Climate Justice: An Urgent Global Issue - Paper Example

Introduction

The concern of climate justice has continued to spike as an international and regional issue because of its severe consequences that hit the majority of individuals. Conventionally, climate justice considers the various causes of climate change, such as global warming as a political-related aspect, instead of environmental or political matter (Schlosberg, and Collins 366). So, by fostering on climate justice, it implies that different organizations and groups decide to base their interest on the extremely hazardous areas like the Tijuana region, especially where the most vulnerable people are exposed to the effects of rising warmer temperatures. Centralizing measures within these areas or populations makes it more straightforward to gradually reduce or eradicate the increasing rates of climate inequalities (Terry 10). The philosophy of climate justice is that everyone deserves to the in the same state in terms of readiness and ability to fight the effects of climate, instead of having minorities being severely exposed. This research aims to identify and evaluate the various organizations and groups in the Tijuana border region that facilitate the idea of climate justice. The evaluation will also state their effectiveness based on their working policies, guidelines, and frameworks that help them see that they achieve their stated objectives.

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There are various organizations and groups in the San Diego Tijuana border working to control climate injustice. These include: The Environmental Health Coalition (EHC), which operates in both of the two cities, San Diego and Tijuana; and the San Diego Urban Sustainability Coalition (SDUSC) which typically covers most of the inland valleys of California and the San Diego/Tijuana border region (Hirt).

Environmental Health Coalition (EHC)

EHC was launched in the year 1980 by two personalities known as Takvorian and Pettina. Besides its two developers, it also has another 19 staff individuals. The members were selected from various communities. Out of the 19, four are from Del Mar, three are from El Cajon, while the rest are distributed across the border regions in Tijuana. It implies that EHC is composed of members from different races, and social status. Therefore, it ultimately qualifies to fight against climate injustice, because the structure of its leadership provides light for its effectiveness and fairness (Hirt). Since its launch, the organization has been in existence and has outstandingly worked to create a just environment by reducing the population of the most vulnerable groups to effects of climate variations. EHC specifically operates within San Diego in the Tijuana border region. This body's primary objective was to create social, economic, and environmental justice, as a strategy of fighting inequality in the region. More specifically, EHC targets the people of color, or race (Carruthers). Minor races are examples of the Tijuana border region population that is believed to have a significant impact on climate change. Studies were done by Carruthers to evaluate the effectiveness of this statement, validated that a majority of Mexican Americans were poor, hence became more subjected to the consequences brought by climate change (560). EHC intends to create an economic and social and environmental balanced ground for people within the border so that these minorities are not extremely affected.

For instance, EHC established a program known as Project New Village, to help identify and address the concerns of the most affected areas (Saldana 35). Del Mar is one such community that has substantially benefited from the activities by Project New Village. As they strive to fight climate injustice, Project New Village under the umbrella of EHC supports poor neighborhoods by enhancing the food supply chain. Scientists and climatologists believe that poor dietary plans trigger the possibility of getting affected by diseases like heart problems, which are a result of rising temperatures (Saldana 32). Without proper and effective dietary plans, people's body becomes weak and eventually more susceptible to climate change effects. In the Tijuana border region, poverty as a variable is directly proportional to the minor racial groups. EHC aims at eradicating the poverty, by putting more focus on the poor communities, typically those that are occupied by the Mexican Americans (Hirt). The California Environmental justice has supported it with financial aid and other facilities to help reach the community's deepest roots. So far, the organization has not experienced opposition, perhaps, due to its straightforwardness in the fight against climate injustice.

Another strategy that EHC is implementing is to boost the health sectors to reduce the cost of treatment or medications. According to Hirt, this plan will help in seeing that everybody is granted an equal opportunity for medication without considering factors such as social status. For example, the organization supports health research and development in schools within the communities within San Diego. It has also supported various health facilities with incentives to help in reducing the cost of treatments. Promoting healthcare for all initiatives ensures that everyone who contracts heart-related problems because of warmer temperatures is treated early. Nevertheless, the most important projection is that after EHC addresses the issues of food insecurity and high costs of healthcare treatment, the people will not be engaged in various human activities that increase region temperatures (Price). However, people will not be exposed to the effects, even if the region's temperatures continue to surge. Creating a platform where everyone is safe and secure from the effects posed by climate is what is referred to as climate justice.

