Recognition, Distribution ,Participation and Capability in Env. Justice issues

The concept of recognition in relation to environmental justice is defined as the “recognition of individuals and communities as unfairly affected and insist on being seen and heard mainly by governments and private stakeholders for the most part they have been ignored” (Schlosberg, 2003). It can be argued that lack of recognition is embodied within environmental justice. This is demonstrated by different forms of harms and degradation that mainly affected lives of minorities, people of color, low income population and indigenous people. This is an injustice “as it not only constraints people and does them harm but also it impairs these persons in their positive understanding of self-an understanding acquired by inter subjective means” (Schlosberg 2007 p. 18). Often times, misrecognition of society and individuals occurs due to weak institutional mechanisms and policy implementation that favor a majority population dominating the minorities (Grabielson..).  
Young’s thoughts on recognition appeal for the “mechanisms for the effective recognition and representation of distinct voices and perspectives” (Young1990, p.184). Here she argues that it is not only the recognition of identities of the communities but also of their voice and concerns that will provide justice. In her thoughts it is forward looking responsibility of the social institutions to create mechanisms equal participation and representation of the community members and recognize their voice.

Similarly, environmental justice is also defined in terms of the distribution (or mal distribution) of environmental goods and harms (Bullard, 1990). Here, the distribution especially focuses to “inequitable share of environmental ills that poor communities and communities of color live with (Schlosberg 2007 p. 55). As support to distribution pattern of environmental goods and harms, the first study, a General Accounting Office (1983) report, found that three out of four landfills in the United States were located near predominantly African-American communities. The next study done by United Church of Christ (UCC) study in 1987, showed that 37.6 percent of US landfills were located in or near predominantly African-American neighborhoods, and that, compared with whites, African-Americans were two to three times more likely to live near a hazardous landfill. Bullard’s classic study dumping in Dixie (1990) also intensively focused on distributional inequity. Thus, in these studies, the issue of distribution in environmental justice, race remained an independent factor in relation to the distribution of commercial hazardous waste facilities and other environmental consequences.
Likewise, I can feel that the concept of participation is embodied within the   environmental justice definition provided by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):

“Environmental Justice  is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, culture, education, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies (EPA 1997).

 In my understanding, meaningful involvement means every person and communities, above all   potentially affected community residents should get an opportunity to participate in decisions making process in any environmental planning that will basically affect their health or environment. For Lee “self-determination and participation in decision-making about one’s own environment is the central to the environmental justices (1993, p. 39). This shall appreciate diverse cultural perspectives and honor cultural integrity. National Environmental Policy Commission also feels that “Public participation is one of the cornerstones of environmental justice” (NEPC, 1999).  Participation of diverse group along with their voice can influence the regulatory agency's decision. In  connection with environmental justice and participation issues in the USA , “one of the most serious flaws in permitting is the way environmental agencies fail to engage the public in permit decision-making” (NEJAC,2000). Thus, it is necessary that people from diverse culture be engaged in any of the environmental planning and their issues and concerns be considered by the agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

In this notion, Rawls on the in his Theory of Justice (1971) mentions that the application of the principle of equal liberty to the constitution produces the principle of participation which is assumed to be "equal" though the nature of equality. Based on this principle, it can be asserted that all the citizens must be dealt equally so that they have easy access to participation in all forms of environmental, social, and political decision making process.  As such, one of the principles of   environmental justice “demands the right to participate as equal partners at every level of decision-making, including needs assessment, planning, implementation, enforcement and evaluation” (Principles of Environmental Justice, 1991).

Likewise, capability in relation to environmental justice includes “what is necessary for functioning and flourishing of human and nonhuman alike; they address the integral aspects of the living process”(Scholsberg,2007,p.30). Therefore, environmental injustice is seen as a process that takes away the ability of individuals and their communities to fully function, through poor health and wide spread environmental threats. This thought goes beyond the limits of distributional theory. Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum (Sen 1985, 1999a, 1999b; Nussbaum and Sen 1992; Nussbaum 2000, 2006a) have developed a theory of justice that focuses on the capacity necessary for individuals to fully function in their chosen lives. The central argument of their capability approach is how those distributions affect people’s well-being and their ability to function. The focus is not only on the distribution of goods, but also more particularly on how those goods are transformed into the flourishing of individuals and communities. Schlosberg (2007) argues that capabilities are about person’s ability to do and to be what they choose in the context of a given society.  In this case capabilities also refer to empowerment of society so they are capable of understanding the issues of justice and able to raise voice against any kind of ills they suffer in society. This needs education and training that most of the poor communities are deprived of. Therefore, a number of academic examiners of the environmental justice movement note that the most important part of environmental justice activism is building community and community capacity, and facilitating community empowerment (Cole and Foster 2001).

 Bottom-line, it is to be noted that the concepts of distribution recognition, participation and capability are interwoven and justice can be served if we look into these dimensions of justice in isolation. In this context Schlosberg (2007) argues that when we look into the distribution of environmental risks, we also complain about misrecognition of community member. At the same time, we see the lack of participatory opportunities and consequently hampering our community functioning. Thus these concepts are thoroughly integrated and embodied in the notions of justice in the environmental justice movements and principles.
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