10.1 Environmental Justice and Inequality

Environmental justice addresses the unequal distribution of environmental burdens across communities. It aims to ensure all people have equal protection from environmental hazards and access to decision-making processes, regardless of race or income.

Marginalized communities often face disproportionate environmental risks. These include higher exposure to air pollution, water contamination, and toxic waste sites, leading to increased health problems and vulnerability to climate change effects.

Understanding Environmental Justice and Inequality

Concept of environmental justice

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  Improving Grassroots Equity in Forests and Climate Change Context: A Training Manual | RECOFTC View original

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  Movements put G20 governments and central banks on notice: 'We need a truly just recovery' | 350 ... View original

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  Improving Grassroots Equity in Forests and Climate Change Context: A Training Manual | RECOFTC View original

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Top images from around the web for Concept of environmental justice

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  Movements put G20 governments and central banks on notice: 'We need a truly just recovery' | 350 ... View original

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• 

  Improving Grassroots Equity in Forests and Climate Change Context: A Training Manual | RECOFTC View original

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  Anthropology and Climate Change – The Cultural Courier View original

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  Movements put G20 governments and central banks on notice: 'We need a truly just recovery' | 350 ... View original

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  Improving Grassroots Equity in Forests and Climate Change Context: A Training Manual | RECOFTC View original

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• Environmental justice ensures equal protection from environmental and health hazards and equal access to decision-making processes for all people
• Addresses unequal distribution of environmental burdens and promotes fair treatment regardless of race, color, or income
• Ensures sustainable development and resource management
• Key principles include distributive justice (fair distribution of environmental benefits and burdens), procedural justice (inclusive decision-making), and recognition justice (acknowledging diverse perspectives and experiences)
• Emerged in the 1980s as a grassroots movement responding to disproportionate placement of hazardous facilities in minority communities (Warren County, North Carolina)

Impacts on marginalized communities

• Environmental hazards disproportionately affect low-income neighborhoods, communities of color, and indigenous populations
• Air pollution, water contamination, toxic waste sites, and industrial facilities concentrate in these areas
• Results in higher rates of respiratory diseases (asthma), increased cancer risk, limited access to clean water and sanitation
• Greater vulnerability to climate change effects (heat waves, flooding)
• Factors contributing include residential segregation, lack of political power, limited resources for advocacy and legal action

Analyzing and Addressing Environmental Inequality

Socioeconomic status vs environmental risks

• Socioeconomic factors influencing exposure include income levels, education, occupation, housing quality and location
• Low socioeconomic status correlates with increased environmental risks
• Proximity to polluting industries, limited access to green spaces, higher likelihood of living in flood-prone areas
• Environmental risk factors include indoor air pollution, lead exposure, lack of access to healthy food options (food deserts)
• Health outcomes show higher rates of asthma and other respiratory illnesses, increased prevalence of chronic diseases (diabetes), lower life expectancy in environmentally burdened areas

Strategies for environmental equality

• Policy approaches implement environmental regulations with equity considerations, zoning laws to prevent concentration of polluting industries, green infrastructure investments in underserved communities
• Community engagement fosters participatory decision-making processes, capacity building for local environmental advocacy, collaboration between communities and scientific experts
• Legal strategies utilize environmental justice lawsuits, civil rights laws to address environmental discrimination
• Economic measures promote green job creation in disadvantaged communities, incentives for clean energy adoption in low-income areas (solar panel programs)
• Education and awareness programs enhance environmental health literacy, integrate environmental justice into school curricula
• Monitoring and assessment tools include environmental justice mapping (EJScreen), health impact assessments for new developments
• International efforts incorporate environmental justice in global climate agreements (Paris Agreement), support developing nations in addressing environmental challenges