The course on “environmental justice” has
broadly widened my understanding of environment and justice from
interdisciplinary approach. The essay “In Search of Nature” (1995) by William
Cronon (1995), the work of Evans (2002) and Guha’s work on interpretation on
contested notions of environment helped me to understand the meaning of
environment from multiple perspectives.
I came to understand how the concept of environment is profoundly
influenced by social, cultural, economic, political and technological settings
due to which different versions of environment co-exist in society. It was
interesting for me that these contested concepts were included in our academic discussion
combined with examples from day-to day happenings.
The course provided
opportunity for me to learn about leading contemporary political thinker, scholars and their contribution in the areas of philosophical concepts of
justices. These extended from Mill’s greatest
happiness principle to Rawls’s difference
principle and finally to Irish Young’s
social connection model (2011) who provided philosophical yet applicable thoughts to see the issues of justices revolving around environmental
policy planning and decision making process.
The most important
aspect of this course that received through knowledge on understanding
the environmental justice cases and movements in the USA. The justice component
in relation to environment helped to understand the extent of the problem. For
example, some of the important studies on this topic by General Accounting Office (1983) report,
United Church of Christ (UCC) study in 1987 and Bullard (1990) showed strong correlations
to race, class and gender makeup, the environmental justice framework of looking
at the environment was attractive to me. I felt alienated from these issues
discussed in the classroom because they did not deal with communities similar
to those in which I was raised. Now, I am able to identify the causes of these
issues at the organizational, social, cultural, economic and public policy levels
with potential solutions to the problem.
Similarly, I came to learn about analyzing the interwoven concepts of recognition, distribution participation and capability, how they are embedded in environmental justice and learned that justice cannot be served if we look into these dimensions of justice in isolation. The course materials and scholarly literature review on these concepts largely contributed to my application of these concepts in the context of national and transnational environmental justice issues.
Similarly, I came to learn about analyzing the interwoven concepts of recognition, distribution participation and capability, how they are embedded in environmental justice and learned that justice cannot be served if we look into these dimensions of justice in isolation. The course materials and scholarly literature review on these concepts largely contributed to my application of these concepts in the context of national and transnational environmental justice issues.
The other important
aspect of this course is its focus on how government’s regulatory structure, priorities
and conflicting of nature of political responsibility can decrease motivation
for environmental enforcement. For example while President Bill Clinton signed
the Executive Order 12898 that nominally
committed the federal government to see the issues environment justice in their
policies, planning and programs , it was clearly seen that Bush administration
did not direct its policies to establish goals for integrating environmental
justice into its plans and programs to the extent of the order. Thus,
government totally failed to deliver its political responsibility. The
political responsibility as per Young in connection to her “Social Connection
Model” (Young 2011) is the collective responsibility that needs to be taken by
all the stakeholders and political parties to create a just society in the
future.
In conclusion, I
have now robust and substantial understanding on the concepts environment and justice.
I have learned to incorporate about the
notions of distributive, procedural and structured justices that can serve to
address the issues of environmental injustices occurring around the globe. These
concepts have certainly developed my policy aptitude to deal with current
environmental justice issues in developed and developing country. I hope the
theoretical knowledge on concepts of environment and justice combined with
their practical applications will largely helped me to address interdisciplinary to tackle pressing
environmental issues of our time.
References:
Bullard, R. D. (1983). Solid waste sites and the black Houston community. Sociological Inquiry 53, pp. 273–228.
Bullard, R. D. (1990). Dumping in Dixie: Race, Class and Environmental Quality. Boulder, CO: Westview Press (12).
Bullard, RD (2000). People of Color Environmental Groups Directory. Flint, MI: Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.
Bullard, R.D, (2004). The Quest for Environmental Justice: Human Rights and the Politics of Pollution. San Francisco, CA: Sierra Club Books, p.144.
Cronon, William. (1995), “Introduction: In Search of Nature” in Uncommon Ground: Toward Reinventing Nature. New York: Norton, pp.23-56.
Cutter, S. L. (1996). Vulnerability to Environmental Hazards. Progress in Human Geography, Vol. 20, pp. 529–539.
Cutter, S.L., Boruff, B.J., & Shirley, W.L. (2003). Social Vulnerability to Environmental Hazards. Social Science Quarterly, Vol. 84, pp. 242–261.
Coalition against Bayer Dangers(2005,) CBGnetwork(at)aol.com, retrieved on April 15,2012.
Executive Order 12898, “Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations” found at http://www.ejrc.cau.edu/execordr.html. Retrieved on April 9,.2012.
Evans, Mei Mei (2002), “’Nature’ and Environmental Justice” in the Environmental Justice Reader, eds. Joni Adamson, Mei Mei Evans, and Rachel Stein. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, pp. 181-193.
Hughes, Pamela L (2011), “Environmental Justice Case Study”, University of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Gabrielson, Teena (2012), “Class Lecture Notes”, ENR-5890, Environmental Justice, Spring Semester, University of Wyoming.
