Energy Access and Environmental JusticeKaren BergerEarth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Rochester

What are we currently doing?Teaching Environmental Justice: Interdisciplinary Approaches15 April 2013

Framing the discussion

•What is environmental justice?

• EJ: “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.” - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

• Other definitions: Wikipedia, South African Environmental Justice Networking Forum, ...

Framing the discussion • “No person in the United States shall, on the ground or race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” - Civil Rights Act, Title VI

•What is discrimination?• By intention or results?• By measured exposure or predicted impact?• How do you measure qualitative impacts?

•Why does it matter in an energy course?

Energy and environmental justice

1. Pollution exposure

2. Means for socioeconomic development

3. Infrastructure impacts

Energy and environmental justice

1. Pollution exposure

2. Means for socioeconomic development

3. Infrastructure impacts

Energy: pollution

extraction

production

consumption

waste

Impacts from refineries• Clean Air Act: 54% non-compliant• Clean Water Act: 22% non-compliant• RCRA: 32% violated

Weighing the benefits:1,000+ pounds pollution per job

O’Rourke, D. and S. Connolly. “Just oil? The distribution of environmental and social impacts of oil production and consumption.” Annu. Rev. Environ. Resour. 2003. 28:587–617.

Impacts from coal power plantsExposure / Impact Ratio of African

Americans : White

% of population living within 30 miles

of a coal power plant1.2

% of population living in a county that violates outdoor air quality standards

1.2

Asthma hospitalizations (per 10,000 population)

3.3

Asthma deaths (per 10,000 population)

2.8

“Air of Injustice: African Americans and Power Plant Pollution” (2002)

Energy and environmental justice

1. Pollution exposure

2. Means for socioeconomic development

3. Infrastructure impacts

Energy for economic development“Ending poverty and ensuring sustainability are the defining challenges of our time. Energy is central to both of them.”

– Jim Kim, President, The World BankSeptember 24, 2012

Access to high-quality energy

quality of life economic development

Access involves: Affordability Distribution Reliability

Benefits of energy access

Health

Less drudger

y

Communi-

cation

Social status

Multiplier effects: human health

Clean energ

y

Improved air quality

Safe drinking water

Reduced food-borne

illness

Better medicine storage

Easier access to sufficient

food

Multiplier effects: education

Cheaper/better

lighting

Enhanced productivit

y

Access to informatio

n

Extended workday

More househol

d time

Energy and environmental justice

1. Pollution exposure

2. Means for socioeconomic development

3. Infrastructure impacts

Energy-related infrastructure

•Siting of • Refineries, power plants, disposal sites• Pipelines•Natural gas/oil wells• Roads• Public transportation

Case study: the pipeline’s path• Pacific Pipeline – Bakersfield via Los Angeles• Of 75 neighborhoods,• 72 were higher minority population than CA

average• 42 had >90% minority population• all had higher non-English speakers• 62 had per capita income lower than national/city

level

O’Rourke, D. and S. Connolly. “Just oil? The distribution of environmental and social impacts of oil production and consumption.” Annu. Rev. Environ. Resour. 2003. 28:587–617.

Case study: hydrofracking

• Beneficiaries: individual landowners• At-risk: local community

KEY QUESTIONS:•Who benefits?•Who is at risk?•Who has the decision-making power?

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