Language
Country/Area
No result found
The Origins of Environmental Justice: Why the 1982 Protest Changed Our World
In 1982, an event occurred in Warren County, North Carolina, that became a landmark in the environmental justice movement. Local residents are protesting a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) landfill planned for their community. The protest not only awakened people to environmental injustice, but also marked the rise of the environmental justice movement, which is committed to addressing the unfair treatment suffered by poor and marginalized communities due to environmental pollution.
The environmental justice movement is a social movement that seeks to address the injustices that occur when poor or marginalized communities are harmed by hazardous waste, resource extraction, and other land uses.
Since the 1980s, the environmental justice movement has expanded to include issues such as racial, gender, and international injustice. The movement was initially strongly influenced by the American civil rights movement and focused on environmental racism in wealthy countries. As the movement achieved some success in wealthy countries, the environmental burden was shifted to the global South, becoming a global issue, and international organizations such as the United Nations began to include it in their agendas.
Definition of Environmental Justice
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defines environmental justice as:
All people should be treated fairly and fully participate in the development, enforcement and administration of environmental laws, regulations and policies, regardless of race, color, national origin or income.
This definition emphasizes the concept of “equity,” meaning that no group of people, including racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic groups, should bear a disproportionate share of the environmental burdens imposed by industry, cities, or business operations. .
Environmental justice can also be seen as environmental racism or environmental inequality, which involves not only the allocation of resources but also the fairness of how decisions are made. In addition, some scholars emphasize epistemic justice and call for recognition of oppression and differences. This suggests that environmental justice is not limited to distribution and procedural considerations, but should also include dimensions such as self-governance.
Indigenous Peoples and Environmental Justice
Concepts of environmental justice vary greatly among Indigenous communities compared to non-Indigenous communities. Their environmental justice is not only about the protection of the legal system, but also involves their unique cultural and religious beliefs. The protection of indigenous peoples’ environmental rights and their colonial history has become a key issue. Environmental justice in this colonial context recognizes diverse localities and lived experiences.
Poverty Environmentalism
Joan Martínez-Aliye’s concept of “poor environmentalism” highlights how marginalized communities in the global South are disproportionately affected by environmental degradation and the importance of incorporating their perspectives and The importance of demand.
Ecological distributional conflicts are conflicts over control of and access to natural resources and are often rooted in social and economic inequalities.
Chronic violence
In his book Chronic Violence and the Environmentalism of Poverty, author Rob Nickerson introduced the concept of “chronic violence,” a form of violence that occurs slowly and is not easily noticed, often manifesting itself in the form of climate change. and long-term impacts such as environmental pollution. This violence often cannot be quickly resolved through legislatures, but instead exacerbates the vulnerability of poor groups and social conflict.
The future of environmental justice
The study of environmental justice continues to develop, and scholars have proposed the perspective of critical environmental justice (CEJ), emphasizing that multiple inequalities are the core factors driving environmental injustice. Researchers explore the intersection of different social categories and seek to balance different interests and concerns in environmental decision-making! Can it change the way people understand environmental issues?
