Tuesday, August 3, 2010: 11:30 AM-1:15 PM
415, David L Lawrence Convention Center
WK 24 - Environmental Justice Education and Community Partnerships  Addressing Global Warming and Planetary Stewardship
Environmental justice (EJ) addresses the disproportionate impact of environmental degradation on the poor, indigenous and people of color. EJ developed from the civil rights movement with involvement from faith communities, and is a common link for ecologists, local communities impacted by environmental degradation, indigenous and religious organizations. Community partners (religious, tribal and other justice organizations) have developed resources from their cultural traditions, including moral motivations to address disproportionate impacts of global climate change (GCC). Collaborative engagement between ecologists and EJ communities can contribute to effective dialog, a greater sense of planetary stewardship, and justice. Although many community groups are active opponents to urban brownfields, mountaintop removal, and impacts of industrialization on human health, many are unaware that these issues are consequences of fossil fuel use and contribute to GCC. As our understanding of the effects of industrial processes on human health and the environment increases, the need for interdisciplinary collaboration for environmental remediation and achieving global sustainability becomes more pressing. This workshop will explore initiatives that engage ecologists in local communities for EJ education, and that promote understanding of GCC. We’ll present examples of EJ community engagement from two graduate-level ecology courses, and will invite participants to identify opportunities for engaging with local communities in climate change education. We will involve local community partners, such as those involved in the Brownfields bio-blitz and the Sense of Place special session. This workshop builds on the 2009 ESA workshop on EJ education, and enhances skills for ecologists’ effective public participation for global stewardship.
Organizer:	Leanne M. Jablonski, University of Dayton
Co-organizers:	Jessica R. Miesel, University of Wisconsin-Madison Charles H. Nilon, University of Missouri Mimi E. Lam, University of British Columbia and University of New Mexico George A. Middendorf, Howard University

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See more of The 95th ESA Annual Meeting (August 1 -- 6, 2010)