Local Activism for Global Climate Justice: The Great Lakes Watershed

311 Pages·2020·13.311 MB·English

by  Patricia E. Perkins

This engaging collection provides compelling reasons for “starting close to
home” when responding to the challenges of climate change. A range of
fascinating case studies shows that thinking locally is vital for understand-
ing the complex flows of people, power, and knowledge that shape envi-
ronmental problems and solutions. A watershed can be both a place and a
turning point; what a brilliant idea to showcase the diverse mobilizations
of climate justice on the shores of the Great Lakes at this pivotal time for
the planet.
—Sherilyn MacGregor, Reader in Environmental
Politics, The University of Manchester, UK
A compilation of rich and deeply moving “stories” from young climate
justice leaders and activists which make a compelling and truly inspira-
tional read.
—Tahseen Jafry, Professor and Director, The Centre
for Climate Justice, Glasgow Caledonian University,
Glasgow, UK
This book shares stories from the frontlines of those fighting for climate
justice. The often personal accounts inform and inspire, from the everyday
politics of how we eat, work, and play, to labour movement organizing,
community initiatives, and direct action to spark ideas for reconnecting
through art and the sacred. This book serves as an important reminder and
inspiration to all those concerned about climate justice of what we can do
in our daily lives to make a difference.
—Leah Temper, Ecological Economist, Scholar
Activist, and Filmmaker based at McGill University,
Montreal, Canada, and the Autonomous University
of Barcelona, Spain
How do we foster a compassionate response to the human dimensions of
today’s climate changes? This is the challenge that this volume meets head-
on as it considers the global calls for dealing with climate injustices from a
regional grounding, and thus shows us how local actions can scale up to a
global response in the absence of meaningful political leadership. Drawing
from actions in the areas of policy, education, and community-building,
this edited book offers a diversity of case studies and a wonderful Action
Glossary that can inspire each of us to re-think ways of growing into our
time of climate justice.
—Timothy B. Leduc, Assistant Professor, Wilfrid
Laurier University, Canada

