Environmental Justice
Equality Within our Environmental Space
An issue facing many people around the globe is environmental justice. According to the EPA, environmental justice is “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies,” (source 2). Although this is the goal, reality reflects that communities around the United States and worldwide are far from obtaining this objective. Many communities, therefore, are experiencing environmental injustice. Therefore, it is our duty as a member of society to stay educated, connected, and active with the environmental justice movement in order to promote progress and change and ultimately promote overall equality. This issue is significant because environmental disparities and inequalities are a global problem, affecting people, cultures, and communities. The causes of environmental justice are complex but not limited to “intentional neglect, the alleged need for a receptacle for pollutants in urban areas, and a lack of institutional power and low land values of people of color,” (source 9).This problem occurs where people have less of a say, and corporations take advantage of vulnerable populations. This has been happening for a long time and continues to occur in a greater magnitude. As the world is more densely populated, companies have more opportunities for invasive and greedy projects. Cities are divided; in wealthier communities, there are more green spaces and opportunities to shop and buy healthy food. These are just some examples of how inequality is perpetuated throughout communities around the world. (source 8) The short-term effects impact the population and the current environment. Long term effects include devastating and irreversible damage to Earth. People deal with health issues and unsightly damage, but solutions and change can occur at this phase. These policies continue to exacerbate racial, cultural, and economic differences. These long-term effects, if not worked on, now will be permanent and threatening. This is evident through the following infographics which represent air quality disparities within minority communities in different cities. Air quality is just one example of environmental racsim endured by minorities.
Background:
The fight for environmental justice requires that “no group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, governmental and commercial operations or policies,” (source 2).The movement was “started by individuals, primarily people of color, who sought to address the inequality of environmental protection in their communities,” (source 2). The civil rights movements brought attention to the disparity in living conditions endured by minorities. Notable events date back to the ’60s with Ceasar Chavaz’s fight for workplace rights in California’s farmlands, African American students in ’67 who opposed “a city garbage dump in their community that had claimed the lives of two children,” (source 7), and in ’68 there was another demonstration in West Harlem in New York city for sewage treatment plant placement. The first movement that “garnered widespread national attention,” was in Warren County North Carolina where the people ultimately lost the battle against a landfill being built in their community that harbored “6,000 truckloads of soil laced with toxic PCBs,” Federal government policy was finally enacted during the Clinton administration when the President signed Executive Order 12898 in 1994. The order required “federal agencies to identify and address disproportionately high adverse health or environmental effects of their policies or programs on low-income people and people of color,” and it mandated “federal agencies to look for ways to prevent discrimination by race, color or national origin in any federally funded programs dealing with health or the environment”. (source 7). Reference NPR’s podcast Living Downstream, where researches discuss the history of enviormental justice and current events. (source 20)
(Refer to episode New Growth in the Birthplace of Environmental Justice where analysts discuss the origins of the enviormental justice movement — source 20)
Significance & difficulties:
This issue is significant because the burden is now on large companies that need to provide solutions for groups that desperately need it. The injustice of environmental inequality leaves longlasting irreparable damage to communities who live in or near in an environment where care and stewardship have been disregarded. Minorities and low-income people and their neighborhoods are negatively impacted. All of those that have no voice in rules and regulations are affected. They are affected due to “intentional neglect, the alleged need for a receptacle for pollutants in urban areas, and a lack of institutional power and low land values of people of color,” (source 9). They are affected by landscape changes, noise pollution, sound pollution, and the obnoxious smells produced from industrial pollution, sewage, and garbage. This is evident through just one example of research that shows that “people of color are exposed to greater amounts of nitrogen dioxide pollution on average than white people,” (source 11). Their health and quality of life are devastatingly impacted. This problem is hard to solve because of the complexity of regulation and enforcement and identifying the problem within each community. The difficulty of the problem lies within the diversity of the community and the environment, each community requires different aid in terms of environmental justice.
Solutions and Stakeholders:
The projected outcome for solutions would be community involvement, fair government legislation, and proactive leadership. Industries and government entities should implement environmentally friendly methods of producing energy, transportation, sustainable housing, and more. Current environmental justice solutions include input from non-governmental groups and movements, the continuous representation of the environmental justice platform, and its goals to provide justice within all aspects of our environment. Current solutions also include active groups requesting COVID-19 relief and money to support communities’ health. Other existing solutions include to criticize and stop Trump’s administration attempts of weakening the National Environmental Policy Act, and the platform continues to urge lawmakers “to center national climate policies on advancing racial, economic, and environmental justice.” (source 13). There are many stakeholders in the issue of environmental justice. Among these are government policymakers, companies, shareholders, movement organizations, community members affected, and future generations. For example, grassroots organizations are united, and they are coming together more often. Now they are more noticed than ever before. They fight for everyone’s environmental equality and hope to make progressive legislation and real change. The Austin Sierra club is one of “America’s oldest and largest environmental organizations.” Their purpose is “to practice and promote the responsible use of the earth’s ecosystems and resources” and “to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment.” (source 14). This is the primary purpose of most grassroots organizations. Other stakeholders include policymakers and government legislation. For example, Kamala Harris’ proposed the Environmental Justice for All Act. This legislation’s goal is “to achieve health equity and climate justice for all, particularly underserved communities and communities of color. (source 15) Harris is just one out of many politicians and lawmakers who have joined the fight in environmental justice. Votes and change are at stake to these legislation makers, as they join the fight for environmental justice. Future generations also hold a stake in this issue as they reap the continuous struggle’s lasting consequences. Youth awareness, activeness, and education are essential to promote and protect this critical cause. Future generations will be served by this generation’s guardianship of our environment and world.
