Climate Change Dialogue Series

"Sustainability" or Survival? Popular Responses to Global Climate Change

Spring 2015 lecture series -- University of Pittsburgh
A 5-part video dialogue series with international and local leaders of NGOs highlighting effective mobilization efforts to protect themselves from the effects of global warming and to promote climate justice. The series will identify how climate change and environmental problems disproportionately affect already-vulnerable communities, the limitations of government, UN-based, "free-market," or technological attempts to address climate change, and the resulting rise of pupular movements that promote more sustainable futures and all forms of climate and environmental justice.

Thursday, January 22
Confronting Environmental Racism: View from the Front Lines of the Climate Justice Struggle
(view recording here)
Speakers: Jacqueline Patterson, Environmental and Climate Justice Director, NAACP and Ahmina Maxey, Zero Waste Detroit
Suggested readings: 

Thursday, February 5
Global Climate Politics: Paralysis Above and Movement Below
(view recording here)
Speaker: Cindy Wiesner, Director of Grassroots Global Justice Alliance
Suggested readings:

Thursday, February 12
Putting Climate Justice into Action
(view recording here)
Speakers: Henia Belalia, National Organizer, Peaceful Uprising and Nadine Narindrankura, Diné activist fighting to defend coal impacted communities in the Black Mesa/Big Mountain Region
Suggested readings:

Thursday, February 26
Culture Against Climate Change
(view recording here)
Speaker: Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr, Hip Hop Caucus and Michael Leon Guerrero, Executive Director, Our Power Campaign
Suggested readings:

Thursday, March 26
Pittsburgh Activists for Climate Justice
Speakers: Fred Brown, Associate Director of Program Development, Kingsley Association & Larimer Green Team and Randy Francisco, Sierra Club Senior Organizing Representative, Pennsylvania - Coal to Clean Energy Campaign
Suggested readings:

Sponsored by Global Studies Center, Department of Sociology, Environmental Studies and Urban Studies. Supported by the Office of the Provost and the Year of Sustainability.