JUST 357 MIDTERM

movements for and studies of environmental justice arise from

combinations of socioeconomic, racial, and gendered inequalities

environmental justice

A social movement and field of study that focuses on equal enforcement of environmental laws and eliminating disparities in the exposure of environmental harms to different ethnic and socioeconomic groups within a society.

environmental racism

patterns of development that expose poor people, especially minorities, to environmental hazards.
EJ is the movement in response to ER

environmental equity

proportionate and equitable distribution of environmental benefits and risks among diverse economic and cultural communities
The governments response to EJ

Dr. Robert D. Bullard

"father of environmental justice", activist

National People of color environmental leadership summit

drafted and adopted 17 principles of environmental justice

3 dimensions of Environmental Justice

1.distribution
2. procedure
3. recognition

Distributive Justice

how environmental harms and benefits are allocated/distributed among individuals and groups

Procedural Justice

governance, with emphasis on participation and the process of policy, rule, and decision making

Recognition Justice

the accommodation and respect of different people, their culture, their relations to nature and the environment, their identities, and their knowledge systems.

justice as recognition 3 key mechanisms

1. formal or customary institutions (land dominated by males)
2. cultural norms
3. forms of knowledge

environment

the biotic and abiotic surroundings of an organism or population

the western social construction of nature developed through and reinforced by

1.Culture
2. Politics
3. Science and the academy

Nature and the human knowledge of nature are...

socially constructed

nature-society hybrids

forests, domesticated crops, GMO's

environmental history of injustice

the social construction of race, environments, and land in the U.S.
nation was founded on the principles of "free land" "free labor" and "free men"

post ww2 decolonization in Africa and Asia caused...

emergence of the "third world"

North/South Distinctions

Geography and history
Former colonizers vs. former colonies
economic standing and political hegemony
developed world vs. developing world

unequal ecological exchange

-source of most environmental distribution conflicts
-wealthy countries sustain high energy consumption while shifting the ecological burden onto less powerful places.
-SHIFTING THE BURDEN

Ecological debt

Liability of the most developed economies for the problems caused by resource extraction, waste dumping, & other environmental hazards, both within & outside of their borders

environmental externalities

externalities that affect the environment such as the impact of pollution on wildlife

Inequity

unfair distributions of burdens & benefit

Dominance and Hegemony

unequal participation & lack of recognition & respect

Ineffective Legal Institutions & Norms

deficient international treaties & lack of procedural remedies

Pristine Myth

The misconception that the New World was a lightly populated, unmodified wilderness when it was first encountered by Christopher Columbus.

Terra Nullius

a legal principle signifying that an area of land belongs to no one

Tenochtitlan

16th century metropolis
250,000 people
very developed

LiDAR Data

shows civilizations were much larger and denser than once thought

Pigs

triggered Native American depopulation

Indian Stereotype

Dehumanizing
◦ Related to "vanishing Indian" & "noble savage" tropes
◦ Justifies violent conquest & dispossession

Terra Preta

Dark, fertile soils high in charcoal and nutrient content, created by native populations in the Amazon River Basin before the arrival of Europeans.

Traditional ecological knowledge

A cumulative body of knowledge, practices, & representations that describes the relationships of living beings with one another & with their physical environment, which evolved by adaptive processes & has been handed down through generations by cultural transmission

Rio Earth Summit

Meeting held in 1992 that led to treaties and conventions to deal with environmental problems and means to address sustainable development.

Principle 22

"Indigenous people & their communities & other local communities have a vital role in environmental management & development because of their knowledge & traditional practices. States should recognize & duly support their identity, culture & interests & enable their effective participation in the achievement of sustainable development

biosphere reserves

Protected area consisting of zones that vary in the amount of permissible human impact
Failed to recognize TEK

Chico Mendes

Fought to stop the burning and logging of the Amazon Rainforest to clear land for cattle ranching.

Wangari Maathai & The Green Belt Movement

Africa as global leader in community-based reforestation & sustainable development

REDD+

(Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation)
-has resistance from many indigenous groups

Biocultural or socioecological conservation

Protect environment by working with local communities
◦ Indigenous or local culture & values integrated into conservation planning
◦ Prioritizes long-term relationships & livelihoods (over profits)