Environmental Justice and Environmentalism

Environmental Justice

The idea that all communities deserve equal protection from pollution and environmental harm. It focuses on how communities of color and poor communities are often exposed to more toxic waste, pollution, and unsafe conditions. It is significant because it connects civil rights with environmental policy.

DDT

A pesticide widely used in the 20th century to kill insects. It was later shown to harm wildlife, ecosystems, and possibly human health. It is significant because concerns about DDT helped grow the modern environmental movement.

Silent Spring

Rachel Carson’s 1962 book that criticized pesticides like DDT. Carson argued that chemical pollution harmed birds, ecosystems, and humans. It is significant because it helped launch modern environmentalism and increased public concern about chemical pollution.

Warren County, NC

A 1982 protest against dumping toxic PCB-contaminated soil in a mostly Black community in North Carolina. Residents and activists protested environmental racism. It is significant because it is often seen as a key starting point for the environmental justice movement.