Pandemics, Climate Change, and Social and Racial Justice

Abstract

In the current political climate, debates about COVID-19 and about climate change have pitted denialists against those who accept the realities of science and its ability to study, explain, and solve these problems. But while science can provide information about the physical realities of pandemics and climate change, it doesn’t address the political, social, and economic causes of these crises. Chomsky argues that science is not enough; we need to explore how the very same social and economic structures that entrench inequality are also at the root of both emerging pandemics like COVID-19 and of the climate crisis we are facing. This presentation was part of the Contemporary Issues Faculty Lecture Series and was co-sponsored by the Earth Day Planning Committee.