Environmental Justice: Where It Has Been, and Where It Might Be Going

Abstract

Taking stock of environmental justice (EJ) is daunting. It is at once a scholarly field, an ongoing social movement, and an administrative imperative adopted by government agencies and incorporated into legislation. Moreover, within academia, it is multidisciplinary and multimethodological, comprising scholars who do not always speak to one another. Any review of EJ is thus necessarily restrictive. This article explores several facets of EJ activism. One is its coalitional and “inside-outside” orientation. EJ activists are constantly forming alliances with other stakeholders, but these coalitions do not flout the importance of engaging with formal institutions. The review next turns to one set of such institutions—the courts and regulatory agencies—to see how well EJ claims have fared there. I then survey scientific findings that have been influenced by EJ. The review concludes with future directions for activists and scholars to consider: the changing nature of EJ coalitions, fragmentation within EJ and with other fields, the historical roots of environmental injustice, and opportunities for stronger infusion of the EJ lens. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Public Health, Volume 44 is April 2023. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Neighborhood Environmental Burden and Cardiovascular Health in the US

“…We also found that the most socially vulnerable neighborhoods were more likely to experience greater levels of environmental burden. This environmental injustice—rooted in factors such as economic inequality and systemic racism (eg, historical redlining)—has resulted in the concentration of low income and people of racial and ethnic minority groups in regions in close proximity to polluting facilities, major roadways, landfills, and other hazardous environmental exposures . The most-impacted neighborhoods often lack the political power and resources to influence decision-making processes and advocate against policies that exacerbate environmental burdens.…”

Carbon Pricing is not Unjust

“…This argument applies to co-harms, like local co-pollutants as well-indeed, probably even more strongly. Since vulnerable groups (especially racial minorities in the United States) are disproportionately exposed to local pollution (e.g., PM2.5 and NOx) from pollution point sources like factories and power plants, [26][27][28] reduction in emissions activities that reduce these co-pollutants would have even more than proportional benefits to these groups (for simplicity, we can say that there would be progressive cobenefits). Even if the reduction of co-pollutants is regressive, it would still have progressive co-benefits as long as the regressivity of the reductions is less than the regressivity of the initial disproportionate exposure.…”

The Environmental Justice Movement: An Analysis of Its Human Focus and Dynamic Pattern

“…However, environmental activists have started to look beyond the scope and consider the national potential of their work. As a trend, the interconnection and collaboration among grassroots organizations may be even more pronounced (Chowkwanyun, 2023). Moreover, significant actions as well have facilitated the integration between climate issues and the movement.…”

“…Studying environmental justice is beneficial for us not only because it can enhance overall health conditions, but also because it can improve and ensure social equality and justice, thereby establishing a more harmonious society. As a result, an increasing number of studies are focusing upon the subject of environmental justice and its various manifestations around the globe (Banzhaf et al, 2019;Carrión et al, 2022;Chowkwanyun, 2023;idem, 2022;Harrison, 2019). This essay will examine environmental justice as a movement by focusing upon its integrated history, the characteristics of its participants, the patterns associated with its development, and the limitations and scope of the movement.…”