Environmental justice

Environmental justice is a global social movement focused on fairness. It addresses injustices where marginalized communities suffer from environmental harm. These harms include exposure to hazardous waste and resource extraction. Often, these groups do not benefit from the land uses that affect them. The movement seeks the fair treatment of all people. This applies regardless of race, color, national origin, or income. It also involves meaningful participation in environmental laws and policies.

Scholars describe several different dimensions of justice within this movement. Distributive justice focuses on the equitable sharing of environmental risks and benefits. Procedural justice concerns the fairness of decision-making processes. This includes whether people can participate in making rules. Recognition justice emphasizes recognizing the specific oppression faced by different communities. Some thinkers also discuss epistemic justice, which relates to different ways of knowing. Others include self-governing authority as a vital pillar of a just society.

Robert D. Bullard has organized these ideas into three broad categories of equity. Procedural equity asks if rules and enforcement are applied uniformly. Unequal protection can happen through undemocratic decisions or exclusionary practices. For example, public hearings might be held at inconvenient times. Geographic equity looks at where communities are located near hazards. This includes proximity to landfills, incinerators, or refineries. Social equity assesses how race, class, and culture influence environmental decisions. Poor people often live in more polluted neighborhoods and work dangerous jobs.

The movement has a long and complex history. It began in the United States during the 1980s. It was heavily influenced by the American civil rights movement. Early work focused on environmental racism in wealthy nations. A key legal case occurred in 1979 in Texas. It was known as Bean v. Southwestern Waste Management Corporation. This case responded to a garbage dump placed in East Houston. Another major event was the 1982 North Carolina PCB landfill protests.

Indigenous peoples have their own history of environmental struggle. For hundreds of years, they have fought for sovereignty and land rights. These efforts are part of the Indigenous Environmental Movement. For example, the Diné people protect lands once used for uranium mining. These mines still impact the health of their community today. Indigenous territories cover 22% of the world's land surface. Interestingly, these areas hold about 80% of the world's remaining biodiversity.

As the movement grew, it became more global in scope. Environmental burdens often shift from rich countries to the Global South. This happens through the global waste trade or extractivism. In Agbogbloshie, Ghana, workers recycle waste from high-income countries. This process can cause heavy pollution in the local area.

The movement now overlaps with international human rights. Some goals are even articulated by the United Nations. It connects to many fields, including political ecology and environmental law. It also links to the fight for climate justice and food sovereignty.

Some scholars propose even broader perspectives like Critical Environmental Justice. David Pellow developed this concept to address gaps in earlier studies. This approach uses ideas from intersectional feminism and critical theory. It looks at how multiple forms of inequality drive injustice. For instance, damming a river for power can harm local fisherfolk. When sea life is exposed to toxins, humans also suffer. This perspective views humans and other beings as indispensable to the system. It seeks solutions that go beyond the reach of the state.