About Us

“When we remove any species from its habitat or disrupt any of its neighbors…we may be dooming that species to extinction….”

— Edward C. Fritz, Realms of Beauty: The Wildnerness Areas of East Texas

Climate Justice Texas was created to spark dialogue among young people and transform it into actionable hope for the future in our East Texas communities and beyond.

The world now is facing challenges like never before: rising sea levels, global warming, and increased storms have pushed the topic of “climate change” to the forefront of global dialogue. However, in Southeast and East Texas, this dialogue is nowhere to be found!

Here in Southeast Texas, where we are based, we are home to the two largest oil refineries, the largest LNG (liquid natural gas / methane gas) buildout, and two of the most important military ports in the United States. Even though this area and its communities are especially vulnerable to environmental issues and are the center of dialogue on the energy transition elsewhere, we are often fundamentally left out of the process that directly impacts our own lives.

East Texas is also a largely-unknown ecological treasure trove: Our region is the second most biodiverse place on the planet — second only to the Amazon Rainforest in terms of how many special plants, insects, fungi, and animals we have. As such, conservation is also very dear to our hearts!

Ultimately, at Climate Justice Texas, we hope to empower ourselves and our friends to better understand local and global climate and conservation issues to become better-informed leaders for tomorrow.

Membership FAQs

  • Our main CJT cohort is made up of 18-35 yr olds, but we are community-inclusive and everyone is welcome to join! Members or attendees under 18 may have to have a parent or guardian with them or sign a release form, depending on the event.

  • Yes! Totally free.

  • We are based in Beaumont, Texas, but we host events in and around Jefferson County, Hardin County, and Tyler County. We hope to expand in the future to include more parts of Texas :)

  • You might sometimes hear our team members refer to Climate Justice Texas as its acronym “CJT.” This is just because it’s easier!

Location & Land Acknowledgement

 

We are based in Jefferson County, Texas but also explore and grow the natural beauty in surrounding counties like Hardin, Tyler, and Orange Counties.

Native Land Acknowledgement: Coast

We give grace and gratitude to the Karankawa and Atakapa-Ishak tribes, who previously flourished along the coastline. Read more about them here and here.

Native Land Acknowledgement:
Piney Woods

We give grace and gratitude to the Alabama-Coushatta tribe, which calls the forested land of the Big Thicket their home. Read more about them here.