INTRODUCTION
EJA was founded in Spring 2019 by Cynthia Torres and Matthew Campa as an offshoot of the AS Environmental Affairs Board. The goal was to create a space for students of color who usually do not feel welcome in environmental organizations on campus since the environmental movement has been historically exclusive. This feeling of exclusion and the discouragement it fostered brought the founding members together to create a community that has the capacity to advocate for environmental and social justice locally, nationally, and globally and give them a voice in the policymaking processes that affect people’s livelihoods. EJA’s mission is to create a safe space for people of color, community building with other organizations, and inclusion of overlooked issues. EJA addresses the need to build and maintain meaningful relationships with those who tend to be left out of conversations about environmental justice.
EVENTS
EJA hosted numerous events throughout the year to heighten student awareness of environmental justice issues.
Mauna Kea Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT)
During fall quarter the Environmental Justice Alliance was one of the hosts with the Climate Justice Hub and the UCSB Department of Environmental Studies of a discussion about the proposed Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) on Mauna Kea volcano on the island of Hawai’i. In solidarity with the indigenous groups who have blocked the project because it is located on ground considered sacred, EJA opposes the TMT. Its construction hits close to home here at UCSB because Chancellor Yang is chair of the TMT board of governors and the University of California is a major sponsor of the project.
The TMT is an extremely large telescope. It would become the largest visible-light telescope on Mauna Kea. The telescope would significantly increase scientists’ ability to see into deep space. It should be added that the construction of the telescope is also supported by some members of Hawaii’s indigenous community because it will bring jobs and other opportunities, and because Mauna Kea is already home to several other smaller telescopes.
Halloween Climate Anxiety Discussion
In collaboration with Ecovista, the Environmental Justice Alliance hosted and facilitated “What’s Spookier Than Our Future: An Open Discussion on Climate Anxiety.” A Halloween scary theme indeed, the event focused on the spookiest topic looming in all of our lives: climate change.
Connecting the Dots: A Common Walk to Talk About What’s Common (and uncommon) in the Salinas River Valley
Co-hosting with Ecosocialist Santa Cruz, EJA joined Making Adventure Possible for All Students (MAPAS) in November on a “Connect the Dots” River walk with Professor Laurie Palmer from UC Santa Cruz. Participants exploried the contamination of the Salinas River from contaminants like pesticides and fertilizers.
EJA Co-hosts Toxic Tour in Oxnard
EJA collaborated with the Bren School’s Environmental Justice Club to host this informative tour.
Zine Workshop Co-hosted by EJA
In collaboration with the Residential Housing Association and the UCSB Library, EJA presented a workshop on how to create a zine. Specifically, students were asked to contribute pages to a group zine focused on the UCSB reads selection Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore by Elizabeth Rush. The book examines climate change and the very real threats to communities from sea level rise that is now inevitable, but can be mitigated if communities and the federal government act now.
THIS YEAR’S BOARD MEMBERS
