"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."
The study of the social and political movements that aim to address environmental racism and promote environmental justice.
Environmental justice movement history: This is a broad topic that encompasses the history of environmental justice activism in the United States, including key events and figures that have shaped the movement's development.
Environmentalism and social justice: The intersection of environmental issues, politics, and societal inequalities is a crucial aspect of environmental justice activism, and understanding this intersection is essential for effective engagement in the movement.
Environmental racism: Environmental justice activism focuses heavily on addressing the disproportionate impact of environmental hazards and pollution on marginalized communities, particularly communities of color. This topic highlights the role of race and racism in environmental policy making and environmental outcomes.
Environmental health disparities: Environmental factors can have a significant impact on human health, and vulnerable populations are often disproportionately affected. This topic delves into the relationship between environmental conditions and health outcomes, particularly in marginalized communities.
Environmental policy and regulation: Understanding the existing policies and regulations around environmental issues is critical for identifying opportunities for advocacy and action.
Environmental advocacy and organizing: Successful environmental justice activism often requires collaboration and strategic organizing. This topic covers the various ways activists can participate in advocacy efforts, including grassroots organizing, lobbying, and media campaigns.
Climate justice: Climate change is a pressing environmental issue that has significant implications for societal inequalities. Climate justice focuses on addressing the disproportionate impact of climate change on vulnerable populations and advocating for equitable climate policy.
Community engagement and leadership: Meaningful community engagement is a critical aspect of effective environmental justice activism. This topic explores strategies for engaging and empowering community members to take leadership roles in environmental justice campaigns.
Environmental education and communication: Educating others and communicating effectively about environmental issues is essential for building awareness and support for environmental justice causes.
Intersectionality: The concept of intersectionality recognizes that people’s lives and experiences are shaped by the intersection of various social identities, including race, gender, class, and more. Understanding the intersectionality of environmental issues is crucial for building a more inclusive and effective environmental justice movement.
Grassroots organizing: This involves community-led efforts to call attention to and address environmental injustices, often working in collaboration with other organizations and advocates.
Legal advocacy: Nonprofits, legal teams or other groups may bring lawsuits or file grievances on behalf of individuals or groups impacted by environmental racism.
Policy advocacy: Activists work to influence laws, regulations and other policies related to environmental health and social justice.
Direct action: This encompasses a range of activist tactics, such as civil disobedience, trespassing, sit-ins, occupying public spaces and more.
Artistic expression: Music, visual arts, and performance art have all been used to create awareness of environmental justice issues and bring attention to affected communities.
Public education/awareness campaigns: Environmental justice activists strive to educate the public and raise awareness about the systemic nature of environmental injustice, often through social media and public awareness campaigns.
Collaborative partnerships: Environmental justice activists work with a range of groups and organizations, including environmental groups, community groups, and organizations focused on social justice.
Environmental health research: Researchers may examine how environmental toxins and pollution disproportionately impact vulnerable or marginalized communities, and develop recommendations for policy changes, sustainable practices, and community action.
Environmental journalism: Environmental journalists investigate and report on environmental justice issues across the globe, including documenting the experiences of individuals and communities affected by environmental racism.
Economic development: Activists work to promote sustainable, equitable economic development in affected communities, with a focus on creating green jobs and promoting eco-friendly practices.
"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."