LOCAL ACTIVISM FOR
GLOBAL CLIMATE JUSTICE
This book will inspire and spark grassroots action to address the inequitable
impacts of climate change, by showing how this can be tackled and the many
benefits of doing so.
With contributions from climate activists and engaged young authors, this
volume explores the many ways in which people are proactively working to
advance climate justice. The book pays special attention to Canada and the
Great Lakes watershed, showing how the effects of climate change span local,
regional, and global scales through the impact of extreme weather events such as
floods and droughts, with related economic and social effects that cross political
jurisdictions. Examining examples of local-level activism that include organiz-
ing for climate-resilient and equitable communities, the dynamic leadership of
Indigenous peoples (especially women) for water and land protection, and dias-
pora networking, Local Activism for Global Climate Justice also provides theoreti-
cal perspectives on how individual action relates to broader social and political
processes.
Showcasing a diverse range of inspirational and thought-provoking case stud-
ies, this book will be of great interest to students and scholars of climate justice,
climate change policy, climate ethics, and global environmental governance, as
well as teachers and climate activists.
Patricia E. Perkins is Professor in the Faculty of Environmental Studies at York
University, Canada, where she teaches ecological economics, community economic
development, climate justice, and critical interdisciplinary research design.
Routledge Advances in Climate Change Research
A Critical Approach to Climate Change Adaptation
Discourses, Policies and Practices
Edited by Silja Klepp and Libertad Chavez-Rodriguez
Contemplating Climate Change
Mental Models and Human Reasoning
Stephen M. Dark
Climate Change, Moral Panics and Civilization
Amanda Rohloff
Edited by André Saramago
Climate Change and Social Inequality
The Health and Social Costs of Global Warming
Merrill Singer
Cities Leading Climate Action
Urban Policy and Planning
Sabrina Dekker
Culture, Space and Climate Change
Vulnerability and Resilience in European Coastal Areas
Thorsten Heimann
Communication Strategies for Engaging Climate Skeptics
Religion and the Environment
Emma Frances Bloomfield
Regenerative Urban Development, Climate Change and the
Common Good
Edited by Beth Schaefer Caniglia, Beatrice Frank, John L. Knott Jr.,
Kenneth S. Sagendorf, Eugene A. Wilkerson
Local Activism for Global Climate Justice
The Great Lakes Watershed
Edited by Patricia E. Perkins
Political Responsibility for Climate Change
Ethical Institutions and Fact-Sensitive Theory
Theresa Scavenius
For more information about this series, please visit: https ://ww w.rou tledg e.com /
Rout ledge -Adva nces- in-Cl imate -Chan ge-Re searc h/boo k-ser ies/R ACCR
LOCAL ACTIVISM
FOR GLOBAL
CLIMATE JUSTICE
The Great Lakes Watershed
Edited by Patricia E. Perkins
First published 2020
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2020 selection and editorial matter, Patricia E. Perkins; individual
chapters, the contributors
The right of Patricia E. Perkins to be identified as the author of the
editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has
been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced
or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other
means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and
recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without
permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Perkins, Patricia E., author.
Title: Local activism for global climate justice: the Great Lakes
Watershed/Edited by Patricia E. Perkins.
Description: Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY: Routledge, 2020. |
Series: Routledge advances in climate change research | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019018713 (print) | LCCN 2019980447 (ebook) |
ISBN 9780367335878 (hardback) | ISBN 9780367335892 (paperback) |
ISBN 9780429320705 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Climatic changes—Great Lakes Region
(North America) | Great Lakes Watershed (North America)—
Environmental conditions. | Environmental policy—Great Lakes
Watershed (North America) | Water quality management—Great Lakes
Watershed (North America)
Classification: LCC QC902.2.G74 P47 2020 (print) | LCC QC902.2.G74
(ebook) | DDC 363.738/740977—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019018713
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019980447
ISBN: 978-0-367-33587-8 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-367-33589-2 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-0-429-32070-5 (ebk)
Typeset in Bembo
by Deanta Global Publishing Services, Chennai, India
CONTENTS
List of figures x
About the cover xi
Contributors xii
Land acknowledgement xix
1 Introduction: climate justice, the Great Lakes, and the Earth 1
Patricia E. Perkins (with Martin Sers)
PART I
Fairness in public policies 13
2 Carbon cuts, not job cuts: toward a Just Transition in Canada 15
Alia Karim
3 Why ending oil and gas production in Canada is essential to
a Just Transition both at home and abroad 36
Daniel Horen Greenford
4 Should the poor pay more? Community energy planning
and energy poverty in Ontario 53
Douglas Baxter
5 Vulnerable communities and municipal climate change
policy in Toronto 58
Monica Krista de Vera
viii Contents
6 The right to remain: community-led responses to land
dispossession in the context of global and local climate injustice 71
Meagan Dellavilla
7 International advocacy for climate victims in Bangladesh 81
Nowrin Tabassum
8 Refugee sponsorship and Canada’s immigration policy in
times of climate change 95
Michaela Hynie, Prateep Kumar Nayak, Teresa Auntora Gomes,
and Ifrah Abdillahi
9 Out of credit: climate finance in the face of climate debt 108
Alicia Richins
PART II
Personal action and local activism 119
10 The fossil fuel divestment movement: a view from Toronto 121
Aaron Saad
11 I eat, therefore I’m evil: the dilemmas of applying climate
justice to food choice 131
Caitlin Bradley Morgan
12 Free food for justice 145
Sam Bliss
13 Building social capital to increase disaster resilience 158
Stephen M. Clare
14 Cultivating community resilience 166
Kelly Hamshaw and JoEllen Calderara
15 After the flood: coming together for Toronto 174
Laura Gilbert and Claire-Hélène Heese-Boutin
Contents ix
PART III
Education, consciousness-raising, and collective visions 181
16 Aamjiwnaang toxic tours and climate justice 183
Lindsay Gray (with poem by Alice Damiano)
17 The Great Lakes Commons: working with water and
adapting our movement to the Great Lakes 192
Paul Baines
18 Planting seeds for grassroots activism with youth 203
Barbara Sniderman
19 Reconciliation in the watershed: strengthening relationships
for climate justice 222
Elizabeth Lorimer
20 Climate Justice Montreal: who we are and what we do 234
Jen Gobby
21 Listen, the youth are speaking: the Youth and Climate
Justice Initiative of Western New York 246
Lynda H. Schneekloth, Rebekah A. Williams, and
Emily Dyett
22 Education reform in the struggle for climate justice 258
Gabriel Yahya Haage and Natália Britto dos Santos
23 Photographs, performance, and protest: the fight for climate
justice through art 265
Alison Adams
24 Conclusion: moving ahead for climate justice 275
Patricia E. Perkins
Action glossary 277
Suggested further reading on climate justice 282
Index 284