Getting local: the fight in East Austin
People Organized in Defense of Earth and her Resources, PODER, is an environmental justice organization formed in East Austin. PODER was formed by East Austin residents who “lived with the burden of inappropriate land use and zoning which placed Austin minorities next to toxic plants” (source 16). This organization attained success in relocating a fuel tank storage facility that had been admitting toxic chemicals for over 35 years. This group had established an ordinance to protect residents from future industrial pollution. This is just one example of the many things that this group has accomplished.
My role in environmental Justice:
Environmental justice is essential to me because I am an active participant in community cleanups, and as a person who has lived in Austin for so long, I have seen the disparities within my local scope. As someone who lives in a city that is still geographically racially divided by an interstate, I am aware of the disparities and inequalities within this divide. My goal is to garner true change in the way we are treating the environment. Therefore I think it starts with environmental justice and equality within the system, people, and communities. Also, my father is the Director of Consumer Service Protection for the Texas Department of Agriculture within the state of Texas. He licenses and regulates pest control practices and legislation to protect consumers and the environment. I have attended several of his presentations and read documents from the EPA that make me acutely aware of examples of environmental injustice within the community. I continue to remain sensitive to my environment and the issue at hand by continuously delving into different communities that relay the reality of the consequences of environmental justice. I continue to try to encompass a writing style that is not just for the scientific community but also for the everyday interested public.
Works cited
(1) Cabrera, Yvette. “Here Are the Environmental Justice Stories to Watch in 2020.” Grist, Grist, 14 Jan. 2020, grist.org/justice/six-environmental-justice-developments-to-watch-in-2020/. Accessed 20 Sept 2020.
(2) “Environmental Justice.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 9 July 2020, www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice. Accessed 20 Sept 2020.
(3) Newkirk, Vann R. “Environmental Racism Is Real, According to Trump’s EPA.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 28 Feb. 2018, www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/02/the-trump-administration-finds-that-environmental-racism-is-real/554315/. Accessed 20 Sept 2020.
(4) Richmond, Naomi. “How to Move Beyond Environmental Justice as a Trend.” Conservation Law Foundation, Conservation Law Foundation, 16 Sept. 2020, www.clf.org/blog/how-to-move-beyond-environmental-justice-as-a-trend/.Accessed 20 Sept 2020.
(5) University of Pittsburgh. “Environmental justice issues.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 29 May 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190529113059.htm>. Accessed 20 Sept 2020.
(6) Mullin, Rick. “The Rise of Environmental Justice.” Chemical & Engineering News, American Chemical Society, 2 Sept. 2020, cen.acs.org/environment/pollution/rise-environmental-justice/98/i32. Accessed 20 Sept 2020.
(7) March 17, 2016 Renee Skelton Vernice Miller. “The Environmental Justice Movement.” NRDC, Natural Resources Defense Council, 28 Aug. 2020, www.nrdc.org/stories/environmental-justice-movement.Accessed 20 Sept 2020.
(8) “Environmental Justice.” Environmental Justice — an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics, Science Direct, 2019, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/environmental-justice. Accessed 20 Sept 2020.
(9) “Environmental Justice & Environmental Racism.” Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice, GreenAction, greenaction.org/what-is-environmental-justice/. Accessed 20 Sept 2020.
(10) “A Brief History of Environmental Justice.” ProPublica, YouTube, 4 Aug. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=30xLg2HHg8Q. Accessed 20 Sept 2020.
(11) Lurie, Julia. “This Is How Racist Your Air Is.” Mother Jones, Mother Jones, 28 Apr. 2014, www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/04/air-pollution-racial-disparities/. Accessed 20 Sept 2020.
(12) “Environmental Justice, Explained.” Grist, YouTube , 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=30&v=dREtXUij6_c&feature=emb_title. Accessed 20 Sept 2020.
(13) National Crises Highlight the Need for Climate Solutions Addressing Racial, Economic and Environmental Justice. (2020, July 28). Retrieved October 05, 2020, from https://earthjustice.org/news/press/2020/national-crises-highlight-the-need-for-climate-solutions-addressing-racial-economic-and-environmental-justice
(14) “Environmental Groups — General Purpose.” Austin Environmental Directory, Austin Environmental Directory, 2019, www.environmentaldirectory.info/environmental-groups/.
(15) “Harris, Booker, Duckworth Introduce Comprehensive Legislation to Help Achieve Environmental Justice for All.” U.S. Senator Kamala Harris of California, KAMALA D. HARRIS U.S. Senator for California, 30 July 2020, www.harris.senate.gov/news/press-releases/harris-booker-duckworth-introduce-comprehensive-legislation-to-help-achieve-environmental-justice-for-all.
(16) Cortez-Neavel, Beth. Harris, Booker, Duckworth Introduce Comprehensive Legislation to Help Achieve Environmental Justice for All. 30 July 2020, www.harris.senate.gov/news/press-releases/harris-booker-duckworth-introduce-comprehensive-legislation-to-help-achieve-environmental-justice-for-all.
(17) Mock, Brentin. How Environmental Justice Fared in 2014 — and the Outlook for 2015. 6 Dec. 2018, grist.org/politics/how-environmental-justice-fared-in-2014-and-the-outlook-for-2015/.
(18) Lurie, Julia. “This Is How Racist Your Air Is.” Mother Jones, Mother Jones, 28 Apr. 2014, www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/04/air-pollution-racial-disparities/.
(19) NRDC, Flix. What Is Environmental Justice? 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIu-AfQ0cBM&feature=youtu.be. Accessed 2020.
(20) “Living Downstream.” NPR, NPR, 2019, www.npr.org/podcasts/655974992/living-downstream.
