Let Justice Roll Down Lesson Seven
Lesson Seven: Economic Climate Justice
Scripture: Deuteronomy 15:7–11; Matthew 26:11; Mark 14:7; John 12:8
Economic Climate Justice
The environmental justice movement has inspired quite a bit of new vocabulary, shorthand descriptions for new ideas and realities. One of these is “just transition,” which aims to ensure that nobody is left behind as we shift to a low carbon economy.
Since the world’s economies must stop producing what endangers us—most immediately coal, oil and gas in all their forms—jobs in these industries are inevitably changing and even disappearing. Workers can face unwelcome closures requiring retraining or even relocation, disrupting families. Such changes can in the long run benefit the workers themselves—for instance, protecting from cancer and black lung disease. But in the short run, without forethought, the transition to a lower carbon economy can hurt families already disadvantaged by generations of exploitation, isolation and poverty.
The Just Transition Fund, for example, connects communities recovering from coal mine and coal-fired power plant closures with funding for redevelopment. Some locales face not only direct job losses, with less than half the number of Americans working in coal than did even thirteen years ago. Indirect job losses like the failure of small businesses in coal towns have driven many young people to move away. Loss of tax revenues from fossil fuels drives reductions in government services. The Just Transition Fund is one of several organizations offering tools to promote economic diversification, redevelop workforces, and expand infrastructure such as broadband access. They help coal-impacted communities seek available federal funding. They also advocate for solutions.
For example, some former coalmining sites in Mingo County in far southwestern West Virginia are being developed into an airport, a wood-product industrial park, a golf course and a possible hemp farm. Seeing the handwriting on the wall for their coal-fired power plant, the town of Becker, Minnesota, planned ahead and attracted new businesses years before the plant was due to close.
The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which stimulates green growth in the U.S., contains special provisions for “energy communities,” that is, communities where major employment or tax revenue comes from dirty power or where a coal mine or power plant has closed. Families, nonprofits, congregations and businesses there can receive a 10 percent tax credit bonus for energy conservation or renewable energy. That, on top of the 30 percent tax credits that are now available to churches, can enable a congregation struggling with utility bills to survive economically. And when a congregation employs workers to install solar panels or electric heat pumps, this too helps their local economy.
Many of you who are studying together live in or close to areas affected by declining fossil fuels and rising renewables. In these neighborhoods it is tempting to take sides, play the blame game, or ignore the disruption some are facing. A more constructive approach can be to inquire what is happening in the local area and consider roles your church might play. In addition to stimulating the economy and helping ourselves by taking advantage of opportunities available through the Inflation Reduction Act, how can we help? How can we open our doors to entrepreneurs seeking to replace wages with more creative income streams? How can we advocate locally for fair earnings? Might we use some of our land for a community garden to make healthy foods more abundant?
On an international scale, as Lesson 7 describes, countries that have historically contributed the least to greenhouse gas emissions often suffer the harshest consequences of global temperature rise and climatic disruption. Unless we want to alienate the rest of the planet, this is not the moment for the U.S. to take an “America First” approach. Recognizing that past pledges were simply insufficient, participants in the COP 29 UN Climate Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, this past November agreed to “triple finance to developing countries, protecting lives and livelihoods.” Calling this agreement “an insurance policy for humanity,” Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change warned that “like any insurance policy—it only works—if premiums are paid in full, and on time. Promises must be kept, to protect billions of lives.”
At a moment when world temperatures have reached levels unseen in human history and are on track to continue rising, the future of the U.S. government’s efforts are uncertain. President Donald Trump withdrew from the Paris Climate Accord in his first term and promises to do so again. This does not mean states, cities, businesses, nonprofits, congregations and families will shut down our efforts toward climate healing. After all, five times more Americans now believe climate change is happening than do not believe it, and the momentum toward climate healing is gaining strength.
Patricia K. Tull
Author of the 2024–2025 PW/Horizons Bible study, Let Justice Roll Down: God’s Call to Care for Neighbors and All Creation.
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This blog is the seventh in a series of nine blogs.
Let Justice Roll Down is the Presbyterian Women in the PC(USA), Inc. Bible study for 2024-2025. Go to presbyterianwomen.org/bible-study/justice to find more resources and purchase Let Justice Roll Down to study along with us. Call 800/533-4371 or order online.
