Take Action: Academics Address Climate Change « It\’s Getting Hot In Here

So I am back in Vancouver and I miss Kenya terribly.

Some of you know that I have spent perhaps an unhealthy amount of time pondering my future as an academic. I came to academia to be an activist and have been, time and again, overwhelmed by the elitism and hierarchy of the ivory tower. That being said, there are people actively chipping away at the tower.

This morning I got an email about a new environmental justice initiative called “JustEarth” coming out of the Status of Women committee of the Canadian Sociology Association. They have established a web site with information as well as a place for people to sign the Declaration.

The web site address is http://www.justearth.net/declaration/index.aspx

Please take the time to visit the site and to sign the declaration if you agree with what it says. If you disagree with something, I am sure that those involved are keen to hear your input. In fact, they are actively looking for feedback on what you think of the site and also further initiatives we can undertake to help bring about the needed changes.

Also, I think it is important to note that Dr. Lynn McDonald, the founder of the initiative, has expressed to me through personal correspondence that “[y]oung people are crucial–it’s your world we are wrecking.”

Don’t we know it!

SIGN AWAY, YOUNG CLIMATEERS!

http://www.justearth.net/declaration/index.aspx

About Jessica

I have a confession to make. . . I am a food-a-holic. I love food and revels in all of its attendant processes. I came to food research and activism through a melding of environmental and human rights concerns. I have spent the last few years undertaking social research on various aspects of the Canadian food system from both a farming and policy perspective. The goal of my activities is to support the creation of a just and sustainable food system and society. Since my return to British Columbia in 2004, I have been an active member of the BC Food Systems Network (www.fooddemocracy.org) and I am currently sitting on its Board of Directors. I also coordinate the Community Outreach Team of FarmFolk/CityFolk (www.ffcf.bc.ca). I try to always be mindful of the need for integrated approaches to research and activism . This awareness led to me to examine the impact of environmental and climate change on food systems, and to seek community-based solutions to addressing these problems. In my "spare time," I work on my MA thesis at the University of Victoria which examines the relationship between egg marketing and inspection systems and small-scale producers in British Columbia. I am committed to sharing my passion for healthy lifestyles, healthy communities, community engagement and youth empowerment (and sushi). My areas of interest include: Agriculture & Food Security; Citizenship & Belonging; Climate Change; Fair Trade; Intellectual Property; Labour Rights; Literacy and; Neocolonialism & Imperialism

1 Response to “Take Action: Academics Address Climate Change”

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1 steve Apr 9th, 2007 at 1:06 am

any thoughts on the productivity or effectiveness of working on behalf of a community instead of a large city or nation. Should we activists invest our energy on the large scale changes that can heal the earth in the desperate ways it needs to be. Or should we work on creating sustainable communities, that have a much greater chance of survivng the calamities of this century? Should we work for realistic change on small scales, or for holisitic world change on a larger scale? Is there a balance between this too poles which is possible?

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It\’s Getting Hot In Here