Environmental justice

All people need a healthy world.

Some groups face more harm from trash or dirty air. This can happen in poor areas.

This is not fair to everyone. A movement started to fix this. It began in the United States. People wanted fair rules for all lands. They want everyone to help make choices. This helps protect our homes and nature.

People are working to make things better for us all.

All people deserve a healthy world.

But some groups face more harm from pollution. This is called environmental injustice. It happens when poor areas get more waste. These places may not get any benefits from the land.

The movement began in the United States in the 1980s. It was inspired by the civil rights movement. People fought against environmental racism. This means some groups were treated unfairly because of their race. In 1979, a case in Texas fought a garbage dump. In 1982, people in North Carolina protested a landfill.

Today, the movement is global. It helps many different people. This includes LGBTQ people and Indigenous groups. Indigenous people have fought for their land for hundreds of years. They often protect much of the world's nature.

In some places, workers handle waste from rich countries. This can make their air and water dirty. The movement wants everyone to help make rules. This helps make the world fair for all.

Environmental justice is a movement for fairness. It focuses on how people are treated by environmental laws. Sometimes, poor or marginalized groups face more harm from pollution. They may live near hazardous waste or places where resources are taken. These communities often do not get the benefits from the land. This can include harm from waste or from how land is used.

The movement wants everyone to have a say in big decisions. This includes people of all races, colors, and income levels.

There are different ways to look at fairness in nature. One way is called distributive justice. This looks at how risks and benefits are shared. Another way is called procedural justice. This is about whether people can participate in making rules. Some people focus on recognition justice. This means recognizing the different needs of different groups.

Scholars also study how these things work together. They want to make sure everyone can live in a healthy community.

This movement began in the United States during the 1980s. It was inspired by the civil rights movement. People wanted to stop environmental racism. This happened when certain groups were treated unfairly because of their race. One important case happened in 1979 in Texas. It was called Bean v. Southwestern Waste Management Corporation. It was about a garbage dump in East Houston.

Another big event was a protest in North Carolina in 1982. These events helped people understand these problems better.

Many different groups are part of this global work today. Indigenous peoples have fought for their land rights for hundreds of years. For example, the Diné people have worked to protect their sacred lands. These lands once had uranium mining and oil production. These activities can still impact the health of the community.

The movement also helps LGBTQ people and people in the Global South. In places like Agbogbloshie, Ghana, workers recycle waste from rich countries.

This can make the local area very polluted.

Environmental justice connects to many other important ideas. It overlaps with the fight for human rights. It also links to the right to a healthy environment. Some people study how companies are held accountable for their actions. Others look at how climate change affects everyone.

The movement has become a global conversation. Even the United Nations now shares some of these goals. It is a way to make sure the earth is safe for all.

Environmental justice is a global social movement focused on fairness. It addresses injustices where marginalized communities suffer from environmental harm. These harms include exposure to hazardous waste and resource extraction. Often, these groups do not benefit from the land uses that affect them. The movement seeks the fair treatment of all people. This applies regardless of race, color, national origin, or income. It also involves meaningful participation in environmental laws and policies.

Scholars describe several different dimensions of justice within this movement. Distributive justice focuses on the equitable sharing of environmental risks and benefits. Procedural justice concerns the fairness of decision-making processes. This includes whether people can participate in making rules. Recognition justice emphasizes recognizing the specific oppression faced by different communities. Some thinkers also discuss epistemic justice, which relates to different ways of knowing. Others include self-governing authority as a vital pillar of a just society.

Robert D. Bullard has organized these ideas into three broad categories of equity. Procedural equity asks if rules and enforcement are applied uniformly. Unequal protection can happen through undemocratic decisions or exclusionary practices. For example, public hearings might be held at inconvenient times. Geographic equity looks at where communities are located near hazards. This includes proximity to landfills, incinerators, or refineries. Social equity assesses how race, class, and culture influence environmental decisions. Poor people often live in more polluted neighborhoods and work dangerous jobs.

The movement has a long and complex history. It began in the United States during the 1980s. It was heavily influenced by the American civil rights movement. Early work focused on environmental racism in wealthy nations. A key legal case occurred in 1979 in Texas. It was known as Bean v. Southwestern Waste Management Corporation. This case responded to a garbage dump placed in East Houston. Another major event was the 1982 North Carolina PCB landfill protests.

Indigenous peoples have their own history of environmental struggle. For hundreds of years, they have fought for sovereignty and land rights. These efforts are part of the Indigenous Environmental Movement. For example, the Diné people protect lands once used for uranium mining. These mines still impact the health of their community today. Indigenous territories cover 22% of the world's land surface. Interestingly, these areas hold about 80% of the world's remaining biodiversity.

As the movement grew, it became more global in scope. Environmental burdens often shift from rich countries to the Global South. This happens through the global waste trade or extractivism. In Agbogbloshie, Ghana, workers recycle waste from high-income countries. This process can cause heavy pollution in the local area.

The movement now overlaps with international human rights. Some goals are even articulated by the United Nations. It connects to many fields, including political ecology and environmental law. It also links to the fight for climate justice and food sovereignty.

Some scholars propose even broader perspectives like Critical Environmental Justice. David Pellow developed this concept to address gaps in earlier studies. This approach uses ideas from intersectional feminism and critical theory. It looks at how multiple forms of inequality drive injustice. For instance, damming a river for power can harm local fisherfolk. When sea life is exposed to toxins, humans also suffer. This perspective views humans and other beings as indispensable to the system. It seeks solutions that go beyond the reach of the state.