Climate justice, commons, and degrowth

Abstract

Economic inequality reduces the political space for addressing climate change, by producing fear-based populism. Only when the safety, social status, and livelihoods of all members of society are assured will voluntary, democratic decisions be possible to reverse climate change and fairly mitigate its effects. Socio-environmental and climate justice, commoning, and decolonization are pre-conditions for participatory, responsible governance that both signals and assists the development of equitable socio-political systems. Degrowth movements, when they explicitly prioritize equity, can help to focus activism for climate justice and sustainable livelihoods.This paper overviews the theoretical grounding for these arguments, drawing from the work of ecofeminist and Indigenous writers. Indigenous (and also ecofeminist) praxis is grounded in activists' leadership for commoning and resistance to extraction, the fossil fuel economy, and commodified property rights. These movements are building a politics of decolonization, respect, solidarity, and hope rather than xenophobia and despair."The world is in the midst of a change in thinking about economic and social policy in general, and environmental policy in particular. Climate change is showing that the world depends upon a common pool resource, the atmosphere. Other common pool resources, such as fresh water and forests, are also important. Simply put, the world is discovering that people depend upon these common pool resources more than they be-lieved… How should people organize themselves when they depend upon a common pool resource? We need to study examples of peoples who have developed complex and productive systems using a common pool resource as the fundamental source of wealth."

Contextualizing climate justice activism: Knowledge, emotions, motivations, and actions among climate strikers in six cities

“…Recent research on environmental activism centres on "climate justice": the recognition that the impacts of climate change disproportionately impact the most vulnerable, marginalised, and least resilient populations in society (Perkins, 2019). This frames climate change as an ethical and a political matter (Caney, 2014), linking climate justice with human rights and human-centric approaches to development that safeguards the rights of the most vulnerable while sharing the burdens and benefits of climate change equitably (Mary Robinson Foundation, 2019).…”

Sustainability Education for the Future? Challenges and Implications for Education and Pedagogy in the 21st Century

“…Although sustainable development talks about the eradication of poverty and hunger as well as good quality of life for all, it avoids questioning the viability of the capitalist economy within natural limits, rhythms, and laws; it rather assumes that continuous economic growth is a desirable goal [38][39][40]. Marcuse with his treatise on the "one-dimensional man" [41]-individuals with an economistic logic and a technological rationality-analyzed and criticized modern societies.…”

Breastfeeding and Climate Change: Overlapping Vulnerabilities and Integrating Responses

“…Ecofeminism recognizes the gendered nature of ecological issues and has been employed by other fields focused on women and children’s health and advocacy (Bell et al, 2019). Ecofeminist perspectives have addressed theories of climate change, colonialism, gender, and a host of other issues which shape the contours of breastfeeding; this allows us to place breastfeeding advocacy in the context of other fights to prioritize people over profit (Perkins, 2019). Thus, we are also advocating for other grassroots struggles, including climate justice and anti-colonialism.…”