A Just Transition for Whom? Book launch and Discussion

To avert the worst impacts of climate change, a transition away from fossil fuels is necessary. However, what this transition looks like and what would make a transition “just,” remain open questions. What workers are missing from “green” economy discussions? What role do workers play in the fight for a future without fossil fuels? How can workers and communities ensure the transition is “just”?

Join the Center for Labor and Community for a conversation with Dr. J. Mijin Cha (author of A Just Transition for All: Workers and Communities for a Carbon-Free Future, MIT Press) and Saket Soni (author of The Great Escape: A True Story of Forced Labor and Immigrant Dreams in America, Algonquin Books), moderated by Labor Notes’ Labor-Climate Organizer, Keith Brower-Brown, for a timely discussion of these questions and more.This event will bring together academics, labor organizers, and workers from across the region to think together about how to move beyond a fuel-based economy. A reception with light refreshments and book signing will be held after the discussion.

This event is free and open to the public. There will also be the option to join via live stream. RSVP Here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfCubqtuKUApy9i9T98gxUyirZjs5PEvsNeVVgIxGxTcu0Gzw/viewform

J. Mijin Cha is an assistant professor of environmental studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She is also a fellow at Cornell University's Climate Jobs Institute and a fellow at the Climate and Community Institute. Her research looks at the intersection of inequality and the climate crisis and how to advance a "just transition," where the energy transition is leveraged to advance a more just future. Dr. Cha is on the board of Greenpeace Fund and a member of the California Bar.

Saket Soni is a labor organizer and human rights strategist. He is founder and director of Resilience Force, a national initiative to transform America’s response to natural disasters by strengthening and securing America’s resilience workforce. As director, Saket crafts the organization’s advocacy and media strategy, and provides strategic counsel to social justice advocates and government officials across the country.

Keith Brower Brown (Moderator) is Labor Notes' Labor-Climate Organizer and an affiliate researcher at the UC Berkeley Labor Center. He has worked for utilities tracking renewable energy construction, organized as a United Auto Workers department steward, and holds a Ph.D. in Geography from UC Berkeley. Keith lives in Oakland, CA.