Climate change is a massive issue for the current and future health of the planet and all that exists on it. Finding and catching up on news surrounding climate change is often a difficult task because of the broad range of aspects that contribute to and occur because of Earth’s changing climate. In early 2021, HERE for Climate hosted a webinar series (which was featured in the Humanist magazine Spring 2021 issue) to elaborate on some of the aspects: energy, equity, power, health, and justice.
Solutions for Food, Energy, and Water Challenges Faced by Indigenous Communities
Dr. Karletta Chief is an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist in the Department of Environmental Science at the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ. Dr. Chief is a member of a national network of Indigenous and non-Indigenous scientists focusing on climate change impacts to Indigenous peoples. Dr. Chief is Diné and originally from Black Mesa, AZ. She is a member of the Rising Voices, and Climate and Traditional Knowledges Workgroup with a focus on climate impacts to tribal waters. Two of her primary tribal projects are The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Climate Adaptation and Traditional Knowledge and The Navajo Nation Gold King Mine Spill Impacts. Read TheHumanist.com article here.
A More Equitable Future in Environment, Economy, and Energy
Dr. Jennie C. Stephens is the Director of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Northeastern University. She is also the Dean’s Professor of Sustainability Science & Policy, Director ofStrategic Research Collaborations at the Global Resilience Institute, and a member of the Executive Committee of Northeastern’s Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program. She is the author of Diversifying Power: Why We Need Antiracist, Feminist Leadership on Climate & Energy. Read TheHumanist.com article here.
Our Health and the Environment’s Health
Gloria E. Barrera, MSN, RN, PEL-CSN is a certified school nurse at a public high school outside of Chicago, and an adjunct professor of nursing at several universities. She serves on the National Board of Directors of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, and is the first Latina President of Illinois Association of School Nurses and President Elect of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses-Illinois Chapter—both strong affiliates of ANA-Illinois. She’s been engaged with ANA-Illinois by serving on the Legislative Committee and most recently as the Membership Engagement Committee. Gloria has been appointed to the IDPH Diversity in Health Care Professions Task Force as well as the Illinois Terrorism Task Force’s School Safety Committee. She represents the American Public Health Association’s Public Health Association’s (APHA) Nursing Section in the Nursing Coalition on Climate Change and Health and is an active member of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE).
Eugenia Gibbons is the Boston Director of Climate Policy at Health Care Without Harm. Her expertise includes energy efficiency, as well as equity and climate justice. For more than a decade, Eugenia has worked to build partnerships across interests and sectors to advocate for, develop, and implement state climate solutions that are sustainable, affordable, equitable, and achieve deep greenhouse gas emission reductions in New England. Eugenia previously served as Policy Director at Green Energy Consumers Alliance and Program Director with the Environmental League of Massachusetts. She holds a masters of Urban & Environmental Policy & Planning from Tufts University and is a proud alumna of the University of Connecticut. Read TheHumanist.com article here.
Where do we go from here? Solutions for the Environment
Keith Kinch serves as co-founder and General Manager at BlocPower. Keith received his undergraduate degree at John Jay College and his graduate degree at American International University. He spent eight years as a community organizer, and two years as Deputy Field Director in New York State for the Democratic National Committee under President Obama’s grassroots arm Organizing for America. In the summer of 2016 Keith led the Solarize Brownsville campaign, one of the largest solar projects in New York State history, where more than 200 homes were outfitted with solar panels. In 2017 Keith led the partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, and Department of Housing Preservation and Development on Community Retrofit NYC program to produce over 500 retrofits for 5-50 unit multi-family buildings in Con Edison’s Brooklyn Queens Demand Management zone. The project has won a national award, and was completed one year ahead of schedule.
Joelle Novey directs Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVA), through which congregations of many traditions across the region — including humanist communities — are coming together to respond to the climate crisis as a moral issue. She speaks widely across the region on the role of religious communities in the climate movement. She is grateful to participate in several independent Jewish communities, and lives with her family at Eastern Village Cohousing in South Silver Spring. Read TheHumanist.com article here.