In the midst of ongoing racism and at a time of deep division in society, the Scientists4Future NL community reaffirms its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusivity in the sciences, and in actively creating and supporting a community that reflects this commitment.
We take this moment to emphasise that “climate change will amplify existing risks and create new risks for natural and human systems. Risks are unevenly distributed and are generally greater for disadvantaged people and communities in countries at all levels of development.” We stress that racism is an institutional construct that continues to lurk within our university institutions.
“As a group consisting of white people, we can truly never begin to imagine the trauma that is endured by people of color but we do know the pain of watching those who are forced suffer it.”
“The geosciences are among the least diverse science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields in the United States, with almost 90% of doctoral degrees awarded to White people. And racial diversity in PhD-level Earth scientists has not improved over the past four decades, with faculty of colour holding only 3.8% of tenured or tenure track positions in the top 100 geoscience departments. The less diverse a field, the less welcoming it is to minorities, and the more prevalent implicit biases become. Combined with structural and social factors, the relative homogeneity in geoscience reinforces the dominant culture. As a result, women, people from sexual and gender minorities, and Black and Hispanic people all leave the field at higher rates than the average student or practitioner.”
Whilst, not being racist is a step in the right direction, it will not lead us to equality. The path towards equality is anti-racism. More work is needed to assess the impacts of climate change on minority groups living in our communities.
Petitions
We are sharing the following petitions that can be signed to call for justice on behalf of George Floyd.
- https://act.colorofchange.org/sign/justiceforfloyd_george_floyd_minneapolis
- https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/justiceforfloyd-demand-the-police-officers-who-killed-george-floyd-are-fired
- https://www.change.org/p/mayor-jacob-frey-justice-for-george-floyd
Additional resources
- Geographies of Racial Capitalism with Ruth Wilson Gilmore [YouTube, 16 mins]
- How to Decolonise everything [podcast Decolonization in Action]
- Reading list on racism and the environment [New York Times]
- Resources for learning, donating and solidarity [GDoc]