Macalester Roundtable

This month, from October 11th to the 13th, Macalester held its annual Roundtable event. This years focus was on the construction of race and its impacts. The issue of race is deeply connected to Sustainability. The countries and communities that contribute the most to global warming, feel the least of the effects. These countries and communities are often white and privileged. Therefore most of the people feeling the adverse effects of climate change are people of color. Landfills, trash incinerators, coal plants and toxic waste dumps are all found near communities of color. Low income communities often live in food deserts, with no access to “real food.” Communities of color have long been on the front end of the effects of climate change. Therefore the issue of climate change is largely a racial one. While this roundtable did not specifically address this intersection, it is importation to acknowledge the connection between race and climate change in sustainable work.