Climate Change from the Streets
Dr. Michael Méndez examines the tension between technocratic, carbon-focused climate policies and grassroots environmental justice approaches in California. He introduces “climate change from the streets,” a community-based framework prioritizing equity, health, and participation, and critiques tools like cap-and-trade for neglecting frontline communities.
Learning Objectives
The learning objectives for this lecture are to:
- Understand the history of the environmental justice movement in the context of climate change
- Explore social movements and mobilization in California
- Examine the methods climate change policy can be racialized in both the Global North and South
- Understand how divergent worldviews of climate change influence the policymaking process
Dr. Michael Méndez is Assistant Professor of Environmental Policy and Planning at UC Irvine and Visiting Scientist at NCAR. His research focuses on environmental justice, climate change, and public health.
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