Women’s and People of Color’s Roles in Environmental Activism

Despite several astronaut missions to discover new planets, it is apparent that none of those attempts have discovered another planet capable of supporting the human race and all other living things apart from Earth. It is past time for every human being to recognize that in the modern world, Earth is the only place they can call home. Humans, plants, and animals are destined to dwell on Earth for as long as it can maintain them, but if extreme measures are not done to govern the coexistence, those days may come sooner rather than later. The existence of human race solely depends on a well-protected environment where its activities synchronize with efforts of maintaining the beauty of nature and not destroying it.

Environmental summits and the urgency to address climate change. In a recent couple of the decades, there have been numerous environmental summits held by various environmental representatives from different states across the globe necessitated by the ongoing environment destruction from human activities. One of the most debilitating problems that have called for these summits is the climate change and in particular global warming. In line with the same efforts, is the growing pool of environmental activists which a group of persons who have developed a conscience towards responsible environmental activities. In particular, the environmental activists are ambassadors, advocates and practitioners of environment protection from pollution or any other destructive activity. There are myriad of problems caused by environmental destruction including inhospitable prolonged dry spells that have caused water sources to dry and consequently to maim the food and water supply for human existence. Clearly, the earth does not have the voice to advocate for its protection a pragmatic reason for this paper to explore the role of human race, in particular women and people of colour in environmental activism.

Women role in environmental activism

In the last couple of decades, the role of women in the society and their empowerment has become a global concern. Human rights groups and the women-affiliated organisation has been in the forefront of advocating the emancipation of women in the society. Nevertheless, the question that lingers is whether the women are responsible enough to earn the advocated for privileges. Women leadership and involvement in environmental activism is a pertinent parameter of determining the solution to such questions. As Mohai (2008) explains, information on gender differences in environmental activism is minuscule though women environmental activism is constrained by factors similar those in the political arena additionally those experienced by environmental activism among blacks.

Women leadership has been instrumental in environmentalism. Some of the inspiration women leadership towards environmental advocacy includes Rachel Carson through both activism and her book Silent Spring, Wangari Maathai the 2004 Nobel Laureate and a renowned Kenya political and environmental activist, and Marjory Stoneman Douglas among many others. These precedents of environmental activism have proven that women can lead in advocating for a better and sustainable environment. These women are representative of thousands of other women in small communities across the world who have to develop the same empathy and engaged in local wars against climate change and other forms of environmental conflicts. Often these women put themselves at substantial personal risk including denunciation by their societies, but they do it with great courage and passionate setting precedents for future women environmentalists (Cimons, 2016).

Governments have an important role to play in protecting the women environmental activism. Death threats and even actual killing are some of the problems that some of the environmental activists have to deal with for their steadfast dedication to protecting the vulnerable ecosystems. Some of these challenges are politically driven which explains why largely most women does not involve in political and environmental activism (Rainey & Johnson, 2009). In 2015, the Goldman Environmental Prize went to Berta Cáceres a woman from Honduras, who confronted the male-dominated Honduras governmental patriarchy and other corporations from exploiting tribal territory of the Lance people only to murder recently after a series of death threats (Cimons, 2016).

The relentless attitude among these women is what makes them “healers of the World” despite suffering the lopsided effects of climate change and life-threating opposition in their environmentalism activities. Whether it is solution-driven, change-focused or revolutionary activism, these pioneering female environmentalists been on the front line of it all despite the numerous challenges. The current breed of environmental activists has a lot to learn from these women regarding shunning the life-threating demands for the greater good of obtaining a sustainable environment for the future generation. Women in political leadership should use their influence to advocate for the environment as well as encourage and seek protection for females like Berta Cáceres. Concisely, women role in environmental activism has been dwindled by the lack of enough empowerment and support from the political divide coupled with death threats, but the future of the environment is greater that individual lives as portrayed some of the current and deceased environmental female activists.

Role of people of colour in environmental activism

The effect of the climatic change or other adverse environmental changes does not discriminate on people by race they affect everyone. The irony, though the issue of environmental activism may sound like of less priority to communities of colour they should because they are more likely to experience effects of pollution especially with a minimal supply of water and fresh foods. Velez (2013) notes that numerous studies have identified the ill health of most people of colour communities is associated with the filthy wastes that are dumped and sewage located in sites across the communities. It is important for people of colour not to overshadow themselves with the fight for equal rights at the expense of advocating for their rights. However, there have been numerous individuals of colour advocating for the environmental.

The problem of people of colour and poor environmental conditions started back when were subject to harsh working conditions. The involved of people of colour in environmental activism set foot after an increasing awareness of environmental hazards and dissatisfaction with environmental (Bullard, United Church of Christ, Mohai, Saha, & Wright, 2007). Individual people of colour have invested their resources in terms of time and money to demonstrate to their communities how they can support a sustainable environment such as Wangari Maathai and many others. However, just as they face political challenges people of colour has an almost similar problem when it comes to airing their views of on issue regarding their environment.

Though the problem is not unique to American, racial profiling in the country is not limited to police brutality and other forms of inhumane violence captured in the national media but goes much further in determining other issues like environmental policies (Goldman Environmental Foundation, 2015). Though the Environmental Justice movement has started helping other disenfranchised societies a platform to voice their concerns it not enough for them to solve the problem. The people of colour across the global have no choice other than defying the inferiority complex that been instilled their communities to claim their place in environmental activism. The leaders from these communities should align their obligation to the environment with their political and racial activism.

Conclusion

Concisely, though many women have concerns about the environment, not many have indicated steadfast environmental activism. However, those few who have pioneered their endeavours towards environmental activism have proven beyond reasonable doubt that women are indeed important players in ensuring sustainable environments. Such women should act as precedents for other women who are cowed by life-threats and inferior to rise for environmental activism. Similarly, people of colour should not wait for their white counterparts to lead the way since the environmental belongs to everyone. Most people of colour live in poor environmental condition posing threats to their health, and this makes it one more reason why they are important in advocating for the environment.

References

Bullard, R. D., United Church of Christ, Mohai, P., Saha, R., & Wright, B. (2007). Toxic wastes and race at twenty, 1987-2007: A report prepared for the United Church of Christ Justice & Witness Ministries. Cleveland, OH: United Church of Christ.

Cimons, M. (2016, March 8). Women Are The Ones Fighting The Tough Environmental Battles Around The World. Retrieved from https://thinkprogress.org/women-are-the-ones-fighting-the-tough-environmental-battles-around-the-world-ed3c3a0e09e2#.tj6db2asu

Goldman Environmental Foundation. (2015, June 14). Environmental Racism in America: An Overview of the Environmental Justice Movement and the Role of Race in Environmental Policies - Goldman Environmental Foundation : Goldman Environmental Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.goldmanprize.org/blog/environmental-racism-in-america-an-overview-of-the-environmental-justice-movement-and-the-role-of-race-in-environmental-policies/

Mohai, P. (2008). Men, women, and the environment: An examination of the gender gap in environmental concern and activism. Society & Natural Resources, 5(1), 1-19. doi:10.1080/08941929209380772

Rainey, S., & Johnson, G. (2009). Grassroots Activism: An Exploration of Women of Color’s Role in the Environmental Justice Movement. Race, Gender & Class, 16(3/4), 144-173. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/41674682

Velez, D. O. (2013, July 28). Fighting for green: People of color and environmental justice. Retrieved from http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/7/28/1226681/-Fighting-for-green-People-of-color-and-environmental-justice