🌍Gender and Global Politics Unit 10 – Environmental Justice & Identity Politics

Key Concepts and Definitions

• Environmental justice addresses the disproportionate environmental risks and impacts faced by marginalized communities (low-income, communities of color, indigenous peoples)
• Environmental racism refers to the systemic and institutionalized discrimination that exposes these communities to greater environmental hazards and denies them equal access to decision-making processes
  • Includes the placement of toxic waste sites, polluting industries, and other environmental hazards in or near marginalized communities
• Environmental equity seeks fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies
• Distributive justice focuses on the equitable distribution of environmental benefits and burdens across different communities and populations
• Procedural justice emphasizes the importance of inclusive, transparent, and participatory decision-making processes in environmental matters
• Corrective justice aims to rectify past and ongoing environmental injustices through remediation, compensation, and restoration efforts
• Climate justice recognizes the disproportionate impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities and advocates for equitable solutions that prioritize their needs and rights

Historical Context and Origins

• Environmental justice movement emerged in the United States in the 1980s as a response to the disproportionate environmental burdens faced by communities of color and low-income populations
• Grew out of the civil rights movement and the recognition that environmental issues are deeply intertwined with social, economic, and racial justice concerns
• Key events and milestones include the Warren County PCB Landfill protests in North Carolina (1982), which sparked national attention to environmental racism
• The United Church of Christ's Commission for Racial Justice released a groundbreaking report titled "Toxic Wastes and Race in the United States" (1987), documenting the correlation between race and the location of hazardous waste sites
• The First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit (1991) brought together activists and leaders from across the country to develop the Principles of Environmental Justice
• Executive Order 12898 (1994) signed by President Clinton, directing federal agencies to address environmental justice in their programs, policies, and activities
• Subsequent decades have seen the growth and diversification of the environmental justice movement, encompassing a wide range of issues and communities worldwide

Intersectionality in Environmental Justice

• Intersectionality recognizes that individuals' experiences of environmental injustice are shaped by the intersection of multiple social identities and systems of oppression (race, class, gender, ability, etc.)
• Environmental justice issues often disproportionately affect women, particularly in the Global South, due to gendered divisions of labor, resource access, and decision-making power
  • Women are often responsible for tasks such as water collection, agriculture, and household management, which are directly impacted by environmental degradation
• Indigenous communities face unique environmental justice challenges related to land rights, cultural preservation, and the exploitation of their traditional territories by extractive industries
• Low-income communities and communities of color are more likely to live in areas with poor air and water quality, limited access to green spaces, and greater exposure to climate change impacts
• Disability justice intersects with environmental justice, as disabled individuals may be more vulnerable to environmental hazards and face barriers in accessing resources and participating in decision-making processes
• Recognizing intersectionality is crucial for developing inclusive, equitable, and effective solutions to environmental justice issues that address the diverse needs and experiences of affected communities

Case Studies and Real-World Examples

• Flint, Michigan water crisis (2014-present) exposed thousands of residents, predominantly African American and low-income, to lead-contaminated drinking water due to cost-cutting measures and government negligence
• Cancer Alley in Louisiana, an 85-mile stretch along the Mississippi River, is home to numerous petrochemical plants and refineries, resulting in high rates of cancer and respiratory illnesses among the predominantly Black communities living nearby
• The Dakota Access Pipeline protests at Standing Rock (2016-2017) brought together indigenous tribes and allies to resist the construction of an oil pipeline threatening the water supply and sacred sites of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
• The Ogoni people's struggle against Shell in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, where decades of oil exploitation have led to widespread environmental degradation, human rights abuses, and community displacement
• The Navajo Nation's ongoing fight against uranium mining and its legacy of contamination, which has caused high rates of cancer, birth defects, and other health problems among Navajo communities
• The Cerro de Pasco mine in Peru, one of the world's largest open-pit mines, has caused severe air and water pollution, impacting the health and livelihoods of nearby indigenous communities
• The Maldives, a low-lying island nation in the Indian Ocean, faces an existential threat from rising sea levels caused by climate change, disproportionately affecting its vulnerable coastal communities

