The economically vulnerable and poor communities, poor states, poor nations and poor regions have succumbed to the notion. The movement demanded that no community, nation, whether rich or poor, whatever the color should be made dumping grounds for these deadly wastes. The movement also alerted the governments of these nations and regions to set up their own measures to protect the health and environment of their own people and areas (Bullard).
Citizen Action and Litigation
Many of the initial activities of the environmental justice movement were in the form of citizen action and litigation (Crossman 2005). Among them were the EPA's disparate-impact regulations, pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. These prohibited recipients of federal funding from engaging in racially discriminatory activities (Crossman).
Four Major Threats to Health
Four major environmental health hazards were identified as plaguing specifically the children in the United States (Bullard 2003). More specifically, the hazards were affecting people of color. These were lead poisoning, toxic housing, toxic schools, and the asthma epidemic (Bullard).
Reports said that lead poisoning was the top environmental health threat to children in the U.S. with 60% of American homes laced with lead-based paint (Bullard 2003). But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that children from low-income homes were eight times more apt to be afflicted with lead poisoning than children from richer homes. Black children were also five times likelier than White children to be affected. Studies conducted by the National Institute for Environmental Health Services found that lead content in a child or young person was associated with lower IQ, higher drop-out rates and higher delinquency rates (Bullard).
Toxic housing has to do with proximity to hazardous waste facilities. A joint study conducted by the Dallas Morning News and the University of Texas in Dallas in 2000 showed that 870,000 of the 9 million housing units for the poor were located within 1 mile from factories. These factories reported toxic emissions to the EPA. And most of these poor dwellers were minorities (Bullard).
A separate study conducted by the Center for Health, Environment and Justice in 2001 said that more than 600,000 poor and minority students in certain States attended schools within half a mile of federally-identified contaminated areas...
The third and most contentious explanation charges unequal distribution of pollutants and hazardous toxins to environmental racism. In this explanation race is a major factor. Research findings suggest, "...racism may be playing a role in the decision-making process" (p. 88). Industrial decision-makers frequently choose minority areas for disposal and industrial facilities. Concentrations of pollution are simply reflections of inherent injustice in the system. In other words, poor environmental quality in minority
Environmental Justice in the United States: Policies, Beliefs & People/Places Involved During the course of my college career, my interests and passions have changed, gradually evolving to an intensified mix of all that my Interdisciplinary Studies major encompasses. I began my college career seeking a Mass Communication degree; a course of study that focused primarily on community organization and mobilization. After feeling the harsh reality of advertising and public relations evils, I
For example, unequal protection may result from land-use decisions that determine the location of residential amenities and disamenities. Unincorporated, poor, and communities of color often suffer a "triple" vulnerability of noxious facility siting." (Bullard, 1998) Finally, 'Social Equity' is that which "assesses the role of sociological factors (race, ethnicity, class, culture, life styles, political power, etc.) on environmental decision making. Poor people and people of color often work in the
People who are guilty of personal attacks on Obama that challenge his birthplace, or equate him with Adolf Hitler, "…have been influenced to a major degree by a belief that he should not be president because he happens to be African-American" (CNN, p. 1). "It's a racist attitude," Carter asserted. And for this paper, it may be more like "modern racism" that does not embrace the "N-word" but does
. . political and law enforcement cronyism and corruption. . . And last, an surprising astonishing level of incompetence which symbolizes much of the authorized intelligence- meeting and investigative developments (Block, 1985, p.310). This lack of enforcement taking part in helping with the waste especially after a natural disaster such as a tornado will possibly allow such practices as illegal dumping to last unchecked. "The ideal answer to hazardous waste problems
Environmental Justice vs. Disadvantaged CommunitiesEnvironmental justice recognizes disadvantaged communities that generally are low-income and minority-populated areas disproportionately affected by pollution. The environmental problems such groups of people experience are broad, compromising air, soil, and even water. Ideally, environmental law and policy should address the disproportion and problems generated. Nevertheless, that is not the current situation, and very little to nothing is being done to find an effective solution. This essay
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now