Mother Earth Journal picked up an Indian Country Today story about a federal report on climate change and the Swinomish Climate Change Initiative:
Tribes are on the forefront of climate change, in respect to both degree of impacts and in initial efforts to respond to adaptation, said Ed Knight, Senior Planner and Project Coordinator for the Swinomish Tribe.
“By the same token, many if not most tribes are not major contributors to the problems given the comparative lack of economic and industrial development relative to non-tribal localities, and in many cases due to more rural and isolated locations, so there is a significant environmental justice issue there.” For these reasons, Knight said, tribes need to have a seat at the table in this national effort, since they can contribute unique perspectives from their lengthy and rich heritage and their particular circumstances, and as a segment of society most impacted.