As climate change impacts our lives, women, in particular, endure environmental changes.
Extreme weather events and prolonged periods of environmental change have been affecting countries globally, and over time, women are the ones supporting their families and community.
Yet, although it can feel like the sustainable choices you make every day do not matter, as a city, Edmonton failed to divert 40 percent of its waste in 2021.
Where does this waste go? As recently as January 2022, a Belgian port inspector caught five illegal recycling shipments from Canada.
This is only one of many international ports that receive illegal Canadian shipments.
Including the environmental damage to industrialized countries such as India and China, select countries like Canada rarely experience the daily toll of living in a polluted climate.
For instance, the villages in Odisha, India, are primarily women-run the home.
Men migrate to the cities for work, leaving women and children home. With the increased soil salinity, cyclones, and floods, women and children are burdened by extreme climate events.
With this in mind, there is value in increasingly including women in policy decisions to address more than just climate change.
Climate Justice
Climate justice encompasses more than just a passion for lessening the effects of climate change.
Instead, it requires a justice framework that includes ethnicity, race, economic and social class, Indigenous background, gender identity, sexual orientation, and migrant status.
For this reason, the climate crisis is a human crisis that disproportionately impacts women and children. Therefore, self-reflection at this point is essential to rationalize your impacts on the climate.
Despite moving from plastic to paper products, reducing water usage, and other minor measures, the most damage is done by governments and multinational corporations. As a result, individual changes are minimal and fail to reduce any consequences.
North American and European countries’ wealth is intentional and survives on the resources and labour of Asia, Africa, and South America.
With this in mind, most prolonged climate disasters happen outside rich countries.
In addition to the damage done, less wealthy countries may be unable to rebuild and restore their cities and towns, leading to economic insecurity and health concerns.
What to Do
Despite the government inaction and weak climate policies, one meaningful thing individuals can do is shift the burden of the climate crisis on the perpetrators and, instead, focus on supporting their community using climate justice. By organizing in your community, you are raising the collective consciousness of your community while also making your cause known to local government officials.
For this reason, climate justice groups are vital in raising awareness of climate change’s domestic and international impacts.
By moving beyond the environmental damage, climate justice provokes discussion on the different ways that individuals are impacted.
Migrant status, access and availability to health care, and social services are vital in understanding how to better adapt to environmental change.
Taking care of our communities is essential – it cannot always be delegated to the government.
With time, local movements and organizations can change how we view our neighbours and work to support one another.
Considering the increased climate disasters in Western Canada from wildfires and drought, Albertans will not be immune to climate disasters.
Thus, being well-prepared and conscious of the community you live in is vital to staying healthy and safe.
