Confronting the environmental movement’s race problem with Climate Reframe
Sabrina and camping are not usually words you’ll find in the same sentence. I like being warm and having my nails done – two things I don’t think complement the hobby of camping. But when Climate Reframe offered its community a chance to go to Timber Festival, I said yes not just to leaping out of my comfort zone and into nature, but also to confronting the environmental movement’s race problem.
Sabrina with the Climate Reframers at Timber Festival.
The environmental movement’s race problem
Climate Reframe is a non-profit community which seeks to redress the under-representation of non-white people in the UK’s climate and environment movement. By and large, these movements are dominated by white people, with a 2017 study showing the climate sector to be the second least diverse at the time, with farming taking the lead.
In its heyday, the UK’s Extinction Rebellion was repeatedly called out for its failure to create an inclusive culture for people of colour (POC), as was the USA’s Sunrise Movement. This lack of diversity is quite disturbing, as it is Black and Brown communities across the world that are suffering the most from the effects of climate crisis. Having inclusive movements is essential to ensure we get solutions that are attuned to intersectionality and don’t leave anyone behind in the transition.
To address this problem, Climate Reframe has published a constantly-growing list of over 100 UK-based environmental and climate justice activists, experts and advocates from racialised minority backgrounds.
Climate Reframe taking us to Timber Festival was so much more than having a nice weekend away. A key emphasis of their work is providing POC with the opportunity to rest, convene, and find joy in nature. POC are too often underrepresented in outdoor spaces and at events such as Timber. I can’t speak for other POC, but I never went camping as a child, never really go to camping festivals and other than some long walks, I’ve never really considered the outdoors as something that could comfort me – until now.
Sabrina in her chair.
Nature and minorities in the UK
The lack of diversity in outdoor spaces today may be perplexing to those who are unaware of the reasons. However, a history rooted in discrimination plays a huge part in this. In the United States, Myron Floyd, Dean of the College of Natural Resources explains that “the underlying rational for the creation of parks was this idea of US nationalism, to promote the American identity, and the American identity was primarily white, male and young.” Similarly, Right to Roam points out that the English landscape is filled with huge estates and almost-castles from the profits of enslaving and trading African people, of West Indian Sugar plantations and East Indian colonialism.
These racist origins have contributed to many POC feeling out of place in outdoors spaces. A fascinating report by Natural England explains that POC might be discouraged from enjoying outdoors spaces due to:
Concerns about personal security, safety and harm, including anxiety about antisocial behaviour, racism and hate crime.
The ‘gentrification’ of nature spaces and the ways in which associations of nature with white, middle class leisure activities may generate senses of exclusion and anxieties about ‘not fitting in’, of ‘being stared at’ and of needing particular types of clothing, equipment and kit.
These explanations, as well as structural barriers such as transport issues and funding cuts disproportionately affecting non-white communities, has meant that in 2022, Black and Asian people visited natural settings 60% less frequently than white people in the UK. This has led to a lack of POC representation in the outdoors and nature in adverts and social media, meaning “the faces we see enjoying green spaces often don’t reflect the diversity of our communities.”
I had never thought of this before it was pointed out to me by Climate Reframe. I just thought I was a self-confessed city girl who functions best in polluted areas with big skyscrapers. But I love the outdoors (despite my frown below).
A recent study showed the whitest areas of the country enjoy an astounding 144% more local footpaths than the most ethnically diverse. Considering most of the UK’s minority communities are based in urban areas, this makes sense. But we shouldn’t see this as an obstacle to enjoying nature and the outdoors. The pandemic made many of us appreciate the outdoors just that little bit more, mainly because there was nothing else to do.
So what can we do to increase the presence of POC in these places? Well, there are already loads of incredible organisations in the UK working to do this. Here are just a few:
Climate Reframe, obvs
The stories we tell
Another way in which we can increase the representation of POC in climate and nature is simply by telling the right stories, as highlighted by Climate Reframe’s panel discussion at Timber Festival. Climate Reframers Yasmin, Dhruti, Suzanne, Leah and Cecilia all explained so eloquently just how important it is to share stories and experiences, as this human connection and understanding will drastically help with addressing the climate crisis.
Climate storytelling can help us achieve climate justice for example by decolonising prevailing climate narratives. In the West, it’s very much doom and gloom (public service announcement: the seriousness of the climate crisis should NOT be underplayed), and more solution-based discussions and optimism is needed. Stories can teach us about non-Western practices to climate change adaptation. Indigenous peoples’ knowledge systems for managing change have been recognised as important cues for addressing the climate crisis. From community-managed forests in Bangladesh to restoration of sustainable loko iʻa (fishpond systems) in Hawai’i, these practices must be passed on in stories to educate others on key tried and tested indigenous practices, which are crucial to climate action.
Storytelling can create diverse movements that model the equitable society we want to live in, So, our movements are juster, stronger and more attuned to the best outcomes, ensuring inclusivity and equity for ALL. taking a leaf (pardon the pun) out of the books of indigenous communities, storytelling can also radically reconfigure our very relationship with nature, from one of exploitation to one grounded in coexistence I’ll absolutely be going and enjoying the outdoors again (maybe not camping – I did have to leave Timber a day early due to the cold, but baby steps?!) Timber was definitely food for thought, and I urge you all to embrace Lohe Pono – the act of radical and respectful listening.
Sabrina watching the Euros in the car.
If you’re interested in learning more about Climate Reframe’s work, find out more on their website.
