Week 2---Abby

Readings for this week addressed many key terms and important concepts. Several of the readings discussed elements of a just transition, which is an integral concept in understanding climate justice. Just transition includes the transition to greener jobs in addition to a, “fair and equitable process of moving towards a post-carbon society” (McCauley & Heffren, 2018:2). In their article, the authors also discuss how a just transition also includes attention to other social aspects including gender and socioeconomic status, which ties the concept very closely to our course material. I think understanding this concept will be especially beneficial to our course as we continue forward.

This week’s readings also discussed natural disasters, including hurricanes and wildfires, and how these events affect people and environments. Sara Mersha’s article, “Black lives and climate justice: courage and power in defending communities and Mother Earth” mentions Hurricane Katrina and how it affected the New Orleans community, causing not only physical damage to the city but also the residual damage of capitalism (Mersha 2018:1426) in a city with an overwhelming number of low-income residents. As a local New Orleanian, I have been able to see these damages first-hand, but I think many of the residual issues are often ignored by outsiders, and  I think it's really important for more people, especially students pursuing higher education in New Orleans, like those at Tulane, to really get this.

Bibliography

McCauley, Darren and Raphael Heffron. 2018. “Just Transition: Integrating Climate, Energy and Environmental Justice.” Energy Policy.

Mersha, Sara. 2018. “Black Lives and Climate Justice: Courage and Power in Defending Communities and Mother Earth.” Third World Quarterly 1421–34.