Many community advocates interpret environmental injustice in diverse ways, and It is vital to understand the debate that surrounds the terminology. Environmental injustice, “occurs when local governments or companies build environmentally detrimental infrastructure in minority communities.” Therefore, minority citizens residing in these communities are facing the environmental penalties for circumstances out of their control. The struggle of gaining rights to clean air and water in these neighborhoods are the factors that exist in the environmental justice movement. Thus, various observers have made the argument that lack of clean air and water in these neighborhoods are occurring because of the socioeconomic class of the individual or because …show more content…
Sociologists Robert Band and Glenn John interpret environmental injustice as a socioeconomic issue. Band and John claim that these companies choice of placement is not due to zoning guidelines, but done strategically, as they predict a heavily populated poor community will have little to no power to stop them. From the previous history, individuals in these communities can be easily swayed if the companies can provide incentives, such as jobs or money to discourage them from speaking out. In addition, they reiterate that the citizens who are impoverished lack the political power to fight against companies inflicting the damage. Therefore, instead of this injustice focusing on race, the socioeconomic interpretation focuses on the lack of political power that individuals have when they are in a low socioeconomic …show more content…
Take, for example, the major injustice that occurred in 1978 in a predominantly Caucasian, working class city of Niagara Falls, New York. The Hooker Chemical Corporation designated an area within the city that was used as a “chemical disposal site.” When the company decided to sell the canal, they buried the chemical residue left with dirt and sold the land to the School of Board of Education for a dollar, with a disclosure to the School Board “warning…chemical wastes buried on this property and a disclaimer absolving Hooker of any future liability.” With full disclosure from the Hooker Cooperation, the School Board of Education built an elementary school on top of this hazardous
The Grassy Narrows people have a long, deeply rooted history in the environmental justices movement. Rodgers (2009) points to a number of environmental justice struggles such as the fight against the harmful effects of mercury poisoning and the Minamata disease associated with it (para. 1-3), the Ontario Hydro dams that destroyed part of the wild rice harvest and degraded the habitat of fish and fur animals, as well as the displacement of the community (due to relocation into prefabricated houses where electricity and running water were promised) and the culture shock it created (para. 4). He also discusses the successful blockade in 2002, which is the longest-lasting blockade in Canadian history (para. 28)—an example that shows how employing legal methods were critical in the struggle against environmental injustices for this community. There are a number of other issues that will be discussed in the following paragraphs; the above are just a few of the injustices the Grassy Narrows community face.
Erikson's theory does not take into account any difference between those suffering with social oppression and those with privilege. For instance, it does not discuss how ethnicity, sex and social class affects each stage’s possible success or failure; since his theory does not discuss how the factors of social oppression and social privilege affect each stage of development. This theory was based mainly on male development, which is why it fails to include social oppressions/privileges (Fleming, 2004, p. 9-22).
One of such being the topic of environmental racism. A sometimes muddled phrase, environmental racism refers to policies and practices that discriminate against people of color (AJ+). A phenomenon evolved from colonialism, environmental racism promotes the reality that our planet and its inhabitants are disposable to the protection of the elite. An obvious example being the constant relocation of indigenous peoples in the American continent. Growing up hearing tales of my grandmother’s life on the Rosebud Lakota tribal lands of South Dakota, I have been instilled from a young age with a deep respect and understanding for the sacred bond between a tribe and its land. This precious land constantly suffers use and abuse by government and private institutions. If one attempts to climb the Vatican or even the Salt Lake City temple, law enforcement swiftly intervenes, yet tourists and outdoorsmen explore sacred lands of the indigenous natives every day of the summer for profit. That profit, monetary gain controls the actions of those with the power to protect communities of color. The pursuit of profit snuffs the importance of protecting equality in our capitalist driven country. The prospect of gaining revenue and resources seems to justify the uprooting or infecting of populations. Just last year, despite heavy pushback from the Sioux, my ancestral nation, the Dakota Access Pipeline runs just a half mile
Shriver, Thomas, and Gary Webb. “Rethinking the Scope of Environmental Injustice: Perceptions of Health Hazards in Rural Native American Community Exposed to Carbon Black.” Rural Sociology 74.2 (2009): 270-292. EBSCO Host. Web. 12 December, 2009.
