anth 10 final

what does climate justice discourse writ large argue for

for transofmrative chnage to confront climate and inequality witrhout commodifyinf the atmosphere

ecological modernization

the idea that contradictions between capitalism and nature can be resolved by techno-managerial interventions such as the polluter pays principle and green techological innovation

downside to mobilizing capitalism to provide green equity

will benefit only a few and fails to address the precarity of the many

liberal politics of rave from which these proceduralist and distributive claims

emanate precludes a praxis based on critique and racial capitalism

what would a carbon tax do

sit within a framework that demands global north offsil fuel abolition, advocates for de-grwoth, asserts the public over the private, and offers vision of a femininst, nonracist, socialist present to be built

how does climate change make a moral appeal for a politics of relationship

calls for solidarity by white social justice groups, workers and environmental organizations with community of color organizations

how does climate justice lead activiites to focus on personal white privledge and the procedural issue of who leads

derived from a repressive understanding of power, and essentialist sense of race, and a liberal theory of change

why should we cultivate relationships with each other and the natural world

to enable co-definse as a basis from which to build solidarity, under the leadership of the frontline and prepare for a hard future

what is antiracism confired to

a focus on white people’s personal decisions yet this awareness remains largely disconnected to an agenda for societal change

shortcomings of justice movement

preference for lcoalist and NGO efforts that avoid the state and policy change

prefiguration

creation of new systems, solidarities, economies, within the old, incremental change from within, small-scale changes in practice rather than large-scale political and economic transformation

food sovereignty

local seed banks, small scale energy and irrigation systems, small-farmer cooperative and social organizations to promote both prodution and distribution, urban buyers collectives and community supported argicultural intiatives, community gardens, enhances ties between producers and consumers, promoting good working conditions and environmental stewardship, and valorizes small-scale product and traditional lifeways

seed laws

farmers are prohibited from saving and exchanging seeds, if crop is GMO or pollinated by GMO crops, saving seed is considered theft of intellectual property, 26 US states prohibit localities from passing their own laws regarding seed, farmers are often forced to become legally dependent on industrially produced seed

eco-campus and farm

10 acre teaching garden and 40 additonal acre, solar-powered farm growing organic, non-GMO, heirloom crops

pembroke farm restoration

working to restore what was the largest black farming community in the north, founded by runaway slaves in the 1860s

healthy food hub

devlivers and prescribes locally-produced healthy foods for underserved communities

skill-building and education

offers programs in sustainable agriculture and buildings, renewable energy, and resilience

solidarity economy

based on cooperation, sharing and living with enough

projects include cooperatives, publicly owned banks, participatory budgeting, and other projects that facilitate production and exchange that reinforce community and ecological sustainability

by re-embedding markets in communities and decommodifying exchange relationships

ecovillages

intentional communities that emphasize

leading from the grassroots rather than governments

valuing and practicing community living

prioritizing community self reliance for basic necessities such as food and water

nuturing a strong sense of shared vales- often chaarcterized in spiritual terms

and generating replicable models and educational experiences for others

ecovillage challenges - money

not yet accessible to all people, villagers need to work outside and inside village to pay rent and/or property taxes

ecovillage challenges - social relations

economic inequality (owners/tenants) creating hierarchy, lack of barries/private space, collective identity based on practicies and poltiics that vary among villagers

ecovillage challenges - zoning

hard to get approval for multi-family dwellings, non-standard building material, off-grid energy, animals, etc.

ecovillage challenges - diversity/equity

mostly white, middle-class participants

ecovillage challenges - self-sufficinecy

in urban settings, much materials, food, and money comes from scavenging or working outside the village; not enough space for sufficient crops/livestock

ecovillage challenges - scale

it can work for a couple dozen people, but can it work for everyone, everywhere?

ecovillage distopia

white middle class flight to suburban and rural villages leaves POC in substandard urban villages

ecological concerns used as an excuse to deny people electricity, plumbing, trash, sewage services

assumption of self-sustaining communities means no reason for welfare, food stamps, etc.

ecovillage autonomy and extreme ideology could lead to oppressive, cult-like conditions in some communities

climate justice alliance

unities 35 grassroots groups for low-income communities of color to claim leadership role in resisting harms and transforming their conditions

challenges to community resettlement

attachment to land and traditional subsistence is often part of community identity

government programs often focus on moving individuals rather than communities

communities can include tribal and non-tribal members, people who have already left, people who want to stay, and others who want to leave

many tribes like that on IDJC and Grand Bayou are not federally recognized, and other groups like vietnamese immigrants and gullah/geechee nation have no collective legal status

agreeing or considering relocation can endanger support and funding for adaptation and resilience

resettlement can be used to make way for gentrification

factors in la coastal erosion

canals build by fossil fuel companies cause erosion

levees along mississippi prevent silt from depositing to build up wetlands

over-development destroys wetlands that protect land from erosion

climate change: increased storm intensity, rising sea levels, etc.

