One of the most noticeable effects of climate change in the Pacific Northwest is increased incidents of extreme heat. As noted in a 2021 Seattle Times article , communities of color have more intense experiences of heat waves and other extreme weather due to climate change.
A number of groups locally and nationally are highlighting how climate change is a social justice issue disproportionately affecting the poor and communities of color. As researchers at the University of Washington note, “…since POC [people of color] and poor residents in urban areas already live in physical geographies with more existing environmental vulnerabilities, they are more likely to experience long-term disproportionate climate impacts….
Race continues to be the most significant indicator of environmental inequity, as demonstrated by the broader environmental movement: working towards environmental policies and outcomes benefiting mainly its own constituents (primarily white, upper-income communities)” (https://urban.uw.edu/news/climate-change-as-a-social-justice-issue-in-seattle/).
Additional examples of differential impacts include:
- Exacerbation of existing health disparities because of air pollution and other environmental stressors;
- “Green ceiling” and uneven economic benefits from the emerging green economy: environmental advocacy and funding groups are still predominantly white organizations that are often not connected to local communities of color, and benefits of green economy initiatives often go to already affluent white communities. (See https://diversegreen.org/research/the-challenge/)
A number of local groups are leading efforts to address climate change in the Pacific Northwest and advocating for environmental justice that addresses the intersection of environmental, economic, and racial justice issues, and there are a variety of ways to support this grass-roots work:
- “Got Green organizes for environmental, racial, and economic justice as a South Seattle-based grassroots organization led by people of color and low income people.”
- Puget Sound Sage works at the intersection of climate, economic, and social justice, with a mission to “chart a path to a living economy in the South Salish Sea and Duwamish River Valley regions by developing community power to influence, lead and govern.”
- This is a “coalition of communities of color-led groups across Washington State, whose missions and work come together at the intersection of equity, environmental and climate justice.”