oct 4 env justice - colorado.edu · thinking%with%risk% • cultural%theory% • poli:cal%economy%...

Geog 2412: Oct 4, 2011

Environmental Jus:ce

News

BBC Sept 27, 2011: Wangari Maathai: Death of a visionary h<p://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-‐africa-‐15056502 Founded the green belt Movement: poli:cal, Environmental, women’s rgts

Week 7: Poli:cal Economy & the Environment

•  Review of Risk •  Environmental Jus:ce and Risk – Environmental Racism – Environmental Jus:ce – Women in the Environmental Jus:ce Movement

•  Poli:cal Economy – Key concepts of poli:cal economy perspec:ve – Poli:cal Economy Cri:que of Market Perspec:ves

Keywords: ecofeminism, environmental jus:ce/injus:ce, racism

Thinking with Risk

•  Cultural theory •  Poli:cal Economy •  Uncertainty and change •  Vulnerability (socioeconomic, poli:cal, as well as environmental)

•  Natural-‐social hazards (policies, impacts, interac:ons)


•  Linking environmental health and hazards with race and class

•  Recogni:on of Environmental Racism

•  “Environmental Injus:ce”: the unequal distribu:on of environmental risks and hazards within minority communi:es

Racism

"Racism is the inten:onal or uninten:onal use of power to isolate, separate and exploit others. . . Racism is more than just a personal a_tude; it is the ins:tu:onalized form of the a_tude" -‐Na:onal Council of Churches Racial Jus:ce Working Group

Environmental Racism

•  Racial discrimina:on in environmental policy making and the enforcement of regula:ons and laws

•  Deliberate targeJng of communi:es of Color for toxic and hazardous waste facili:es

•  Official sancJoning of life-‐threatening presence of poisons and pollutants in communi:es of color

•  history of excluding people of color from the leadership of the environmental movement.

-‐-‐ Deborah M. Robinson

Inten:onal or Uninten:onal

•  NIMBY: Not in my back yard •  Paths of least resistance (powerful, resources to fight) Low economic investment opportunity – Poor neighborhoods – Neighborhoods of color – Na:ve American lands –  Immigrant communi:es

hgp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA4vL0bFd18

hgp://www.sjenvironmentaljus:ce.org/

Environmental Injus:ce •  Predominately along race lines (source: EPA) •  African-‐Americans 79 % more likely to live in neighborhoods where industrial pollu:on is a health danger

•  46% of housing units for poor are located within a one-‐mile radius from a hazardous waste site

•  Race most effec:ve in determining whether an individual was exposed to hazardous waste sites and other pollutants (controlling for income, educa:on, employment)

Interna:onally

•  Toxic Waste Dumping (1989-‐1994, OECD countries exported over 2 million metric tons of hazardous wastes to non-‐OECD countries)

•  Oil extrac:on in the Niger Delta; Amazon (Peru, Ecuador)

•  Global climate jus:ce

Why does this happen?

•  Histories of InsJtuJonal Racism •  Lack of power in decision making processes •  Unequal distribu:on of resources •  Spa:al/Social redistribu:on of hazards and risk (externali:es)

•  Maintenance of profits at all costs

Environmental Jus:ce & Poli:cal Economy

•  “Environments” as places where we live, work, and play

•  Unequal hazards and risks associated with unequal power dynamics in society

•  Women’s role in challenging power for “environmental” issues

•  Focus on social reproduc:on, uneven development, and uneven costs


"the fair treatment for people of all races, cultures, and incomes, regarding the development of environmental laws, regula:ons, and policies.” EPA 1991 First Na:onal People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit, Washington D.C.

But this was not the first :me… .1979 (Houston), 1982 (North Carolina) , 1988 NYC

North River Sewage Treatment Plant •  18 blocks long (137th to 145th st) •  >170 million gallons of raw sewage/day •  Noxious smells & increased health problems •  Civil disobedience + poli:cs + legal fight by Community

(WEACT) •  Concession: a park on top of plant! •  BUT: won the legal case (segled out of court)

hgp://www.ejnet.org/ej/

Environmental jusJce: Stop poisoning people, period. 17 Principles f Environmental Jus:ce. Drawed by the First Na:onal People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit October 24-‐27, 1991, in Washington DC

Principles of Environmental Jus:ce •  Protect “mother earth” •  Policy based on respect and jus:ce of ALL PEOPLES •  Universal Protec:ons against nuclear tes:ng, extrac:on,

produc:on and disposal of toxic/hazardous wastes and poisons

•  Holding polluters accountable •  Right to par:cipate in decision making •  Rights of vic:ms to compensa:on •  Hold viola:ons up to interna:onal legal standards •  Recogni:on of Na:ve American Rights •  Clean up of urban environments •  Informed consent and educa:on

•  Acknowledge and tackle Racial discrimina:on

•  Develop a pro-‐acJve narra:ve •  Local knowledge is powerful •  Poli:cal representa:on, power, voice = beger environmental protec:on.

•  Market-‐based solu:ons owen have discriminatory outcomes

•  Cumula:ve environmental exposures mager

Broad Goals of Environmental JusJce Movement

Gender

Wangari Maathai, The Green Belt Movement, Kenya. Nobel Prize winner 2004

Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring

Environmental Jus:ce & Poli:cal Economy

•  “Environments” as places where we live, work, and play

•  Unequal power dynamics •  Women’s role in challenging power for “environmental” issues

•  Focus on social reproduc:on, uneven development, and uneven costs

oct 4 env justice - colorado.edu · thinking%with%risk% • cultural%theory% • poli:cal%economy%...

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