Environmental justice at its core


According to the Environmental Protection Agency, environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, gender, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. In other words, environmental justice means that all people should be treated equally even with the brunt of environmental degradation. Environmental racism however was the root cause for the coining of the term "environmental justice". Environmental racism is when certain people, many BIPOC or (Black Indigeneous People Of Color),  face the impacts of environmental degradation disproportionately. Here is an example of environmental racism from Microsoft News: an estimated 70% of contaminated waste sites are located in low-income neighborhoods, and an upwards of 2 million Americans live within a mile of sites that are vulnerable to flooding — the majority of which are in Black and brown communities. I have even personally viewed environmental racism in the state of North Carolina. The wood pellet company, Enviva Biomass, has a factory in Northampton County that is located in a disproportionately black and brown community.

There are many more examples of environmental racism that are probably all around you. It is simply a matter of noticing. This is another reason why advocating for environmental justice is so important; many people are unaware it is all around them.

Below are some resources to continue to learn more about climate justice and take action:
A focus on US Climate Justice Policy
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Climate Justice United Nations
NRDC: The Environmental Justice Movement

Communities That Are the Most Affected by Climate Change
The core problem that causes environmental injustice is that some communities are disproportionately more affected than others. This is unfair as often the communities that are the most affected are not causing the biggest climatic problems. Many of these communities have already embraced a sustainable lifestyle yet they are the most affected. Here are some real-world examples:
  • Indigenous Communities At Or Close To The Arctic (Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Russia, and other northern countries)
    • Many of the communities that live in these cold regions are facing unprecedented changes their habitat. Warming in these areas is occurring at twice the rate as compared to other parts of the globe. Sea ice is receding faster than ever which is leading to changing patterns of native animals' presence. Thus, not only are these communities' habitats warming but they are slowly losing their ways of life, their culture, and their identities. Read more HERE
  • Low-Income Communities 
    • Low-income communities are immensely impacted by climate change. These communities often do not have the means of move or evacuate. No matter what the impact of climate change may be, their income serves as a barrier to their protection. Low-income communities often include indigenous people and communities of color. They often lack adequate government protection and climate change is only bolstering the injustices they have to face. Read more HERE
  • Coastline Communities
    • Climate change has catalyzed a variety of problems. From the environmental issues pages you may remember that rising sea levels is one of the many consequences of climate change. I live by the coast and rising sea levels is a real problem. Due to global warming, the polar ice caps melt leading to this phenomenon. This is another example of environmental injustice as coastline communities are not the only communities contributing to climate change. However, rising sea levels primarily affects coastline communities. Read more HERE
  • Developing Countries
    • While this does focus on communities that face environmental injustice, countries are also communities. Developing countries are often blamed for being unable to reach international goals such as those from the United Nations. However, developing countries are still industrializing. Developed countries, such as the United States, have contributed the most to climate change yet our progress is minimal. Again, the worst effects of climate change are upon these developing countries. They do not have technologies like air filters, air conditioning, and proper healthcare which makes them vulnerable. Read more HERE

From Banks and Tanks to Cooperation and Caring (Great Zine!)

There are also two files below to use as resources for climate justice.
Climate Justice Prompt With Tips and Resources for Action
File Size: 227 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
Environmental Protect Agency Presentation on Environmental Justice
File Size: 1271 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

If you have no, a little, or a lot of time

If you have no time

• Donate and support climate justice movements
• Talk about climate justice with your family
• Always treat everyone, regardless of their identity, equally

If you have a little time

• Attend climate justice events in your local area
• Read a little bit about the issue (this could include the resources above)
• Become a part of growing climate justice networks such as the Power Shift Network
• Educate others about climate justice
• Learn new climate justice vocabulary

If you have A lot of time

• • Get a leadership position in a major climate justice group
• Give speeches on climate justice in your area
• Set up local events relating to climate justice even including BIPOC guest speakers
• Implement climate justice initiatives through your workspace
• Attend the Sierra Student Coalition's, 8-week Climate Justice Academy (I did this, it was very insightful)
• Protest against facilities near black and brown communities