Environmental Justice:
Linking Public And Environmental Health
By Jennifer Dowdell, with Nicole Stern and Amelia Greiner
It would be negligent to address the links between ecological health and human well-being without mentioning environmental justice. Environmental justice is defined as the equal distribution of environmental benefits and harms, and the meaningful involvement of all peoples, regardless of race, income or socio-economic status in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and politics.
The birth of the environmental justice movement is often attributed to the widely reported outcry over the placement of a toxic waste landfill in a poor, minority community in Warren County, NC in 1982. In the years that followed, two key documents helped to define the issue and shape the path forward: Toxic Waste and Race in the United States was published in 1987 and the Principles of Environmental Justice were adopted in 1991.
At their core, environmental injustices tend to be the results of poverty and its attendant problems: few resources to address health issues, lack of political engagement or clout, scientific illiteracy, and poorly organized communities. Addressing environmental justice concerns helps to minimize and prevent vulnerable populations from being disproportionately burdened by environmental hazards, pollution, and their localized health effects. In his book, Ecological Democracy, renowned landscape architect and sociologist Randy Hester explains that "as citizens participate in the day-to-day aspects of city design subtle questions of equity arise: Who has information? Who does and does not understand and have access to local government agencies? Who typically participates in the design process and who doesn't? Who lacks power to influence decisions that affect locality?"
In 1994, President Bill Clinton signed an Executive Order that focused federal attention on the environmental and human health conditions of minority and low-income populations. The Order directed federal agencies to develop environmental justice strategies to help address disproportionately high human health or environmental effects of agency programs on minority and low-income populations.
As evidenced by the Toxic Waste and Race at Twenty: 1987-2007 report, environmental justice problems are far from resolved. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, disparities became apparent in communities across the Gulf Coast. At-risk communities located near waste disposal sites, oil refineries, failing levees, and in extremely low-lying areas were affected in huge numbers, shining light on a history of injustices.
In recent years, efforts have expanded to include sustainability and climate change concerns, the management of wilderness and wetland areas, environmental issues in indoor living environments, urban habitats, and Native American reservations. Such efforts help to reframe and refine the problems, offering opportunities to advance environmental literacy, and recognize the scale of the issue and the potential need for additional efforts to address the harm. With environmental justice comes healthier neighborhoods and healthier ecosystems, which in turn benefit the broader community.
References and more resources and information about environmental justice can be found in the Resources section of Leaf Litter.
