A New Perspective on Climate Change

It would be easy to tell you that I became a climate change warrior because it is the right thing to do; because those that have little are suffering the most, and because I want to preserve the marvelous natural wonders I have been so fortunate to see and hope to continue to see during my lifetime for future generations. Those statements would all be true, but what really moved me to act was my maternal instinct. My need to protect and enrich the lives of those that depend on us to do so.  

The moment I knew I had to get more involved was when I watched a news story of a mother holding a child who was sick and limp after years of drinking contaminated water. I had seen too many of those news stories and learned the stories of too many people who are sick because of what has been done to our environment. To me, fighting climate change became synonymous with fighting for others to be able to live as full and long a life as possible.  

It was the next logical focus in my advocacy work in health care that was born from my professional and personal life experiences. I started recycling more carefully, tried to stop using plastics that were not really being repurposed, joined our temple’s Green Team, made a pledge to the Meatless Mondays Campaign, and switched to bags and totes that could be used many times before sending them to an organization that found them a second life. I was making a difference and hoped that by modeling good behavior, I could convince others to do the same. Collectively, we could make a greater impact.

The next logical step in my climate change journey was education. I hoped that if I could bring the climate change issue to more individuals in a way that would open up their minds and stir their passion, that if others could see how easy it was to do something positive, they would get involved as well. As I set out doing research to frame an educational program for others, it was my own eyes that were opened and my passion expanded into advocacy. My journey led me from an article in Earth.org by Tristan Bove that introduced me to ecofeminism, which led me to the work being done at the UN regarding the unequal effects of climate change on women, which led me to a game-changing Ted Talk by Katharine Wilkinson. She says:

“There are two powerful phenomena unfolding on earth: the rise of global warming and the rise of women and girls. The link between them is often overlooked, but gender equity is a key answer to our planetary challenge. Awareness is growing that climate impacts hit women and girls hardest, given existing vulnerabilities. If we gain ground on gender equity, we also gain ground on addressing global warming.”  

Her words had a profound impact on me and have shaped how I could best focus my energy by advocating for climate change through a gendered lens.  Her words also shaped the reason I believe so deeply that this become an advocacy platform for WRJ.  

Why?

• Because we are Jewish. According to Yale Climate Connections, “Judaism is founded on the basis of an agrarian society” as evidenced by many of our holidays are agricultural celebrations. In Genesis, humans are put into the Garden of Eden to take responsibility for the Earth’s protection, its wellbeing. Hava Tirosh-Samuelson, a professor at the Center for Jewish Studies at Arizona State University said, “the concept is founded on the conviction that the way humans till the Earth relates to moral integrity; lose their moral compass, and humans will harm the Earth, themselves and their society.”
• Because we are women, non-binary or gender fluid. It is now widely accepted that climate change is not gender neutral. The same societal inequalities that effect women and marginalized communities across various sectors such as lower pay, access to and bias in education and job hiring, disparities in agriculture, lower access to and research funding for healthcare, access to resources, vulnerability to gender-based violence, and, mobility are exacerbated by climate change. Gender bias also excludes women from decision-making roles, including incorporating their unique perspectives into climate policies, strategies, and financing options. This is ironic. According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, “As workers, farmers, consumers, producers and household managers, women are key agents of change in implementing climate resilient pathways. Better integration of women and marginalized groups into decision-making at all levels would help improve climate mitigation and adaptation policies.” Working toward gender neutrality in climate change will break down barriers of inequality across all sectors. We bring this gendered lens to the table and help ensure all our voices are heard.

So now our work begins. As a member of the Climate Steering Team, I hope we can get you excited about the possibilities of what we can do on our own and collectively. I again recall Katharine Wilkinson’s words that were so empowering to me: “if we gain ground on gender equity, we also gain ground on addressing global warming,” and vice versa. We are making so many positive strides in our gender equity work. Adding climate change will only deepen our impact. Won’t you join us?