Climate Justice Through Personal Stories

Introduction to Sharing Stories: Mary Robinson, Climate Change and Us.  Find Chapter 1 in Robinson's book and read with us.  

In Climate Justice, Mary Robinson offers stories to share and promote the injustice that climate change creates.   Her first chapter: “Understanding Climate Justice” introduces her approach of first-hand accounts of witnessing climate change. 

 In this chapter, Robinson comes to the reader humbly recognizing her own tardiness towards understanding the issue of climate change, through her own personal narrative of the birth of her grandson.  She alternates from her own sense of time to see the precarious future of our dear planet as it reflected to the next generation of inhabitants. This personal experience comes as a tangible, relatable experiences and  the following chapters will offer similar personal experiences. 

Robinson comes to the reader humbly recognizing her own tardiness

Additionally, she offers the  basic scientific verity of climate change.  She states that if we continue on our current trajectory of unbridled consumption our planet will “hit four degrees of warming by the end of this century.” Such results would be catastrophic, as “to go above 3°C or 4°C, scientists warn, will initiate a “tipping point” in our planetary system from which there will be no turning back. (pg. 6)” No turning back for us, those already affected by current levels, nor those we love who will come after us. To not be held accountable would be turning against our Christian responsibility of being stewards of creation. 

To not be held accountable would be turning against our Christian responsibility of being stewards of creation.

Robinson illustrates the dramatic impacts with these statistics,   “warming of more than 1.5°C above 1880 levels would lead to the loss of 90 percent or more of all coral reefs. An increase of 2°C would almost double current water shortages around the world and lead to a massive drop in wheat and maize harvests. (pg. 6)” This would severely increase the risk and rate of poverty globally. This rather depressing notion is the driving force behind Mary’s continued work; Mary, is  the former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.  She helped see to the promotion of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, guaranteeing these rights would be unrealistic due to climate change. Understanding human rights to raise awareness about our own responsibility from a point of humbleness and selflessness was an important emphasis.  Understanding climate change as a “people first” problem, seeing such issues affecting the “least of these,”, further emphasized a Christian perspective to be both stewards of creation and compassionate those suffering from the consequences of climate change. 

Throughout the book Mary offers a humble perspective to engage the readers to open their eyes to climate change as an injustice, and she encourages Christians to seek justice where injustices lay. Her book has done so much to clearly promote a platform for those affected and disenfranchised by climate change and giving the narrative an incredible sense of dignity by taking it from the viewpoint of those directly impacted by climate change. 

Though at times painfully dark, Mary’s hopeful message continually seeps through,

Yet, though at times painfully dark, Mary’s hopeful message continually seeps through, from the very first chapter – climate change, justice and empowerment come together to create an optimistic tone for the future. Simply, it is up to the individual to take and grow action to create a positive change and prevent any irreversible damage to the creation that is in our care.