4 - (SYM 70) The Climate and Racial Justice Scale: Associations with Race and Ethnicity, Black Lives Matter Activism and Climate Change Concerns

Background: The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has increasingly brought attention to climate change as both a global environmental crisis and human rights issue that disproportionately affects people of color. Little research has been conducted on perceptions of the intersections between climate and racial justice, and no scientifically validated scale exists.

Method: We developed and tested a Climate and Racial Justice Scale to assess perceptions of this intersection and explore associations with race and ethnicity, climate change concerns, and engagement in environmental and Black Lives Matter activism. The sample (N = 358) consisted of undergraduate (41.9%) and graduate students (52.0%) at an urban university in the Northeast. Participants were of ages 18–35 years old (M= 23.24, SD = 3.83). 74.3% were women and 30% were BIPoC. Participants filled out a demographic questionnaire, the newly developed Climate and Racial Scale, a measure of climate activism, the Yale Climate Change in American Mind survey and three items assessing involvement in the Black Lives Matter movement.

Results: A one-factor solution was supported, and internal consistency was good. 56.1% agreed that climate change and racial inequality are interconnected, 42.5% agreed climate change is not colorblind, 45% agreed climate change cannot be addressed without addressing racial inequality, 56.1% agreed that climate change will not affect all people equally, and 58.9% agreed that climate change will have worse effects on BIPoC people. BIPoC participants (M= 2.72, SD = 0.95) were significantly more concerned than White (M= 2.40, SD = 0.86) participants that climate change was harming their own health, t (315) = 3.16, p < 0.001, confidence interval [CI] [0.12–0.53], d = 0.35, and the health of family and friends, t (315) = 3.58, p < 0.001, CI [0.17–0.57], d = 0.41.There were no differences between BIPoC and White participants on the Climate Racial Justice Scale.

Discussion: The Climate and Racial Justice Scale demonstrated acceptable reliability, thereby creating a tool for researchers to expand our knowledge base on the degree to which people acknowledge these associations. This study presents perceptions of this relationship, a burgeoning area of research that aims to create awareness of the heightened risks for BIPoC people. Present preliminary findings for a measure can be expanded upon and disseminated to other populations of interest. Findings have implications for targeted education, advocacy, and policymaking.