tribal critisms of the relocation project

new community controlled by a nonprofit, not the tribe

some land is available for those who left in 2021, but leftover plots can be purchased by anyone

residents who cannot afford to pay taxes and insurance on homes will lose them

funding to build farmland, parks, and solar facility, but no money for maintenance and operation of them

narrative of tribal-led resettlement is in danger of blurring into one of public housing and dependency

those who resettle promise not to repair or develop their old homes, but other property owners can use and develop it for ecotourism

climate refugee narrative

reflects a tendency to promote future doomsday scenarios of climate change at the expense of addressing the historical processes and conditions that have produced coastal risks in the first place or the long duree of indigenous adaptation to forced displacement, land grabs, and unsustainable development

tribal leaders have also raised the concern that the attribution of this label to them

obscures recognition of their tribal sovereignty and frames them as in desperate need of saving, rather than solidarity

sustainable development and the green economy

natural environment viewed as an asset to be commodified in order to produce economic growth

new technologies will make current and increasing rates of growth and production sustainable

assumes that market-driven methods (cap-and-trade, etc.) are sufficient to control pollution and promote social justice

sustainable development = greenwashed economy?

does not address structural roots of poverty and unsustainability found in capitalism, colonial relations, nation-state structure, etc.

focuses on top-down governance and precedence of private capital without promoting local, direct democratic control, or inclusive procedures

does not recognize biophysical limits to economic growth which necessarily entails increasing material and enegry flowers

does not enable self-reliance, protect traditional cultures, or promote sustainable and accountable syste, of global governance that prioritizes human rights

non-capitlaistic economic relations

goods are exchanged to create and reinforce social and spiritual ties and profit can be stigmatized more than celebrated

unitarianism

is a factor in human decision making, but social, moral, and quality of life concerns also matter

ecological swaraj

collective autonomy, self-sufficiency, and mutual responsibility, not a unified movement but many local initiatives drawing from Gandhi’s ethics of anti-colonial local solidarity

buen vivir

“good” living based in the Quechua worldview that the Ecuadorian constitution describes as, “a new form of public coexistence, in diversity and in harmony with nature, to achieve the good way of living” in part by refusing to put a price on natural or human capital

ubuntu

“humanity” or “I am because we are” - traditional African notion of defining individuals by their communal identities that is the basis for mutual support

economy of mana

traditional Maori exchange built on wealth distribution ithat expresses interconnection of all beings

degrowth

requires substituting non-carbon-producing social benefits for ecnomic benefits which require material production

policies should focus on improving health, education, housing, and nutrition rather than increasing GDP through producing and selling things

indigenous

nature as shared “mother” spiritual reverence for nature

pro: incorporate shared indigenous ideas

con: not a concept familiar to everyone, can be alienating

scientific

preserving nature is necessary for human survival, scientific evidence for interdependence of living things

pro: empirically verifiable data

con: too much jargon, too many numbers, may alienate lesser educated or anti-intellectual

ethical

moral responsibility to future generations, and vulnerable communities and global south

pro: draws on universal human idea sof reciprocity, empathy

con: lack of awareness to produce empathy, and others have more empathy for economic problems

jurdical

humans have rights and depend on nature to fulfill them

pro: comes with legal apparatus to ban behavior and remediate harms

con: anthropocentric system and can be manipulated by moneyed interests

deep ecology

focuses on “root causes of Earth’s imbalance,” ”redesigning out whole system to align with values and methods that truly preserve the ecological and cultural diveristy of natural systems

shallow ecology

“tends to focus on short-term, surface-level changes, often promoting technological fixes”

green economy

of “payments for ecosystem services” offsets and carbon trading requires assessing the value of nature

ecofeminism

“examines feminism in relation to the

natural environment and lobbies for women’s ability to

engage with the earth, respond to, and solve ecological

crises.

• ties exploitation of women and nature together, especially through labor tied to food

• and seeks to envision ways of using this connection for empowerment instead

critiques of ecofeminism

• emphasizes gender over race and class

  • developed and advanced by mostly white, middle class women from industrialized nations

• can essentialize women by posting intrinsic feminine ties with the natural world, denying diversity of femininities

• privledges shared bodily experiences over cultural contexts

• posits an innate female ability/tendency to empathize with nature, female animals, etc.

  • can reinforce negative feminine stereotypes

eco-socialism

shares interest in decentrlaization, limiting private property, and practices of commoning with ubuntu and other indigenous ethics

democratic ecosocialism

“global economy oriented to meeting basic social needs”

• “social equality and social fairness”

• “public or socialized ownership of productive forces”

• “representative and participatory democracy

• “environmental sustainability”

• commitment to a safe climate

• national transformations as “part of a global process”

changing culture towards democratic ecosocialism

emissions taxes, social and racial justice movements

• anti-car movement

• renewable energy and green jobs

• reforestation, organic, fair trade, and sustainable agriculture

• “resistance to the capitalist culture of endless

consumption”

• anti-plastic bag, straws, styrofoam, etc. legislation

• “exploration of sustainable settlement patterns”

ecovillage distopia

white middle class flight to suburban and rural villages leaves POC in substandard urban villages

ecological concerns used as an excuse to deny people electricity, plumbing, trash, sewage services

• assumption of self-sustaining communities means no reason for welfare, food stamps, etc.

• ecovillage autonomy and extreme ideology could lead to oppressive, cult-like conditions in some communities

• state-run schemes could turn into coercive villigization and rationing of resources