The Research Park (Sustainability, Energy, and Environment Community building and Sustainability, Energy, and Environment Laboratories). (Courtesy of the University of Colorado Boulder)
On Nov. 9, the University of Colorado Boulder’s Climate Justice Leadership Alliance hosted Movements 101, a conversation about climate justice exploring individual roles within the movement.
Guest speaker Myrna Morales led the discussion with students and staff.
The conversation explored topics including food security, intersectionality within climate policies, restoring community and distribution of resources. Much of the discourse surrounded what CU Boulder can do to help support climate justice policies like better allocation of funding.
“There are ways we can make advancements in movements if we have the support and resources of the university,” Morales said.
Climate Justice team member Jacob Baca explained the difference between climate justice and climate change.
“Climate change in the general environmental movement is focused on stopping the degradation of the environment,” he said, “…climate justice is the perspective that you do so in a way that shows that everyone has the same access to the resources and environment and is also not disproportionately burdened by the negative impacts of environment and climate change.”
The Climate Justice Leadership Alliance focuses on education through volunteer work, informal gatherings and conferences.
A large part of the group’s work includes connecting students to other climate organizations.
“I think we generally try to launch people to other organizations and other efforts going on,” Baca said.
The Alliance has worked closely with Harvest of All First Nations, a local Indigenous-led organization that initiates projects like an annual zero-waste corn festival.
The Alliance’s theme for the semester is movements and momentum, as they connect climate work to roles and identities within social movements.
Their next event is a Climate Justice Kickback on Nov. 29. The event will bring awareness to climate initiatives at CU Boulder and encourage student involvement.
Lucas Geerts, a CU Boulder student in the Environmental Design program, recently began attending events with the Climate Justice Leadership Alliance.
“I come back to these because I really value community, and right now, I feel as a student most attached to the CU community. So I think it’s really important that CU follows my virtues and values as a student,” he said.
Contact CU Independent staff writer Greta Kerkhoff at Greta.Kerkhoff@colorado.edu.
