Sharing highlights from his 2018 book, “What is Critical Environmental Justice?,” Dr. David Naguib Pellow will speak at the Ventura Unitarian Universalist Church at 5654 Ralston St. on Sunday August 26, 2018 from 11:30am to 12:30pm on the compelling case that social movements to benefit vulnerable people and environmental activism must be integrated, as the problems and the objectives of each are inextricably interconnected. Pellow argues that the battle for global sustainability cannot be won without addressing the ecological violence imposed on many human populations, thus justice for humans is inseparable from environmental protection.
Using examples such as the Black Lives Matter movement, the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and others, Pellow traces the complex power relationships that result in violence and marginalization for the many and environmental privileges for the few. He explains how hope for humanity and for the planet requires a broader understanding of environmental injustice—its causes, consequences and potential solutions and offers a framework (Critical Environmental Justice) that views “racism, ageism, speciesism and other forms of inequality as intersecting axes of domination and control.”
Pellow focuses on inequality and on environmental impacts that cross geographic boundaries and also explores the role of the state. He explains why broad involvement in the decision-making process is imperative to workable solutions—no one is expendable. A big “Aha” from listening to him is recognizing that environmental justice struggles exist within spaces of conflict and collaboration that are not always typically defined as “environmental.”
Recently featured on NPR, Dr. David Pellow is Professor of Environmental Studies and Director of the Global Environmental Justice Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara. A respected scholar, teacher, thought leader and author, Pellow helps audiences to connect the dots between social inequality and damage to ecosystems in brand new ways. His vision of what an environmentally and socially just and sustainable future might look like at a local, regional, national and global scale will leave the audience feeling hopeful.
This presentation is free and open to the public, and is sponsored by UUCV’s Adult Programs Department and Seventh Principle Environmental Action Team. More information about the Unitarian Universalist Church and its programs are available at uuventura.org.
