The Climate Justice Alliance (CJA) is a
non-governmental
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from g ...
collective
A collective is a group of entities that share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest, or work together to achieve a common objective. Collectives can differ from cooperatives in that they are not necessarily focused upon an ...
of over 70 rural and urban community-based organizations focused on
sustainability
Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livi ...
, development of underrepresented communities,
race
Race, RACE or "The Race" may refer to:
* Race (biology), an informal taxonomic classification within a species, generally within a sub-species
* Race (human categorization), classification of humans into groups based on physical traits, and/or s ...
and
ethnicity
An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...
,
economic development
In the economics study of the public sector, economic and social development is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and o ...
, and
poverty alleviation
Poverty reduction, poverty relief, or poverty alleviation, is a set of measures, both economic and humanitarian, that are intended to permanently lift people out of poverty.
Measures, like those promoted by Henry George in his economics clas ...
— all with the wider aim of
addressing climate change. Founded in 2013, CJA is rooted in the
environmental justice movement
Environmental justice is a social movement to address the unfair exposure of poor and marginalized communities to harms from hazardous waste, resource extraction, and other land uses.Schlosberg, David. (2007) ''Defining Environmental Justic ...
in that it centers efforts around protesting and organizing against the disproportionate harm of climate change on marginalized communities.
The stated goal of CJA to create "
pplythe power of deep grassroots organizing to win local, regional, statewide, and national shifts" in regards to climate change and unjust exposure of marginalized communities to its damaging effects.
History
Roots
While CJA was officially formed in 2013, the organization traces its origin to a 3-year period of coordinated
grassroots
A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or economic movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from the local level to effect change at t ...
protest activities. Most notably, early members of CJA organized a 400-person assembly for climate justice at the 2010
US Social Forum in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
.
Formation of CJA
Following its formal establishment, CJA launched its first coordinated effort with an organized effort hosted by the Black Mesa Water Coalition in the
Black Mesa region of Arizona. The activities sought to coordinate community-led action strategies to alleviate urban development of the region and gathered 100 of its members to protest activities of large
coal mining
Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...
companies and their effects on vulnerable populations in the area.
Our Power Campaign
As part of their Black Mesa activities, CJA established an ongoing effort called the “Our Power Campaign” which involves the construction of what they call a “local living economy”. CJA calls these groups “Our Power Communities” (OPC) and they are based on a model of:
* Zero Waste
* Regional Food Systems
* Public Transportation
* Clean Community Energy
* Efficient, Affordable, and Durable Housing
* Ecosystem Restoration and Stewardship
CJA has also established a loan fund as part of the campaign that helps their OPCs become loan-ready via technical support and coaching.
6-Point Strategy
CJA describes its main strategies for climate justice success as:
* "Fight the bad" - Organizing against and protesting against organizations their members perceive as harmful to the environment and marginalized communities
* "Build the new" - Building economic models and institutions, such as with their "Our Power Communities"
* "Change the rules" - Policy efforts and political partnerships, such as with the Green New Deal
* "Move the money" - Organizing to move money out of the old economy using both public and private vehicles.
* "Build the bigger we" - Aiming to establish geographical growth of the alliance across countries
* "Change the story" - speaking out against perceived unjust systems that are currently the "norm"
Involvement in Green New Deal
The Climate Justice Alliance supports the
Green New Deal
Green New Deal (GND) proposals call for public policy to address climate change along with achieving other social aims like job creation and reducing economic inequality. The name refers back to the New Deal, a set of social and economic refo ...
, a climate proposal first introduced by Rep.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (; ; born October 13, 1989), also known by her initials AOC, is an American politician and activist. She has served as the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district since 2019, as a member of th ...
of New York and Sen.
Edward J. Markey
Edward John Markey (born July 11, 1946) is an American lawyer, politician, and former Army reservist who has served as the junior United States senator from Massachusetts since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the U.S. representat ...
of Massachusetts.
However, upon the proposal of the Green New Deal, delegates from CJA spoke out publicly about the need for a focus on protecting “frontline communities” (those who are most exposed to the damaging effects of climate change) via public statements and organizing members in
Washington D.C.
)
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, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...
to address
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
directly.
''“The Climate Justice Alliance welcomes the bold Green New Deal initiative from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other Members of Congress; however, to truly address the interlinked crises of a faltering democracy, growing wealth disparity and community devastation caused by climate change and industrial pollution, we must reduce emissions at their source. Allowing for neoliberal constructs such as Net Zero emissions, which equate carbon emission offsets and technology investments with real emissions reductions at source, would only exacerbate existing pollution burdens on frontline communities. Such loopholes for carbon markets and unproven techno-fixes only serve to line the coffers of the polluting corporations, while increasing (not reducing) harm to our communities. Our communities can no longer be used as sacrifice zones.”''
- Angela Adrar, Executive Director, Climate Justice Alliance
Since sharing their perspective on necessary additions to the deal, CJA has spearheaded local versions of the Green New Deal and iterations including the “Feminist Green New Deal” and the “Green New Deal for Public Housing” alongside Senator/2020 presidential candidate,
Bernie Sanders
Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Vermont since 2007. He was the U.S. representative for the state's at-large congressional district from 1991 to 2007 ...
, and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez.
References
{{Reflist
Climate change organizations based in the United States