Van Jones raised some undeniable truths when he spoke in Hendricks Chapel this past week about “Green Jobs and Sustainability.” The chapel seemed to be the perfect locale as he spoke of such actions as building greater awareness and awakening in us our deepest sense of human compassion in response to countless global injustices. Jones shamelessly brought to light issues ranging from police brutality to social injustice to climate change.

What seems most powerful though was his ability to show the inherent, but often underrepresented, interconnectedness of these complex issues. Jones was bringing up issues of environmental injustice — the unequal distribution of environmental hazards. Environmental injustice affects low-income and minority communities, as well as communities of color. It also represents the lack of minority voices from getting a say in political affairs pertaining to environmental decision-making.

An example that Jones gave during his speech particularly addressed this when he spoke of the People’s Climate March that occurred just a couple of weeks prior on the streets of New York City. As he walked to find his place in the crowd, he met eyes with indigenous peoples whose sacred land was now not only historically stolen from them, but currently threatened and destroyed from pollution and larger climate threats. He also saw young people of color from the Bronx who fight the fight daily, suffering from smog and other city pollution. These issues are alive and significant and do not seem to be adequately represented by our media or political leaders.

However, another perspective was raised the night of the lecture: Jones was claimed as making “divisive” comments in regard to race. Is addressing the racial component of environmental justice issues indeed divisive? Jones himself responded to this comment with “… there is no way to get to the unity that we want without first talking about the disunity that we’ve had.”

As we learn better how best to address the sensitive balance between diversity and unity, indeed many perspectives must be embraced. One hopeful action that is being done on campus is that student leaders of various organizations are coming together to work as a team in the effort to solve some of these complex and interconnected issues.

The movement for world justice is only growing. Van Jones raised the energy around environmental injustice issues among so much more and now it’s our collective obligation to ride that wave as far as it will take us.

Erica Schwabach
Environmental Studies at SUNY-ESF
Class of 2015