Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice
Welcome! In this bulletin, we will be discussing the topic of Environmental Justice. You’ll be able to find sections including definitions involving environmental justice, history, videos, articles/handouts, statistics, and questions to ponder.
DEFINITIONS
Environmental Justice: 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.
Environmental Racism: Whether, by conscious design or institutional neglect, actions and decisions that result in the disproportionate exposure of people of color to environmental hazards and environmental health burdens.
HISTORY
In 1983, the U.S. General Accounting Office conducted a study that found three out of four of the off-site commercial hazard waste landfills in Region 4 (South) were in predominantly African American communities. This number was shocking, considering that African Americans made up only 20% of the regional population at the time. Later, in 1987, the newly-formed Commission for Racial Justice found that race was the strongest variable in predicting the location of waste facilities (Bullard & Johnson,2000). The Environmental Justice movement was born at the nexus of the Civil Rights' and Environmental movements, and has grown in power and influence since then.
In October of 1991, the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit developed a document of Environmental Justice Principles, that have helped to describe and define the Environmental Justice movement in the United States. The US EPA has changed its approach to Environmental Justice over time, and currently fails to recognize race as a unique indicator in Environmental Justice assessments.
VIDEOS
What is Environmental Justice? - Definition, Principles, Examples & Issues
TEDxGreatPacificGarbagePatch - Van Jones - Environmental Justice
Color by Number - Environmental Justice
STATISTICS
- A case study of The Bronx, New York, found that individuals who live close to noxious industrial facilities and waste sites were 66% more likely to be hospitalized for asthma. Significantly, these same individuals were 13% more likely to be people of color.
- A report titled “Toxic Waste and Race at Twenty” reviewed data collected over a 20-year time period and found that more than half of the people who live within 1.86 miles of toxic waste facilities in the United States are people of color.
- A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined that 11.2% of African American children and 4% of Mexican-American children are poisoned by lead, compared with 2.3% of white children.
- Three out of five African Americans live in communities with uncontrolled toxic waste sites.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER
- How do Race and Poverty intersect in terms of environmental injustices?
- How does environmental injustice impact the health and wellbeing of low-income communities of color?
ARTICLES
The Environmental Justice Movement
5 Things to Know About Communities of Color and Environmental Justice
A Look at Environmental Justice in the United States Today
'Just racist': EPA cuts will hit black and Hispanic communities the hardest
At timeline of Environmental Justice in the United States
RESOURCES
A Brief History of Environmental Justice & EJ Definitions
5 Things to Know About Communities of Color and Environmental Justice
Mon, 18 January 2021
Upcoming Sessions
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Monday ,
FebFebruary 1 , 2021
Monday, Feb 1st 8:30a to Friday, Feb 5th 4:30p
Through this training you will experience one of our programs, explore United States’ history of oppression, learn foundational information and delve into the forms of bias and discrimination. -
Thursday ,
FebFebruary 25 , 2021
Thursday, Feb 25th 8:30a to Friday, Feb 26th 4:30p
Our online training will look at bias, discrimination, oppression, and privilege in the United States. Given the rise of racist acts during the pandemic, as well as the most recent horrific racist incidents, examining these issues takes on an even greater sense of urgency. -
Thursday ,
MarMarch 25 , 2021
Thursday, Mar 25th 8:30a to Friday, Mar 26th 4:30p
Our online training will look at bias, discrimination, oppression, and privilege in the United States. Given the rise of racist acts during the pandemic, as well as the most recent horrific racist incidents, examining these issues takes on an even greater sense of urgency. -
Thursday ,
AprApril 15 , 2021
Thursday, Apr 15th 8:30a to Friday, Apr 16th 4:30p
Our online training will look at bias, discrimination, oppression, and privilege in the United States. Given the rise of racist acts during the pandemic, as well as the most recent horrific racist incidents, examining these issues takes on an even greater sense of urgency. -
Thursday ,
MayMay 20 , 2021
Thursday, May 20th 8:30a to Friday, May 21st 4:30p
Our online training will look at bias, discrimination, oppression, and privilege in the United States. Given the rise of racist acts during the pandemic, as well as the most recent horrific racist incidents, examining these issues takes on an even greater sense of urgency. -
Thursday ,
JunJune 17 , 2021
Thursday, Jun 17th 8:30a to Friday, Jun 18th 4:30p
Our online training will look at bias, discrimination, oppression, and privilege in the United States. Given the rise of racist acts during the pandemic, as well as the most recent horrific racist incidents, examining these issues takes on an even greater sense of urgency.