Gouveia V. and Ticker J. (2003). Toxic Chemicals and Childhood Cancer: a Review of the Evidence
Taylor, D. (2000). The Risk of the Environmental Justice Paradigm. American Behavioral Scientist, Vol. 43, pp. 508 – 580.
Global Environmental Change (2006), Climate and Vulnerability, found at http://www.journals.elsevier.com/global-environmental-change/pdf, retrieved on April 2,2012.
Flynn, J., Slovic, P., & Mertz, C. K. (1994). Gender, Race, and Perception of Environmental Health Risks. Risk Analysis, Vol. 14(6), pp. 1101 – 1108.
Fox, F.A. , Grropman,J.D. ,& Burke, T. A (2003). Evaluating Cumulative Risk Assessment for Evaluating Cumulative Risk Assessment for Environmental Justice: A Community Case Study, pp. 203-209 .
Jones, R. E. (1998). Black concern for the Environment: Myth Versus Reality. Society and Natural Resources, Vol. 11, pp. 209 – 228.
Kates, R. W., & Kasperson, J. X. (1983). Comparative Risk Analysis of Technological Hazards (a review). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,Vol. 80 (22), pp.7027-7038.
Kumpulainen, S. (2006). Vulnerability Concepts in Hazard and Risk Assessment, found at http://arkisto.gtk.fi/sp/SP42/4_vulnera.pdf, retrieved on April28,2012.
Lucy H. Ford(2003). “Challenging Global Environmental Governance: Social Movement Agency and Global Civil Society.” Global Environmental Politics Vol 3(2), p 125.
Mills, John Stuart (2001), Utilitarianism. Dover Publications.
Mohai, P., & Bryant, B. (1998). Is there a “race” effect on concern for environmental quality? Public Opinion Quarterly, Vol. 62, pp. 475 – 505.
Occupational Safety & Health Administration (2005), Bayer’s Investigation Report, found at https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=444, retrieved on February, 26, 2012.
Rawls, John (2001), Justice as Fairness: A Restatement. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press. Pp 11-25.
Satterfield, T. A., Slovic, P., Gregory, R., Flynn, J., & Mertz, C. K. (2001).Risk, Media, and Stigma: Understanding Public Challenges to Modern Science and Technology. London : Earthscan, , pp. 69 – 83.
Schlosberg, D. (2003). The Justice of Environmental Justice: Reconciling Equity, Recognition, and Participation in a political movement. Moral and political reasoning in environmental practice, pp. 77-106.
Schlosberg, D (2007). Defining Environmental Justice. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007.
Slovic, P. (1987). Perception of Risk. Science, Vol.236, pp. 280 – 285.
Susan C. (2006). “The Geography of Social Vulnerability: Race, Class and Catastrophe” SSRC. http://understandingkatrina.ssrc.org/Cutter. Retrieved on April 11, 2012.
Satterfield,T.A, Mertz, . C.K. Slovic, P. (2004). Discrimination, Vulnerability, and Justice in the face of risk, Risk Analysis, 24 (2004), pp. 115–129.
U.S, National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (2004). Ensuring Risk Reduction in Communities with Multiples Stressors: Environmental Justice and Commutative Risk/ impacts, p.
“USA Today Special Report: The Smokestack Effect – Toxic Air and America’s Schools,” published in USA Today January 2009, retrieved on February 24, 2012 found at http://content.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/smokestack/index
U.S. Census Bureau, 2010. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/4806128.html retrieved on February 27, 2012.
Young, Iris Marion (2011), Responsibility for Justice. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 90-97.
Yohe, G., & Tol, R. S. J (2001).. Indicators for Social and Economic Coping Capacity – Moving Toward aWorking Definition of Adaptive , found at Capacityhttp://www.aiaccproject.org/resources/ele_lib_docs/gyoheindicators.doc.pdf, retrieved on April 22,2012/
Zimmerman, R (1986). The Management of Risk, In V. T. Covello, J. Menkes ,and J Munpower, The Revaluation and Management of Risk , New York: Plenum, pp. 435-460,
References:
Bullard, R. D. (1983). Solid waste sites and the black Houston community. Sociological Inquiry 53, pp. 273–228.
Bullard, R. D. (1990). Dumping in Dixie: Race, Class and Environmental Quality. Boulder, CO: Westview Press (12).
Bullard, RD (2000). People of Color Environmental Groups Directory. Flint, MI: Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.
Bullard, R.D, (2004). The Quest for Environmental Justice: Human Rights and the Politics of Pollution. San Francisco, CA: Sierra Club Books, p.144.
Cronon, William. (1995), “Introduction: In Search of Nature” in Uncommon Ground: Toward Reinventing Nature. New York: Norton, pp.23-56.
Cutter, S. L. (1996). Vulnerability to Environmental Hazards. Progress in Human Geography, Vol. 20, pp. 529–539.
