Environmental Justice

Definition

Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. It emphasizes the need to address environmental inequities and ensure that marginalized communities have equal access to a healthy environment.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The environmental justice movement began in the United States during the 1980s as a response to the disproportionate impact of environmental hazards on low-income and minority communities.
2. Key principles of environmental justice include the right to a healthy environment, community participation in decision-making, and equitable distribution of environmental benefits and burdens.
3. Environmental justice advocates often highlight how industrial pollution and waste are more likely to be located near marginalized communities, resulting in health disparities.
4. The concept has gained international recognition through various treaties and agreements emphasizing human rights and sustainable development.
5. Art has been used as a powerful tool within the environmental justice movement to raise awareness, provoke thought, and mobilize communities around issues affecting their environments.

Review Questions

• How does environmental justice relate to key philosophies in art and ecology that advocate for inclusivity?
  • Environmental justice aligns with philosophies in art and ecology that emphasize inclusivity by advocating for diverse voices in environmental decision-making. Artists often engage with communities that are disproportionately affected by environmental issues, using their work to highlight these inequalities. This inclusivity fosters a greater understanding of how art can serve as a platform for underrepresented communities to express their concerns and influence ecological outcomes.
• Discuss how contemporary indigenous artists contribute to the dialogue surrounding environmental justice through their work.
  • Contemporary indigenous artists contribute significantly to the dialogue on environmental justice by addressing land rights, resource extraction, and cultural preservation in their artwork. They often draw on traditional ecological knowledge to critique modern practices that threaten their ancestral lands. Through exhibitions and collaborative projects, these artists raise awareness of the injustices faced by indigenous communities while advocating for sustainable relationships with the environment.
• Evaluate how interdisciplinary approaches can enhance understanding of environmental justice issues within ecological art practices.
  • Interdisciplinary approaches enhance understanding of environmental justice by integrating insights from science, sociology, policy studies, and art. For example, collaborations between scientists and artists can visually represent data on pollution's impact on marginalized communities. This fusion allows for a more comprehensive analysis of systemic inequalities while also engaging broader audiences through accessible art forms. By addressing complex issues from multiple angles, these approaches can foster community empowerment and drive actionable change towards achieving environmental justice.

Related terms

Environmental Racism:

A term used to describe how minority communities are disproportionately burdened by environmental hazards and pollution due to systemic racism in policy-making.

Sustainable Development: A development approach that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, often intersecting with social equity.

Activism: The policy or action of using vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change, particularly in the context of advocating for environmental justice.