Advocacy, Action and Justice
In the video below, learn what Jews can do from Rep. Mike Levin (CA49), member of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, Rebecca Leber, climate reporter for Mother Jones and Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin, co-founder of the Maryland Campaign for Environmental Human Rights. The first 100 days of the new Administration and the 117th Congress can be a breakthrough moment for action to put us on a sustainable and just path. Sponsored by: Am Kolel Jewish Renewal Community, Beth Shalom Creation Care Task Force, Dayenu, Ekar Farms, Hazon, Higher Ground Initiative, Interfaith Power & Light, Jewish Action Team of Citizens Climate Lobby, Jewish Earth Alliance, Jewish Climate Action Network-MA, Jewish Climate Action Network-NYC, Jewish Climate Action Network-DC/MD/VA, Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, Kol Sasson Congregation, Rabbinical Assembly, Reconstructing Judaism, Religious Action Center, Or Hadash, Torah Trumps Hate.
Help move our society off of fossil fuels by advocating and acting for systemic change and justice at local, state, and national levels.
PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
COMMUNITIES RESPONDING TO EXTREME WEATHER
TAG: JUSTICE
TAG: JUSTICE
Communities Responding to Extreme Weather (CREW) is a network of local leaders building grassroots climate resilience through inclusive & hands-on education, service, and planning. They are working with JCAN-MA and other organization to equip families & communities with the resources and capacity to prepare for and respond to local climate changes equitably, sustainably, & collaboratively. Contact JCAN-MA if your organization is interested in hosting a climate intersectionality event or becoming a Climate Resiliency Hub.
DAYENU
TAG: ACTION
TAG: ACTION
DAYENU has a mission to secure a livable and sustainable world for all people for generations to come by building a multi-generational Jewish movement that confronts the climate crisis with spiritual audacity and bold political action. Dayenu partners closely with other organizations and efforts — within and beyond the Jewish community — to help bring the full strength and voice of the American Jewish community to national and global movements. We also work arm in arm with communities that are directly impacted by, and most vulnerable to, the climate crisis
ENVIRONMENTAL VOTER PROJECT
TAG: ACTION
TAG: ACTION
JCAN-MA has partnered with the Environmental Voter Project and JALSA to create the Jewish Environmental Voter Pledge. Why pledge? The Environmental Voter Project reminds people who pledge to vote in each election, and studies have shown that many environmentalists don’t vote and these simple reminders can dramatically increase someone's likelihood of voting. Sign the pledge, invite people you know to sign the pledge, or contact JCAN-MA if you’d like to help promote the Environmental Voter Project through JCAN.
JEWISH ALLIANCE FOR LAW AND SOCIAL ACTION
TAG: ADVOCACY, JUSTICE
TAG: ADVOCACY, JUSTICE
The Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action is devoted to engaging the community in promoting civil rights, protecting civil liberties and achieving social, economic, environmental, and racial justice. It has a new Environmental & Climate Justice team. Watch for updates in the JCAN-MA news, contact Lior Gross join the JALSA climate group, or contact JCAN-MA if you'd like to be a liaison between JALSA and JCAN-MA.
JEWISH EARTH ALLIANCE
TAG: ADVOCACY
TAG: ADVOCACY
Jewish Earth Alliance is a grassroots network of partner organizations that includes JCAN-MA working together to enable Jews to engage in the policy process as citizens. Each month JEA sends partner organizations an action alert. Partners mobilize individuals to write personal letters to their Members of Congress. Local volunteers in Washington, DC hand-deliver the letters and advocate for the urgent action we need on climate change. Watch for updates in the JCAN-MA news, contact the Jewish Earth Alliance directly, or contact JCAN-MA if you’d like to help promote the work of JEA through JCAN.
MASS POWER FORWARD
TAG: ADVOCACY
TAG: ADVOCACY
JCAN-MA is a member of Mass Power Forward, a statewide coalition of numerous environmental organizations that envisions an economically strong commonwealth powered by local, clean, renewable energy. Follow MPF on Facebook, watch the JCAN news for information about upcoming actions in which we will take part, or contact JCAN-MA if you'd like to join the Advocacy working group.
SUNRISE MOVEMENT
TAG: ACTION
TAG: ACTION
JCAN has been patterning with the Sunrise movement for the local climate strikes. Sunrise is building an army of young people to stop climate change, and create millions of good jobs in the process. We will unite to make climate change an urgent priority across this country, end the corrupting influence of fossil fuel executives on our politics, and elect leaders who stand up for the health and wellbeing of all people. Learn more at: www.sunrisemovement.org, follow the Boston hub of Sunrise on Facebook, watch the JCAN news, or contact JCAN-MA to join the Direct Action working group.
