ENVIRONMENTAL EQUITY?
RACISM? JUSTICE ?
Environmental Justice in
America: A New Paradigm
Edwardo L. Rhodes
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
WHY WRITE A BOOK ABOUT IT?
Questions
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Do minority communities and individuals
face higher levels of environmental risk than
the majority population ?
Is this increased risk the result of
environmental racism? Environmental
inequity? Environmental injustice?
Is race a determining factor in assessing
exposure to environmental risk, and is this
exposure deliberate?
Questions-II
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Is environmental justice only about
race and ethnicity?
Why has the environmental policy
discussion tended to be so
homogeneous?
Current Assessment
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In the U.S., some types of hazardous
material disposal sites (landfills or
incinerators) are more likely to be
located in or near minority
communities.
Minorities have very low
representation, in both decisionmaking and staff positions within
environmental/natural resource
agencies and regulatory bodies at all
levels of government.
Current Assessment II
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Minorities have little representation on
the governing boards or staff of the major
national non-governmental environmental
organizations (Sierra Club, Greenpeace, FoE,
and EDF).
Current federal and most state
environmental legislation ignores issues of
differentiated impact of environmental
policies or activities
A New Paradigm
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Environmental Justice issues involve
a paradigm shift within the
environmental movement in this
country and almost certainly the rest
of the world.
Environmental Justice is not now a
major international policy issue..
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.
Fair treatment means
….that no group of people should
bear a disproportionate share of
the negative environmental
consequences resulting from
industrial, governmental and
commercial operations or policies.
Meaningful involvement means
•
•
•
•
people have an opportunity to participate in
decisions about activities that may affect their
environment and/or health;
the public contribution can influence the
regulatory agency's decision;
their concerns will be considered in the
decision making process; and
the decision makers seek out and facilitate the
involvement of those potentially affected.
What is the Problem?
Nationally?
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The impact of environmental policies and
decisions have differentiated impacts across
population groups
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This definition applies to not just the United
States, but any national entity.
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The example of the Czech Republic and
hazardous waste sites
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Most countries have utterly no idea what
environmental justice is nor have any
mechanism for addressing EJ issues
Examples
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Haiti and much of the developed Western
Hemisphere
Environmental neglect in New Orleans
The former East German Republic and its
neighbors
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Philippines Islands and Japan
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Sub-Saharan Africa and Europe
National Policy Alternatives
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Improving information
exchange? Knowledge is power
and leverage
National or state environmental
justice legislation or regulation
Non-governmental action groups
or agenda setting
Outcomes and Futures
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EJ resolution cannot solve all the
world’s social/economic justice
problems
International EJ issues may be
the next great world policy issue