Policy Frameworks and Legal Aspects

• The Principles of Environmental Justice (1991) serve as a foundational document for the environmental justice movement, outlining 17 principles that affirm the right to a safe, healthy, and sustainable environment for all
• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance, providing a legal basis for environmental justice claims
• The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires federal agencies to assess the environmental and social impacts of proposed actions, including consideration of environmental justice concerns
• Executive Order 12898 (1994) directs federal agencies to identify and address disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of their programs, policies, and activities on minority and low-income populations
• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has an Office of Environmental Justice, which works to integrate environmental justice considerations into the agency's programs and policies
• International human rights law, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, recognizes the right to a healthy environment as a fundamental human right
• The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) affirms the rights of indigenous peoples to their lands, territories, and resources, as well as their right to free, prior, and informed consent in matters affecting them
• The Paris Agreement on climate change (2015) acknowledges the importance of climate justice and the need to respect, promote, and consider the rights of indigenous peoples, local communities, and vulnerable populations in climate action

Activism and Social Movements

• Grassroots organizing and community-led activism are at the heart of the environmental justice movement, empowering affected communities to advocate for their rights and demand change
• Tactics include protests, demonstrations, boycotts, legal action, media campaigns, and community-based participatory research to document environmental injustices and propose solutions
• The First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit (1991) brought together activists and leaders from across the United States to develop a common vision and strategy for the environmental justice movement
• The Environmental Justice Network (EJnet) is a global alliance of organizations and individuals working to promote environmental justice through information sharing, solidarity, and collective action
• The Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN) is a network of indigenous peoples and organizations in North America, working to address environmental and economic justice issues affecting indigenous communities
• The Climate Justice Alliance (CJA) is a collaborative of over 70 community-based and movement support organizations, uniting frontline communities to forge a scalable, and socio-economically just transition away from unsustainable energy
• Youth-led movements, such as the Sunrise Movement and Fridays for Future, have played a significant role in advocating for bold climate action and centering the voices of young people and marginalized communities in the environmental justice movement

Global Perspectives and Challenges

• Environmental justice is a global issue, with communities around the world facing disproportionate environmental burdens and fighting for their rights to a healthy environment
• The Global South, particularly low-income countries and communities, are often the most vulnerable to environmental degradation and climate change impacts, despite contributing the least to these problems
• Transnational corporations and extractive industries often exploit weak environmental regulations and human rights protections in developing countries, leading to environmental injustices and community displacement
• The export of hazardous waste from wealthy nations to developing countries, known as "toxic colonialism," perpetuates environmental racism on a global scale
• Climate change is a major environmental justice issue, as its impacts are felt most acutely by marginalized communities and those who have contributed the least to greenhouse gas emissions
• The unequal distribution of climate change adaptation and mitigation resources between the Global North and South raises concerns about climate justice and the need for equitable solutions
• International environmental agreements, such as the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, aim to address global environmental justice issues, but their effectiveness is often limited by lack of enforcement and political will

Future Directions and Emerging Issues

• Integrating environmental justice considerations into all aspects of environmental decision-making, from local land-use planning to global climate policy, is crucial for achieving a more equitable and sustainable future
• Advancing the concept of a just transition, which ensures that the shift towards a low-carbon economy is socially and economically just, with a focus on creating green jobs and supporting affected workers and communities
• Strengthening legal frameworks and enforcement mechanisms to hold polluters accountable and ensure that communities have access to justice and remediation for environmental harms
• Expanding the use of community-based participatory research and citizen science to document environmental injustices, inform policy decisions, and empower affected communities
• Addressing the growing threat of climate migration and displacement, which disproportionately affects marginalized communities and requires proactive planning and support for affected populations
• Recognizing the rights of nature and incorporating indigenous knowledge systems and practices into environmental decision-making and conservation efforts
• Developing inclusive and equitable green infrastructure and nature-based solutions that prioritize the needs of underserved communities and address environmental justice concerns
• Fostering cross-movement solidarity and collaboration between the environmental justice movement and other social justice movements (racial justice, economic justice, reproductive justice, etc.) to build collective power and achieve systemic change