RESOURCES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE - RACISM, CLIMATE, PANDEMICS
- Read The Impact of Climate Change on Minorities and Indigenous People. This report is from Minority Rights Group International, a non-governmental organization working to secure the rights of ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities worldwide.
- Read Understanding COVID-19 Risks and Vulnerabilities among Black Communities in America: The Lethal Force of Syndemics Scholarly article from National Institutes of Health by academic authors explaining the syndemic we are in.
- The Mass Redistribution Fund, co-created by Ujima and other grassroots organizations, has brought together 20 community-led relief efforts to offer a one-stop option to contribute directly to frontline relief during the coronavirus crisis. Making a donation of any size is a concrete way to help. Your donation will go directly to community organizations across Massachusetts that are working to meet the needs of our neighbors who are most at risk of severe consequences in this crisis, from low-income renters facing eviction to undocumented families and people in prison.
- Environmental Racism is Real This is an Atlantic piece that references a report by EPA scientists (which is behind a firewall).
- Read COVID-19 Is Hitting Black and Poor Communities the Hardest. The viral pandemic is underscoring fault lines in access to care for those on margins.
- Taking on Racism? Don't Overlook Climate Justice from Triple Pundit on the syndemic of systemic racism and climate chaos
- Environmental Racism from the Food Empowerment Project, an organization that seeks to create a more just and sustainable world by recognizing the power of one’s food choices.
- Learn about the work of GreenRoots and Neighbor2Neighbor, two local environmental justice organizations.
- Environmental Racism as Usual During Covid-19 In Los Angeles, the skies may be bluer thanks to the Covid-19 slow-down, but the impact of environmental racism on low income people of color persists. The Laura Flanders Show. Interviews with activists.
- Black Environmentalists Talk About Climate and Anti-Racism. In the New York Times.
- 18. Anti-Oppression Meetings hosted by MCAN . On anti-oppression and the far-ranging effects of inequality and climate change. The goal of this series is to look at how environmental injustice affects the cities and towns we live in, and in the inner workings of our chapters. From 6-7pm. On June 29th, a look into each of our communities and find groups that we can stand in solidarity with and support in mitigating and ending the climate crisis. Sign up here: https://www.massclimateaction.org/june_anti_op_series.
- This short 2 minute video from 350.org powerfully articulates that climate justice is racial justice.
- White supremacy and environmental devastation. From Sierra Club.
- Who is really to blame for climate change? From the BBC. By Jocelyn Timperley. We know that climate change is caused by human activity, but pinning down exactly who is responsible is trickier than it might seem.
- “What Good is Clean Air if People Can’t Breathe?” Very powerful article in Yes Magazine and some cool art in this too.
- Equality, equity, and justice. From Reddit
- Food Justice Resources
- 4 Not-So-Easy Ways to Dismantle Racism in the Food System covers federal food policies that perpetuate racial discrimination and disenfranchisement as well as proposed legislation and actions that would help to reverse these policies.
- Just Roots has created a webpage of Equitable Food System Resources, with links to organizations advancing food sovereignty for black, brown and indigenous folks as well as ways to take action around food insecurity and more readings.
- It’s Not a Food Desert, It’s Food Apartheid: “‘Desert’ also makes us think of an empty, absolutely desolate place. But when we’re talking about these places, there is so much life and vibrancy and potential. Using that word runs the risk of preventing us from seeing all of those things.”
- Daily prompts that are part of the 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge from Food Solutions New England.
- An Annotated Bibliography on Structural Racism Present in the U.S. Food System is a list of scholarly articles and videos about racism in the food system compiled by Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems
- 4 Not-So-Easy Ways to Dismantle Racism in the Food System covers federal food policies that perpetuate racial discrimination and disenfranchisement as well as proposed legislation and actions that would help to reverse these policies.
OTHER ACTIONS AND RESOURCES
- Anti-racism 21-day challenge - Research shows that it takes 21 days of repeating a new action before it becomes a habit. Changing deep-seated unconscious bias and lack of awareness and understanding takes even longer. Current events demand of us that we change our habits, work to dismantle our own unconscious bias, and increase our awareness and understanding of systemic racism and its impact. Can you take the challenge?
- Earth Day 2020 events, videos