Perceptions of Environmental Justice in an Adult-Education Program

Abstract

Pellow’s (2018) four pillars of Critical Environmental Justice (CEJ) provided a framework to address environmental justice challenges in this study of the San Diego Urban Sustainability Coalition’s (SDUSC) Climate Ambassador Program. I used participatory action research to collect data from six participants in a key-informant interview, questionnaire, focus group and reflective journals, I found evidence of perceptions of environmental justice. I conclude that the CAP training thematically aligned with each pillar of CEJ: Equity and Intersection, Inter connected Scales of Analysis, State and Indispensability. Equity and Intersection had the most instances at 26 of 106 total instances (24.5%). Participants articulated their individual roles in climate and environmental justice within their employment, community and households and the influences the CAP had on them. Participants said that they would like the CAP to be further developed. From this study, I drew an implication that sustainability education for community learning can be applied to movements for environmental justice.