Cutter, S.L., Boruff, B.J., & Shirley, W.L. (2003). Social Vulnerability to Environmental Hazards. Social Science Quarterly, Vol. 84, pp. 242–261.
Coalition against Bayer Dangers(2005,) CBGnetwork(at)aol.com, retrieved on April 15,2012.
Executive Order 12898, “Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations” found at http://www.ejrc.cau.edu/execordr.html. Retrieved on April 9,.2012.
Evans, Mei Mei (2002), “’Nature’ and Environmental Justice” in the Environmental Justice Reader, eds. Joni Adamson, Mei Mei Evans, and Rachel Stein. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, pp. 181-193.
Hughes, Pamela L (2011), “Environmental Justice Case Study”, University of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Gabrielson, Teena (2012), “Class Lecture Notes”, ENR-5890, Environmental Justice, Spring Semester, University of Wyoming.
Gouveia V. and Ticker J. (2003). Toxic Chemicals and Childhood Cancer: a Review of the Evidence
Taylor, D. (2000). The Risk of the Environmental Justice Paradigm. American Behavioral Scientist, Vol. 43, pp. 508 – 580.
Global Environmental Change (2006), Climate and Vulnerability, found at http://www.journals.elsevier.com/global-environmental-change/pdf, retrieved on April 2,2012.
Flynn, J., Slovic, P., & Mertz, C. K. (1994). Gender, Race, and Perception of Environmental Health Risks. Risk Analysis, Vol. 14(6), pp. 1101 – 1108.
Fox, F.A. , Grropman,J.D. ,& Burke, T. A (2003). Evaluating Cumulative Risk Assessment for Evaluating Cumulative Risk Assessment for Environmental Justice: A Community Case Study, pp. 203-209 .
Jones, R. E. (1998). Black concern for the Environment: Myth Versus Reality. Society and Natural Resources, Vol. 11, pp. 209 – 228.
Kates, R. W., & Kasperson, J. X. (1983). Comparative Risk Analysis of Technological Hazards (a review). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,Vol. 80 (22), pp.7027-7038.
Kumpulainen, S. (2006). Vulnerability Concepts in Hazard and Risk Assessment, found at http://arkisto.gtk.fi/sp/SP42/4_vulnera.pdf, retrieved on April28,2012.
Lucy H. Ford(2003). “Challenging Global Environmental Governance: Social Movement Agency and Global Civil Society.” Global Environmental Politics Vol 3(2), p 125.
Mills, John Stuart (2001), Utilitarianism. Dover Publications.
Mohai, P., & Bryant, B. (1998). Is there a “race” effect on concern for environmental quality? Public Opinion Quarterly, Vol. 62, pp. 475 – 505.
Occupational Safety & Health Administration (2005), Bayer’s Investigation Report, found at https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=444, retrieved on February, 26, 2012.
Rawls, John (2001), Justice as Fairness: A Restatement. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press. Pp 11-25.
Satterfield, T. A., Slovic, P., Gregory, R., Flynn, J., & Mertz, C. K. (2001).Risk, Media, and Stigma: Understanding Public Challenges to Modern Science and Technology. London : Earthscan, , pp. 69 – 83.
Schlosberg, D. (2003). The Justice of Environmental Justice: Reconciling Equity, Recognition, and Participation in a political movement. Moral and political reasoning in environmental practice, pp. 77-106.
Schlosberg, D (2007). Defining Environmental Justice. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007.
Slovic, P. (1987). Perception of Risk. Science, Vol.236, pp. 280 – 285.
Susan C. (2006). “The Geography of Social Vulnerability: Race, Class and Catastrophe” SSRC. http://understandingkatrina.ssrc.org/Cutter. Retrieved on April 11, 2012.
Satterfield,T.A, Mertz, . C.K. Slovic, P. (2004). Discrimination, Vulnerability, and Justice in the face of risk, Risk Analysis, 24 (2004), pp. 115–129.
U.S, National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (2004). Ensuring Risk Reduction in Communities with Multiples Stressors: Environmental Justice and Commutative Risk/ impacts, p.
“USA Today Special Report: The Smokestack Effect – Toxic Air and America’s Schools,” published in USA Today January 2009, retrieved on February 24, 2012 found at http://content.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/smokestack/index
U.S. Census Bureau, 2010. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/4806128.html retrieved on February 27, 2012.
Young, Iris Marion (2011), Responsibility for Justice. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 90-97.
Yohe, G., & Tol, R. S. J (2001).. Indicators for Social and Economic Coping Capacity – Moving Toward aWorking Definition of Adaptive , found at Capacityhttp://www.aiaccproject.org/resources/ele_lib_docs/gyoheindicators.doc.pdf, retrieved on April 22,2012/
Zimmerman, R (1986). The Management of Risk, In V. T. Covello, J. Menkes ,and J Munpower, The Revaluation and Management of Risk , New York: Plenum, pp. 435-460,
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