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You don’t have to work in the environmental sector or study environmental science to be a climate activist. In fact, the climate movement is strengthened by diversity of knowledge, experience, and connections, and thrives with activists from all disciplines. But for post-secondary students, their program of study can become the sole focus of their attention. Especially in programs that allow little room for elective courses, students may feel they don’t have the time or space to expand their views on the climate crisis.
In an effort to create space for students to engage with the concepts of sustainability in a supportive, low-pressure setting, the Office of Sustainability at Ontario Tech University organized its first Sustainability Book Club. Isabel Savransky, who coordinated the book club, realized that students who are only tangentially exposed to discussions of sustainability often haven’t engaged with certain aspects of the field, especially environmental justice and environmental racism. So, for the inaugural Sustainability Book Club, she chose Ingrid R.D. Waldron’s book There’s Something In The Water: Environmental Racism in Indigenous & Black Communities.
Using Nova Scotia as a case study, Waldron describes how colonialism, racism, neoliberalism, and capitalism have impacted the life, land, and health of Indigenous and Black communities. For students just being introduced to the concept of environmental racism, it’s a clear illustration of how the impacts of climate change and environmental harm are never equally divided. Not only that, but the book also demonstrates how systems of oppression never stand alone: they intersect to influence how our society treats people and the land.
Supported by The Youth Harbour, the Sustainability Book Club provided 40 books to interested students, and a few staff and faculty members. They held two discussion sessions, and author Ingrid R.D. Waldron even virtually attended the second meeting to answer questions from participants. After the sessions finished, participants also expressed interest in a screening of the documentary based off of the book, showing their continued willingness to engage with the topic. There’s also interest to continue the book club with new sub-topics to continue to expand understandings of sustainability.
For a school like Ontario Tech, where most students are enrolled in science and technology-based programs, it’s incredibly meaningful to open the door to learning about the social impacts of climate change. Expanding how we provide sustainability and climate change education is vital for the movement to grow both in strength and number. Certain avenues, like university programs and classes, are obviously important – but if we want to continue to bring more people into the movement, and extend concepts of climate justice into other disciplines, we have to get creative and develop new ways to engage people that are lower-commitment and more accessible. The Sustainability Book Club is a perfect example of how to invite more young people into the conversation in a way that’s accessible, engaging, and expansive.