Environmental Justice

We are halfway through 2024, and global warming is continuing to break records, with scientists increasingly predicting that this year could surpass 2023 as the hottest year. One thing is abundantly clear: climate change is more than a potential threat—it is here.

At its core, Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon is a story of racism and environmental injustice. More than just a gripping tale of crime and corruption, the movie also serves as a parable for the climate crisis and the perils associated with the fossil fuel industry.

The Environmental Justice for All Act addresses the prevalence of toxic waste sites and heavy polluting fossil fuel infrastructure in and near communities of color and low-income communities.

Environmental injustice takes the form of gas flares only blocks away from homes, rural communities saddled with foul drinking water, and neighborhoods divided by highways.

Francisco Burgos is the executive director of Pendle Hill, a Quaker learning and conference center outside of Philadelphia. Kristen Archer spoke with him about the link between a personal relationship with the natural world and advocating for economic justice.

While growing up in the small Eastern European country of Slovenia, I took clean air and water for granted. Slovenia is one of the greenest places in Europe, with forests covering 60% of its land.

As a member of the Australian delegation to the World Bank/IMF annual meetings in 2016, I attended a meeting of small island developing states. I sat next to a delegate from a Pacific Island country and listened to a World Bank official outline their strategy for the region.

Environmental injustice takes the form of gas flares only blocks away from homes, rural communities saddled with foul drinking water, and neighborhoods divided by highways. It has a common thread—people whose needs have been disregarded living in communities whose environ-ments have been degraded.

FCNL is an ally to environmental justice communities who have long sought to bring greater awareness to this issue. We see environmental advocacy as part of our commitment to earth stewardship, equity, and justice for all.

With the historic  passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in August, a significant amount of funding has been issued for developing green technologies that are set to advance the U.S. economy.