When Disaster Strikes, Demand Climate Justice

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When Disaster Strikes, Demand Climate Justice
CLIMATE CHANGEFOSSIL FUELSDISASTERS
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Climate disasters are becoming more frequent and severe, driven by the climate emergency caused by fossil fuels. Activists play a crucial role in connecting these disasters to their root cause and demanding accountability from the fossil fuel industry.

Flames from the Palisades Fire burn a gas station on January 7, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images)\For the destruction of Asheville? The devastation of Acapulco? If you listen to the mainstream media, you would get the impression that no one is truly responsible. These are framed as tragic but random events– acts of nature without clear cause or accountability.

Even if articles do mention climate change, which they tend to bury toward the end, they won’t tell you the people and companies who caused these disasters in order to enrich themselves. And if you listen to right-wingers, you will getBut here’s the truth: These mega-disasters are caused by the climate emergency, which has been caused by fossil fuels. The fossil fuel industry has raked in obscene profits for decades, while\Imagine this: As fires rage through the city, a group of climate activists non-violently occupy the California State House in Sacramento. Or LA City Hall. Or Marathon Oil’s refinery in Los Angeles County. They would demand that fossil fuel companies would be covered on front pages across the globe, shifting the narrative from passive victimhood to active accountability. This is an opportunity that the climate movement has yet to fully seize.\The climate emergency is accelerating, and so is the frequency and scale of disasters. When these disasters occur, the eyes of the country and sometimes the world focus on the crisis and its fallout. This could be a tremendous learning opportunity for the public about the dangers of the climate emergency, but the media obscures the true cause of these events. While truthful headlines would report along the lines of, “The Climate Emergency Strikes Again,” the media continues to largely report these disasters as anomalous weather events. Activists have a unique role to play in these moments. By connecting fossil fuels to the damage we’re seeing — floods, fires, hurricanes — they can elevate the conversation and force the public to reckon with the reality of the climate emergency. Activists can also call for proactive policies: investments in renewable energy, phasing out fossil fuels, and sustainable rebuilding efforts. The demand, which New York State just passed after facing pressure from the New York climate movement, offers a compelling framework for justice in the wake of climate disasters. With millions or even billions of dollars in damage, justice demands that the culprits — fossil fuel companies who have knowingly warmed the atmosphere for decades — foot the bill. \Disasters are opportunities to shape long-term policy change. Disasters create a unique moment when the public and politicians are more open to new ideas and transformative policy changes. Naomi Klein argued for the unique political opportunities that disasters open up in her 2007 book, This Changes Everything. Activists can use this moment to demand not only immediate relief but also policies that challenge the fossil fuel industry’s grip on power.\We are dedicated to supporting the nonviolent disruptive activists who are pushing these important conversations forward, through raising money and making grants. We saw an example of how climate protest can determine the narrative around climate disaster by accident — we supported a protest of Burning Man. The protest wasn’t terribly successfulBurning Man flooded and became a mud pit. Stories about the disaster, which were quite widespread, harkened back to or were even\What Happened With California's Water Supply During the Wildfires? In moments of crisis, we must demand that climate change be treated not just as an afterthought, but as the root cause of the disaster. It’s time to stop focusing exclusively on short-term relief and rebuilding the status-quo and start building towards a fossil-free, climate-resilient future. So when disaster strikes — as it will more and more in the coming years, first, make sure you and your loved ones are safe. Second, see if there is anyone in your immediate vicinity who needs your help. And third, join, or plan, a protest that shifts the narrative. Let’s make it clear: These are not random catastrophes — they are the consequences of the fossil-fueled climate emergency. And we can and must hold the culprits accountable

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CLIMATE CHANGE FOSSIL FUELS DISASTERS ACCOUNTABILITY JUSTICE

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