a problem for the distant future, it is here and it is affecting the most vulnerable of our communities.

BY FEATURES EDITOR ELLE SIMON & PRINT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SOFIA AGUAYO

For decades, scientists have predicted that the continuous mass burning of fossil fuels would have future consequences that would soon take effect and exponentially increase in severity as time went on. As studies and evidence show, they are correct. Extreme weather patterns. Melting glaciers. Rising sea levels. A decrease in wildlife and biodiversity. According to European Commission, these are just a few of the impending changes the earth and the lives on it are facing if humans continue to burn fossil fuels and live unsustainable lifestyles. Everyone today has heard of the daunting phrases of “global warming” and “climate change,” but when were these phrases invented and when did they begin to be used so commonly that the average person now knows exactly what they mean? Firstly, when did it all begin? Here is a brief review of some major marks of the history of global climate change.

According to BBC News, the greenhouse effect was discovered and named in 1861 by scientist John Tyndall. By 1927, carbon emissions from fossil fuel burning had reached one billion tons per year. In 1938, it was shown that temperatures and CO2 concentrations had risen over the previous century. In 1989, the UK Prime Minister warned the UN about the increased amount of CO2 in the atmosphere and called for a global treaty on climate change. In 2001, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) third assessment report found strong evidence that the main cause of this warming was due to humanity’s emissions of greenhouse gases since the industrial revolution. In 2012, arctic sea ice reached a minimum extent of square kilometers setting a record for the smallest summer cover since measurements began in 1979. Since all of these domino effect events began all this time ago, where are the consequences and effects of these daunting facts? Research shows that they are weaved in the lives of the underprivileged and less fortunate people in not only developing countries around the world, but also in some cities here in the United States. “I think we just need to open our eyes and try to see the world differently,” sophomore Gracie Orf said.

One of the reasons there is such a pressing problem concerning global pollution is because of the neglect of the problem in developed countries, which is where it matters the most. In an article by The Guardian about pollution in developing countries, there is a man depicted standing atop a hill of cloth and plastics with a fire burning at the bottom. “It’s normal to get some coughing and breathing problems because of the smoke,” the Tanzanian man said. The pile of trash, which burns 24 hours a day in Tanzania, is something no one in a developed country could ever imagine seeing in their neighborhood. Sadly, these sights are daily occurrences in the lives of millions of underprivileged people living in developing countries who have no way of fighting the production and consumption of this waste. “In Michigan, they have this big dump of trash, and it’s in a low income, predominantly black community,” junior Katherine Pineda said. If it is not “normal to get some coughing and breathing problems” because of pollution while living in the United States, the top pollution producer, why is it happening to people across the ocean who have no say or control over it? According to the World Economic Forum, between an estimated 400,000 and one million people die in developing countries every year from diseases caused by mismanagement of waste. The source also states that “many developed countries export their post-consumer plastic waste.” This waste makes up over one-tenth of what is thrown away, and we typically pass a huge amount of this waste onto poorer countries who are less capable of managing it than our well-developed country. According to Climate Policy Watcher, several developing countries who receive the waste from the developed countries do not even have the infrastructure and management in place to manage their own garbage, much less the garbage of the top waste producers in the world. Bryan Walsh, Time magazine’s energy and climate writer, said “One of the surest signs that you’re in a developing country is the trash beneath your feet.” The country in which people are born should not dictate whether they might have respiratory problems or other diseases because of the overly comfortable and unsustainable way of living in developed countries.

As much as we’d like to think that climate change is something that only affects developing countries, thousands of Americans are affected by climate change every year. A Washington Post analysis of disaster

cover story. Have you noticed a direct relationship between lower income communities and pollution in the country?

Out of 103 students polled

19% NO 27%MAYBE

54% YES

declarations from the federal government found that 40% of Americans live in areas hit by climate disasters. However, the changing and extreme weather patterns is not the only issue that climate change has caused for the country. Most states east of the Mississippi River have at least one power plant located within their borders. Power plants emit nitrogen oxides which lead to the creation of smog along with gas emissions from cars. Smog contributes heavily to the unhealthy air quality that is experienced by so many people in the United States. The American Lung Association’s 2021 “State of the Air” study found that over 135 million people in the United States are living in areas without safe, clean air. New Jersey continually receives an “F” for its air quality from the ALA as smog is found almost everywhere. “Cancer Alley” is an 85 mile stretch from New Orleans to Baton Rouge located in the River Parishes of Louisiana. Residents of “Cancer Alley” suffer immensely from the polluted air that they breathe from day to day. They have high cancer rates, are continuously diagnosed with respiratory issues, and the list goes on. “Out of every ten households there’s a prospect of one or two people that have died of cancer,” Terry Frazier, a resident of St. Gabriel, Louisiana said in an interview with ProPublica. Unfortunately, poor air quality isn’t the only climate consequence that affects people around the United States. Flint, Michigan residents have been fighting for clean and safe drinking water since April, 2014. Flint’s water has been tainted with lead ever since the city switched to the Flint River as the city’s drinking water source. This exposure to lead brings along kidney and heart disease, high blood pressure and other serious health issues. These are just a handful of the states, cities and people that have been negatively impacted by climate change and pollution.