For instance, relating to the employment, there were two obvious hierarchical differences between the black and the white, and women and men. According to Kimberle (2015), in the late 1970, the employment opportunities for black people and women were still in the straitened circumstance, furthermore, even if there were chances for them, “... the black job were men’s job, and the women’s job were only for whites.” (Kimberle Cranshaw 2015). In other words, there was no opportunity for the black women. In this case, the unjust discriminatory treatment for black women simply resulted from their intersected identities as a “black” and “woman” both were marginalized in the society. In regard to this, however, the important point is that people did not analyze the cause of this situation through considering it from the both racial and sexual sides simultaneously. People ignored the experience of the others, and categorized the black women based on their sex as a “woman”. In other words, people, especially who were in the privileged position, just neglected the subtle “differences” of others, and they stretched the rules to their own advantages. Relating to these “differences”, Audre Lorde (1984: 115) explains that “ But we have no patterns for relating across our human differences as equals. As a result, those differences have been misnamed and misused in the
Bryan Stevenson states that in the U.S one out of three black men are either in prison or on probation/parole. Within the criminal justice system, it has been brought up that there is still racial and wealth inequality. Stevenson argues that one is likely to be treated better if they are rich and guilty opposed to being poor and innocent. Identity becomes a factor in this controversial issue when it is clear that no one is fighting for the equality. Stevenson brings up the point of the issue not being personal. If the problem is not personal, then it’s not the problem of the community. However, he argues that if no one will address problem, then the problem will never get solved. Similarly, Bryan Stevenson proclaims that within the nation, identity is based solely on how the poor is treated. People in poverty have a lack of opportunity, and they are often blamed and mistreated for this unfortunate way of life. Stevenson goes on to say that “the opposite of poverty is not wealth, it is justice.” What he means by this statement is that poverty is unjust. The fact that one is less fortunate the most should never be the reason to be mistreated. Recognizing that poverty is injustice is a positive way of improving one’s identity because may be the start of dealing with one of the nation’s many
Nydia Velazquez is a representative for New York’s Twelfth Congressional District, which includes parts of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. In her essay “In Search of Justice,” Velazquez describes several unjust situations that happened in her district. She points out that the residents of Greenpoint, which is the heart of her district, are among the poorest in the country. She argues that large corporations carelessly dump their waste next to poor minorities’ living areas and emphasizes the terrible air conditions in her district. Velazquez believes that minority communities are treated unfairly under the environmental law, which targets large corporations.
Environmental racism is the “targeting of minorities and low-income communities to bear a disproportionate share of environmental costs. It refers to any policy or practice that differently affects or disadvantages individuals, groups or communities based on race or skin color” (Schill & Austin 1991). Environmental racism focuses on race as the primary factor why poor minorities in the United States are bearing a disproportionate share of the nation’s waste. According to research done by The Commission of Racial Justice of the United Church of Christ, areas containing two or more waste facilities or one of the largest waste landfills in the nation had on average about 40% people of color (Mohai, Pellow & Timmons
A large number of low-income and minority families live in poor economic conditions. The economy is altered on account of multinational companies locating new facilities where land values and operation costs are low. Cheap lands are easily attained by polluting facilities because underprivileged communities are unable to effectively prevent such shortcomings. When companies locate their new facilities in these areas, property values decline and quality of life decreases (Mohai and Saha 2007: 345). Following this phenomenon is a decrease in the white and affluent populations of these areas. When property values decline, housing is made affordable, therefore, minorities and the poverty-stricken move in. This paradox commences the stages of environmental racism. Despite notable improvements in environmental inequalities, internationally, billions of people live in hazardous physical conditions. Furthermore, “These communities suffer both the physical and social consequences of housing discrimination, residential segregation, and...
Racism is commonly thought of as an act that is synonymous with violence; however, one common form of racism, environmental racism, often takes place without people being aware the events are happening before detrimental activities have been put into action. In Melissa Checker’s book Polluted Promises, she relates that Reverend Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. coined the term environmental racism while stating that there is “deliberate targeting of communities of color for toxic waste disposal and the siting of polluting industries” (Checker 14). This problem is important to discuss, as many groups of people around the United States continue to be impacted by these events every day. Such people include
Social injustice in our society portrays the segregation of people among different types of groups. Throughout history, humans have been divided into different social classes from lowest to highest. People in the lower class experiences many hardships when it comes to living and are seen as inferior in society.
It wasn’t until a study called Toxic Waste and Race done by the Church of Christ in 1987 showed that the most significant factor is deciding a location of a hazardous waste facility was racial did the movement gain momentum. While there are many debate on what environmental justice is, most would say the first significant documentation of it was when the Principles of Environmental Justice was written, signed, and sent to DC to be reviewed in the 1990’s. Various community leaders from churches to council members to school teachers came together at the National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit and made a point in showing that the citizens are not happy with how their environment has been handled and the ideals that legislation has come to fruition under. Ideals such as fairness when making policy, responsible use of renewable resources, balanced relations with native americans, use of military force on peoples, and mitigation for victims domestically and abroad are only a few controversial topics they
As Mr. Bullard put it in his article, Overcoming Racism in Environmental Decision-making, “if a community is poor or inhabited largely by people of color, there is a good chance that it receives less protection than a community that is affluent and white.” (Bullard) The problem at hand is how because of someone’s race their air, land, and water will get polluted. Kids will play in areas with contaminants that will harm their health; especially their brain development. A domino effect takes place because, in the long run, it means that these kids will grow up and have difficulties in school, leading to a vicious cycle of
In relation to the Critical Race Theory, the idea of the “gap between law, politics, economics, and sociological reality of racialized lives” (Critical Race Theory slides). The critical race theory gives us a guide to analyze privileges and hardships that comes across different races and gender. For example, analyzing how and why a “black” or “indigenous” woman may experience more hardships versus not only a “white” man, but a “white”
The first term, ascribed status plays a large role in the analysis. For example, it is the social status a person is assigned at birth or assumed involuntarily later in life. It is a position that is neither earned nor chosen, but assigned. This term depicts the two families immensely. The mother and father in both families came from poor backgrounds and lived through struggle their entire lives. This plays a large role in life because it already puts you behind people who come from successful backgrounds. It is not easy to work your way back out of poverty if you were born into it. Nobody asks to live that way, but some are just assigned to live that way, and cannot do anything about it to fix it.