Environmental Justice
The negative impacts of environmental injustices are not unfamiliar to global minority groups. However, as the forecasts for environmental disasters predict all communities will be harmed by climate forecasts, the inclusion of EJ in the environmental conversation has picked up. These resources aim to share background on the activists who developed the concept of environmental justice to an accessible form, where it can be observed, and how it can be addressed.
Principles of Environmental Justice - Comprehensive list of the Environmental Justice Principles written by delegates of the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit of 1991.
Climate change and poverty (2021): Overview of the disproportionate burdens felt by the global populations, namely communities which are heavily dependent on agriculture and natural resources. This article answers questions such as: “what are the biggest effects of climate change?”, “How does climate change increase conflict?”, and “What is the relationship between hunger and climate change?”.
Racism and Climate Change (2020) - This interview with activist Elizabeth Yeampierre is an engaging conversation in which she outlines the interconnectedness of racial, environmental, and economic injustices. This is a great resource for understanding exactly how systematic these challenges are and that we need to consider all aspects when attempting to address these issues.
How the Climate Crisis is Racist with the Solution being Anti-Racism (2020) - This blog post states “climate change is racist because the system that caused it is racist”. By sharing their own personal experience, as well as America’s past and present history with racism, the author provides a starting point for understanding the link between these inequalities.
Returning the Land (2020) - Explaining the background of the land back movement, its value to Indigenous communities as well as the relationship with addressing the climate crisis.
NDN Collective - Land back resources (2020) - Indigenous organization amplifying indigenous voices, power, and access to their traditional lands. Returning colonized land to native communities would not only address social injustices and intergenerational trauma but there are also benefits to reassessing our relationship with our planet.
World water crisis (2019) - NYT article outlining some impacts of the global water crisis and how different countries have taken drastic, but necessary steps to address their water insecurities.
Interview with Dr. Robert Bullard, the father of Environmental Justice (2018) - This article is a quick read and a great introduction to environmental justice from the man who deemed the term. Only scraping the surface of its origin, Dr. Bullard explains the main themes and examples of the segregation of pollution and sacrifice zones.
The Environmental Justice Movement (2016) - This article from the NRDC provides a comprehensive overview and background of the environmental movement. Not only does it share important environmental injustices which contributed to the growth of this movement, but it also explains how a lack of diversity in policymaking and transparency contributed to a problem minority communities are still fighting.
What do Racism and Poverty have to do with pollution and climate change? (2016) - This 3 min video provides a basic explanation of how race-based zoning and poor land use are making certain communities more susceptible to the negative effects of resource extraction, pollution, and other human-induced activities and how they contribute to a negative cycle which many are unable to leave.