While we must radically transform our economic system to move away from fossil fuels and destructive extractive practices, for this transition to occur fairly the priorities and needs of frontline communities must be centered. Communities of color, people with low incomes and many immigrant groups are most vulnerable to the health impacts of climate change. A just transition that transforms our skewed structures of wealth and power is needed for these and all communities to thrive. 

Learn about climate justice organizer Colette Pichon Battle’s vision for radical democratic climate action; the inspiring work of young climate justice activists; the call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty; and a network of lawyers working to support Black-, Brown-, and Indigenous-led frontline movements for climate justice. A just transition will take these efforts and more — and all of us contributing to and supporting these movements.

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“Let’s Get Behind the Frontlines” with Colette Pichon Battle

Award-winning lawyer and climate justice organizer Colette Pichon Battle shares her bold vision for Taproot Earth, a new bioregional frontline organizing project designed to model radical democratic climate action. She shares what inspired her to become a lawyer, how her legal work is rooted in her community and her traditions, and how the law is limited when it comes to justice. You can also watch Colette’s keynote talk at the 2024 conference here.

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Taproot Earth is Building a Just Transition Lawyering Network

Taproot Earth is building a network of lawyers working to support Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities and movements leading us toward climate justice and a just transition from an extractive to a living economy and democracy. The Just Transition Lawyering Network seeks to build power, shift resources, and engage in systemic change for climate justice and a just transition by building the infrastructure for a values-aligned community of attorneys and scholars who are committed to Black-, Brown-, and Indigenous-led frontline movements.

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Climate Justice: Youth in the Vanguard

Young activists have emerged as the most significant and impactful voices in global movements to combat climate change and demand environmental justice. In this conversation, learn from the perspectives, projects and aspirations of three outstanding young leaders. The discussion features the award-winning, globally renowned activist Alexandria Villaseñor, founder of Earth Uprising; grassroots environmental justice organizer Alexia Leclercq, recipient of the 2021 Brower Youth Award and co-founder of Start: Empowerment; and Oakland-based spoken word poet and performer Aniya Butler, a Lead Circle Member of Youth vs. Apocalypse. Callie Broaddus, Founder and Executive Director of Reserva: The Youth Land Trust, moderated the panel.

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‘Closing the Gates to Hell’: A Global Plan to Phase Out Fossil Fuels and Accelerate a Just Transition

How do we get away from coal, oil and gas, and on to the future that we want? Learn about the call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty and how an international coalition is plotting the course for a just transition to clean energy and low-carbon solutions. In this Bioneers conversation, a group of civil society, government and Indigenous leaders discuss the growing momentum for a Fossil Fuel Treaty. 

The discussion features Osprey Orielle Lake, founder and Executive Director of Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network; Eriel Deranger, founder and Executive Director of Indigenous Climate Action; climate and campaign strategist Michael Brune, Director of Larsen Lam Climate Change Foundation; Eduardo Martinez, longtime activist and current Mayor of Richmond, California; and Bryony Worthington, a key architect of the United Kingdom’s world-leading Climate Change Act and co-chair of Peers for the Planet. The discussion was moderated by Cara Pike, Senior Communication Advisor to the Fossil Fuel Treaty and founder and Executive Director of Climate Access.

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Cultivating Personal and Collective Healing with Deborah Eden Tull & Nina Simons

Embark on a profound journey with Deborah Eden Tull, engaged Buddhist teacher, spiritual activist and author; and Nina Simons, co-founder of Bioneers. This transformative retreat goes beyond conventional notions of activism and the sacred, fostering relational mindfulness, evolving leadership, and compassionate action. Join a supportive community to cultivate meaningful connections, harmonize self-care with global stewardship, and uncover newfound resilience and hope.

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Upcoming Bioneers Learning Courses 

We’re excited to announce that our new season of Bioneers Learning is online, and registration is open! You can register for our first-ever self-paced courses, along with courses covering topics such as the Rights of Nature movement, gender equity, regenerative herbalism, and sacred activism.

• MeToo to WeTogether: Transforming Gender Injustice into Beloved Community | Aug. 3 – Sept. 14 | This seven-week online course, facilitated by Gender Equity and Reconciliation International (GERI) trainers, applies principles of Truth and Reconciliation to gender and sexual injustice. 
• Indigenizing the Law: Tribal Sovereignty & the Rights of Nature | Aug. 13-Sept. 17 | This course examines the prominent cases, laws, and legal theories that make up “Federal Indian Law” while exploring the intersections between the movements for Native Sovereignty and the Rights of Nature.
• Regenerative Herbalism: The Healing Power of Plants | Sept. 18-Oct. 23 | Explore the magical realm of herbal wisdom with this 6-session online course led by renowned herbalists Penny Livingston and Rosemary Gladstar.
• The Four Sacred Gifts: Indigenous Wisdom for Modern Times | Self-Paced | Discover how the Four Sacred Gifts of forgiving the unforgivable, unity, healing, and hope in action provide us with a path to our most grounded, loving, healed, and generous selves.
• Regenerative Agriculture: Nourishing the Soil, Healing the Planet | Self-Paced | Be enlightened on the practical applications and impressive potential that regenerative agriculture has to revive healthy landscapes; contribute to human and animal health; create an equitable food system; and help heal the climate.

See the full catalog