Photo courtesy of Courtney Hight
These last couple of weeks, we've talked about how racial justice and the environment are connected (1) and how democracy and the right to vote are connected. (2) And this week we need to talk about the Supreme Court.
My heart broke when Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away. Her presence on the court was a powerful voice for justice and the environment. Her dissent in Shelby County v. Holder predicted a wave of voter suppression and sagely observed that gutting the 1964 Voting Rights Act "when it has worked and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet."
She also joined the majority opinion in Massachusetts v. EPA, which stated that EPA has the power and responsibility to tackle climate change, an environmental justice issue. We can't let Ruth Bader Ginsburg be replaced by someone who would destroy her legacy.
This fight isn't about a single seat on the Supreme Court, it's a fight to preserve the legacy that Justice Ginsburg, the Sierra Club, and millions across the country have worked generations for.
The courts are the backstop in the fight to tackle the climate crisis and protect clean air and water for our communities. They are also the backstop for protecting the right to vote, the right to protest, and other civil liberties we are guaranteed living in this country. Black, Indigenous, Latinx and other communities of color experience the most severe impacts of the climate crisis and pollution. These same communities are also facing massive attempts to suppress their vote and have their voices silenced. The courts are often one of the last places to seek justice.
The same corporations polluting these communities and funding voter suppression are also funding ads and lobbying to put their climate-denying nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, on the bench. Our planet and our future cannot afford a Supreme Court justice who disputes climate science. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) specifically pointed out what Big Polluters want from this Supreme Court: "Rulings that boost corporate and special interest power, limits on effective environmental and health protections, and new restrictions on minority voting -- all while protecting unlimited corporate dark money in politics."
We need your help: Send a message to your senators and tell them to do everything to prevent Trump's nominee from moving forward. Use your own words to tell them why we must protect the court to save the environment and our democracy.
References
1 - Heather Wilson, Why We Engage in Racial Justice. Oct 2, 2020.
2 - Leslie Fields, Election Protection = Environmental Protection, Oct 11, 2020.
3 - Sheldon Whitehouse, Amy Coney Barrett rose from corporations' crusade for power over the Supreme Court. Oct 14, 2020