How do we bring about sustainable change and shift the paradigm?
Share your thoughts and ideas of possible policy alternatives to implement in
The ongoing struggle of bipoc peoples for environmental justice is one that is heavily overlooked in media and in government. As a black and queer individual living in the south, shifting the paradigm for me entails counteracting the systems of opression that are in place today as a direct result of climate change. In my personal experience, being able to fully understand the intersectionality of racism, climate change, and LGBTQIA+ rights was the first step in shifting my own personal paradigm. Policies such as the Green New Deal have acted as a blueprint for me to be able to see sustainable changes being made on a large scale. I agree that in order to see a better tomorrow, we must “create millions of good, high-wage jobs in the United States; (2) to provide unprecedented levels of prosperity and economic security for all people of the United States; and (3) to counteract systemic injustices.” However, I would stress the importance of additional policy being created to ensure that marginalized communities have equal access to these benefits and opportunities.
For Example, In Dekalb County, I would urge policymakers to mirror and expand upon the Green New Deal as well as the National Environmental Policy Act by having their own policy that would create green jobs while protecting communities of color in the process who are being left out of these opportunities. In addition to job creation, on a local level, most of the members of these communities have no knowledge of the adverse human health or environmental effects climate change is having on their populations. This could mean providing these communities with proper notices, documentation, or community meetings to give them equal input on the state of their climate. I believe that in creating sustainable change, we are given the tremendous opportunity to address a great magnitude of the fundamental issues of our society. By killing two birds with one stone, we just may shift the paradigm.