There are several social justice issues that directly relate to essential climate action. First, is the fact that people in the world who are and who will continue to suffer the worst impacts are those who have the least responsibility for causing this problem. There are other issues that are local. Can you name a few?

Unless we acknowledge that the current systems are killing us, we won’t change. A fair distribution of wealth is one essential change needed in order to continue as a viable human community. Basic human rights for all are another. One of the best collections of these ideas is in the recently published The Climate Book, collated by Greta Thunberg.

All the solutions needed to reverse climate change and save us from the vilest consequences have already been discovered and/or are in advanced development. But there is no substitute for eliminating the burning of fossil fuels. We have to do exactly that and quickly. We can do it if we share the burden collectively.

Clearly we are continuing to harm Nature and extract her many gifts at a totally unsustainable rate. This must stop or be reduced rapidly at any cost. Our region is a good place to start. Without placing all the burden on any one group we have to do this. Every step counts.

This refers to all the ways that we can take carbon out of the atmosphere and put it back in the ground where it belongs. Drawdown also includes all the ways we need to avoid putting more carbon in the atmosphere. Many of these strategies are social, such as educating every woman and girl and creating a just society. The best overall book on this subject so far is called Drawdown, by Paul Hawken and his many colleagues. See drawdown.org.

Very soon, we need the complete mobilization of every level of government from local to international to respond as we did to fascism in the second world war. We must demand this from our leaders. The case for this conclusion is powerfully made in Seth Klein’s book A Good War. Get involved. Let’s make this happen.