According to 103 students polled, 35% said they feel like they are personally being affected by climate change in Kansas City, and 32% said maybe. According to Greenability Magazine, Kansas City is the fifth city to be most impacted by climate change. This ranking is due to a high number of abnormal weather conditions including major heat waves, fewer cold snaps, a later winter, high annual temperatures and about twice as frequent heavy rains which increase risk of flooding. “We certainly do see disruptions in our weather and patterns,” AP Environmental Science teacher Amy Vandenbrul said. According to Climate Central, the city will see 20 more days above 90 degrees than its rural counterparts. Dennis Murphey, chief environmental officer for Kansas City, Missouri, in Greenability Magazine said that energy, water, local food systems and public health will be the largest issues that arrive as these extreme weather patterns increase. Murphey took note that more people died of extreme heat than tornadoes these past few years. According to Climate Action of Kansas City, Missouri, the city is generating nearly 18 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per person, more than three times the world average, and two more tons than the national average. According to the article, the average individual carbon footprint needs to drop under 2 tons per year by 2050 to have the best chance of avoiding a 2 degrees Celsius rise in global temperatures. As one would expect, the most vulnerable and susceptible to these changes are the elderly, sick, and low-income residents, especially those who live in the urban core. “If you go down to the West Bottoms, you can see a lot of factory operations there,” Vandenbrul said. “It’s not a huge residential part of the city, but there are other areas within the inner city.” Kansas City adopted the Climate Protection Plan in 2008 which has had several resolutions added to it since then. According to the City of Kansas City, Missouri’s website’s article on the KC Climate Protection and Resiliency Plan, the City Council passed resolution 200005

Greenpeace is a global network composed of independent campaigning organizations who use peaceful protesting and communication to address global environmental issues and promote sustainable solutions. They have a commitment to environmental justice, equity, diversity and inclusion, and they challenge a system of privilege and power that has hurt the environment thus far.

Environmental Charities

The Clean Air

Task Force “builds momentum for solutions based on scientific evidence, intellectual integrity, and pragmatism.” CAFT drives change forward through policies and innovation. Their goal is to accomplish zero-emissions energy, waste, agricultural, and forest management systems by 2050. They are determined to meet the rising demand for energy in a sustainable way. The Sierra Club is one of the most influential grassroots environmental organizations in the United States. Started in 1892 by preservationist John Muir, the organization now has chapters in all 50 states. Their goals include striving for 100% clean and renewable energy, protecting lands, water, wildlife and air, and protecting all people, especially the most vulnerable who already feel the impacts of climate change.

which added to the 2008 Climate Protection Plan including new goals for greenhouse gas reductions. The Plan consists of four stages: Listen & Learn, Collaborate & Explore, Prioritize & Align and Mobilize. The city is currently working in the third stage, Prioritize & Align, and the goal of the entire plan is to achieve “a carbon neutral, equity focused, and resilient Kansas City by 2040.”

The overall problem of global climate change is one that can no longer be kept ignored. As demonstrated around the globe today, the direct effects of pollution are heavily affecting the most vulnerable people and creating more health problems. So how can we make a difference? How can we help turn back the ticking clock on climate change before it gets too late? Despite sometimes feeling small in an issue as big as this one, you can still make your voice heard. Contact local officials and push them to make climate-positive laws in the community. Advocate for policies and changes that will help the world move in the opposite direction from the climate crisis. Continue to learn and educate yourself and the people around you on our changing climate and its causes. Learn about how you can help fix some of the social injustices and environmental problems that are caused because of this crisis. Embrace sustainability and put effort into making small changes in your daily life that would positively impact the earth. Finally, donate to charities that are known to make a positive impact. These charities are doing amazing work that helps us fight global climate change. “If we just watch the way that we live individually, if everybody does that, then that makes a difference,” Orf said. The climate crisis is hanging over our heads and although we may feel like we aren’t doing enough to help, making small changes by ourselves and working as a global society to make the big ones, we will be able to help turn back some time on the ticking clock. With the cooperation of people everywhere, change can be made. When asked how everyday people can help in this fight against climate change, Vandenbrul said her favorite motto is to “think global and act local.”

The World Wildlife

Fund strives to help communities conserve the natural resources they need, transform the economic world towards sustainability, and protect and restore the habitat of species around the world. WWF combines conservation science with their over 5 million global partners to achieve their six ambitious goals; climate, food, freshwater, forests, oceans, and wildlife. Vic Barrett is a 20-year-old Honduran-American college student who became involved in climate activism in high school because of the firsthand experience he had with climate change when he saw the major destruction of superstorm Hurricane Sandy at 15 years old. He was involved in Global Kids which develops leadership skills in youth, became a Fellow with the Alliance for Climate Education and also spoke at the COP21 UN Conference on Climate Change.

Boyan Slat, who hails from the Netherlands, is the founder of The Ocean Cleanup. He currently leads a team of around 80 people and spends most of his time researching, inventing, and engineering technological solutions to global issues. In September 2018, Slat launched the first deep ocean cleanup system, called System 001. He and his team have since launched System 002 in 2021.

Xiye Bastida is a Mexican-Chilean climate activist. She is one of the main leaders of “Fridays for Future New York City,” an international movement in which students skip Friday classes to attend demonstrations demanding government action on climate change. Bastida is also a major voice for indigenous and immigrant visibility in climate activism.

Greta Thunberg is 19 years old and is the most well known youth environmental activist. Born in Stockholm, Sweden, Thunberg has been named one of Time’s 100 most influential people as well as being the magazine’s youngest Person of the Year. Thunberg is also a three time Nobel Prize nominee for her activism.