San Diego Urban Sustainability Coalition (SDUSC)

SDUDC was officially founded in the year 2000, to address systematic inequality, that saw some communities not presented in the San Diego national governance team (Gallagher-Geurtsen). Tijuana is part of the region in San Diego; hence it was found necessary to create a body that would ensure that every community in the border region is represented. During the organization's establishment, the assumption was that a town or city could not develop without a representative, as other leaders would naturally struggle for their regions. Studies done by Gallagher-Geurtsen postulated that the marginalized communities such as Del Mar were not part of the San Diego service delivery plan in 1999. They were perceived as a less fortunate category with an infinite contribution to the region's development. For that reason, SSUSC created opportunities for the Mexican Americans in the region, who were poor, and hence more vulnerable to climate change.

To promote climate justice, the organization targets at improving the quality of life for people residing in the Southern regions of the San Diego, Tijuana border region. It also targets ensuring that there is a green environment in the Southeast communities and cities in the border region. The southeast communities form a vital part of the poor regions (Pratt-Dannals). For instance, it has neighborhoods such as Sherman Heights, Long Heights, and Mountain View, where about 57% of the population survives below San Diego's per capita (Hernández 40). In 2012, it was awarded $125,000 to assist the climatologists in promoting the green city agenda (Pratt-Dannals). The organization implements a green-city policy framework to ensure that all Southeast cities of the Tijuana border region remain clean and green at all times. Creating a green environment helps prevent greenhouse effects as the temperature beneath the earth's surface is controlled at manageable levels. It also provides education for individuals in the community on the needs of having a green environment and the benefits that it would create, especially in controlling the challenges posed by the imminent climate variations.

Since the founding of this organization, representatives have been selected from all communities in the Southeast of the Tijuana border region. Besides, the stipulative funds gained from the Californian and San Diego's government have all been put in place effectively, to support the climate ambassadors in the region, in the process of normalizing the curve. Therefore, they have been supported, for being honest, and promoting equity among the minority in delivering services, including the training facilities. No complaints have been raised for the company; instead, it has received numerous annual awards and applause from the national and international groups.

Evaluation of the Efforts to Achieve Climate Justice

Ideally, it is imperative that the two organizations EHC and SDUSC, have put in place stringent policies and plans to help in promoting climate justice. One of the essential elements of these policies is to address the causes of climate injustice. According to Schlosberg and Collins, the best solution to any problem is engaging in a practice that guarantees no repeat of the same problem. Following this concept, SDUSC focuses partially on addressing food insecurity but prioritizes the aspect of creating a natural green environment, which will concurrently limit the effects of climate change in the future. Notably, the strategic approach in one of the best approaches because people are motivated to reduce their human activities on eliminating the green environment. But to ensure that this policy succeeds, the organization addresses for insecurity problem by providing foodstuffs to poor people in the Tijuana region. However, there is a need for the organization to collaborate with other organs or regions in Tijuana in promoting the green-policy agenda, because their efforts will not contextualize when a section of the region is still subjected to climatic changes.

Similar to the EHC, its plans and strategies are exemplary. The organization believes in economic, social, and environmental justice. Its broader view of the challenge puts it a higher likelihood of ripping from their efforts come 2030. Still, they need to collaborate with other organizations such as the SDUSC to ensure that the entire Tijuana border region is stable and equal. Leveraging the health standards of people in the most vulnerable communities, like in the areas with Mexican Americans, and other areas with high rates of poverty will help the two organizations realize the 2030 visions of having Tijuana border region, where everyone is subjected equally to the same extent of climate changes. Everyone can equally respond to the challenges for survival devoid of an individual's color, race, and social status.

Works Cited

Carruthers, David V. "The Globalization of Environmental Justice: Lessons from the US-Mexico Border/Tijuana." Society and Natural Resources, vol 27, no. 1, 2008, pp. 556-568, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08941920701648812

Gallagher-Geurtsen, Tricia. "San Diego’s Struggle for Ethnic Studies: The Value for All of Democratizing Education on Climate," vol 35, no. 3, 1999, pp. 223-475, https://www.academia.edu/download/54670499/San_Diegos_Struggle_for_Ethnic_Studies__The_Value_for_All_of_Democratizing_Education.pdf

Hernández, Laura E., and Anne Podolsky. "San Diego Unified School District for Climatology Studies," (2019), https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/sites/default/files/product-files/Positive_Outliers_Qualitative_CS_San_Diego_REPORT.pdf

Hirt, Christina M. "Environmental Social Activism in the San Diego-Tijuana Transborder Region." (2015), https://digital.sandiego.edu/honors_theses/2/