Dear John,

As April ushered in Earth Day celebrations nationally, CJA members shared their perspectives for a Just Transition through member stories and shared principles on social media.

In this news article, featuring CJA's board chair, an important history is shared that highlights the origins of the environmental justice movement, the subsequent climate justice movement that came from it, and its grounding in the civil rights movement. 

Enjoy our April edition of Frontline Temp Check!

President Biden issued a series of announcements, including an executive order, last week that focused on environmental justice. CJA’s response, which included recognition for the power of the environmental justice movement getting us to this point, along with concern for Biden’s continued approval of dirty energy projects, was featured in many news articles including E&E News, USA Today and Common Dreams. 

“Climate advocates who have centered environmental justice for decades on Friday said they will continue to fight 'false solutions' to the climate crisis—and expressed hope that the newly announced White House Office of Environmental Justice will usher in a new era in which President Joe Biden ends his support for fossil fuel projects.” Read the full story here.

The next day, on Earth Day, CJA members Coalfield Justice, Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, and the Institute for Policy Studies joined national coalitions in Washington, D.C. like People Vs. Fossil Fuels and others for a rally to end the era of fossil fuels. It was the largest Earth Day gathering held in the nation's capital in the last decade.

The northside of Richmond, California is a BIPOC community that like many others does not have secure food access. There is no grocery store to be found in North Richmond, instead residents must travel to other cities or towns to purchase fresh produce or other items that cannot be found at their local corner shop. Cooperation Richmond is looking to change that, as they lay the groundwork for a worker-owned grocery store in North Richmond.

Cooperation Richmond has been a force behind numerous cooperative projects, including Space LVL8 and CJA member Rich City Rides. Their vision for a North Richmond Coop entails utilizing a vacant lot that a local developer has expressed interest in working with them to build out as a community grocery store. Local residents interested in becoming worker-owners would receive paid trainings over the course of several months on not just how to run a grocery store or a business, but how to run a cooperative that is in community with local residents. Future plans could also include a youth program with Rich City Rides to deliver groceries to residents.

To make this a vision a reality, Cooperation Richmond launched its Richmond Community Grocery Cooperative Fund. Proceeds from the fund will go towards funding at least the first year of the community cooperative grocery store. Their goal is to give residents an opportunity to fully participate and invest their time and energy into becoming cooperative grocery store owners while bringing food access to their community.

“Climate justice is taking center stage. The U.N.’s latest climate summit established a loss and damage fund in response to global climate injustice. Washington is spending record-breaking amounts of money on climate, and Biden-Harris administration policies aim to steer much of it to communities already feeling the effects of climate change. Public officials are on notice that communities of color and low-income communities have suffered first and worst from climate change and the dirty energy economy, and that these same communities offer practical solutions and perspectives essential to solving the climate crisis. So why does only 1.3% of environmental philanthropic giving go to climate justice organizations?” wrote Marion Gee of CJA and Gloria Walton of The Solutions Project recently.

Read the full oped here to find out why and how philanthropy can begin to address climate justice.