"Environmental justice or eco-justice, is a social movement to address environmental injustice, which occurs when poor and marginalized communities are harmed by hazardous waste, resource extraction, and other land uses from which they do not benefit."
This topic explores the concept of environmental justice, related movements, and the need for a fair distribution of environmental benefits and risks to all communities.
History of Environmental Justice: The history of environmental justice explores the evolution of the environmental justice movement and highlights the role of social, political, and economic factors in shaping environmental policy.
Environmental Racism: Environmental racism refers to the disproportionate impact of environmental hazards on disadvantaged communities of color. This topic explores the links between structural racism and environmental injustice.
Pollution and Toxics: The impact of pollution and toxic exposure on communities is a key theme in environmental justice. This topic examines the health effects of exposure to hazardous substances and the role of industry, government, and community groups in shaping environmental policy.
Climate Change and Environmental Justice: Climate change is a pressing environmental issue that affects communities around the world. This topic considers the impact of climate change on marginalized populations and explores strategies for addressing the disparate social and environmental impacts of climate change.
Indigenous Environmental Justice: Indigenous peoples are often at the forefront of environmental justice struggles, defending their lands and waters against extractive industries and other forms of environmental degradation. This topic highlights the unique legal and social struggles facing indigenous communities as they work to protect their ecosystems and ways of life.
Food Justice: Food justice is a growing movement that seeks to address inequities in the industrial food system. This topic explores the links between food production, access, and health, and highlights the importance of community-led approaches to creating a more just and sustainable food system.
Health and Environmental Justice: Environmental health is a key issue in many environmental justice struggles. This topic explores the links between environmental exposures and health outcomes, and highlights the importance of community-based approaches to addressing health inequities.
Environmental Justice and the Law: Legal frameworks play an important role in shaping environmental policy and protecting vulnerable communities from environmental harm. This topic examines the history of environmental law, and the ways in which environmental justice advocates have used the law to challenge environmental racism and other forms of environmental injustice.
Environmental Justice and Social Movements: Social movements are a powerful force for change, and many environmental justice struggles have been led by grassroots organizations and community groups. This topic explores the history of environmental justice activism and the ways in which social movements have advanced the cause of environmental justice.
Environmental Justice and the Built Environment: The built environment plays a key role in shaping patterns of environmental exposure and access to resources. This topic explores the links between urban planning, housing, and environmental justice, and highlights the importance of community-led approaches to creating healthy and sustainable communities.
Toxic Waste Sites: Poor and marginalized communities are disproportionately exposed to hazardous waste sites and pollution, leading to health disparities and increased health risks due to toxic exposure.
Air Pollution: Racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to live in neighborhoods with high levels of air pollution, which can cause respiratory problems and other health issues.
Water Pollution: Poor communities may lack access to clean and safe drinking water due to contamination from industrial waste or agricultural runoff.
Climate Change: Global warming disproportionately affects poor communities and those in developing countries, who may experience increased natural disasters, droughts, and flooding.
Food Justice: People of color and low-income communities may not have access to healthy, affordable food due to a lack of grocery stores or farmers' markets in their neighborhoods.
Land Use and Zoning: Discriminatory land use policies have resulted in the concentration of polluting industries in low-income communities and communities of color.
Environmental Injustice in the Workplace: Low-wage workers, many of whom are people of color, are often exposed to hazardous chemicals and other pollutants in their workplaces, resulting in increased health risks.
"The movement began in the United States in the 1980s."
"It was heavily influenced by the American civil rights movement and focused on environmental racism within rich countries."
"The movement was later expanded to consider gender, international environmental injustice, and inequalities within marginalized groups."
"The movement for environmental justice has thus become more global, with some of its aims now being articulated by the United Nations. The movement overlaps with movements for Indigenous land rights and for the human right to a healthy environment."
"The goal of the environmental justice movement is to achieve agency for marginalized communities in making environmental decisions that affect their lives."
"The global environmental justice movement arises from local environmental conflicts in which environmental defenders frequently confront multi-national corporations in resource extraction or other industries."
"Local outcomes of these conflicts are increasingly influenced by trans-national environmental justice networks."
"Environmental justice scholars have produced a large interdisciplinary body of social science literature that includes contributions to political ecology, environmental law, and theories on justice and sustainability."
"Environmental injustice, which occurs when poor and marginalized communities are harmed by hazardous waste, resource extraction, and other land uses from which they do not benefit."
"The movement began in the United States in the 1980s."
"The movement was heavily influenced by the American civil rights movement and focused on environmental racism within rich countries."
"The movement was later expanded to consider gender, international environmental injustice, and inequalities within marginalized groups."
"As the movement achieved some success in rich countries, environmental burdens were shifted to the Global South (as, for example, through extractivism or the global waste trade)."
"The movement overlaps with movements for Indigenous land rights and for the human right to a healthy environment."
"The goal of the environmental justice movement is to achieve agency for marginalized communities in making environmental decisions that affect their lives."
"Local outcomes of these conflicts are increasingly influenced by trans-national environmental justice networks."
"Environmental justice scholars have produced a large interdisciplinary body of social science literature that includes contributions to political ecology, environmental law, and theories on justice and sustainability."
"Exposure to environmental harm is inequitably distributed."
"As the movement achieved some success in rich countries, environmental burdens were shifted to the Global South."