Social justice aims to ensure fair treatment of individuals and groups. The concept of social justice is that every group or individual receives a fair share of social and economic benefits, as well as environmental benefits. As such, environmental justice is an integral part of social justice. In social justice, advantages, as well as disadvantages, should be distributed evenly across all members of society, regardless of their race or background.
The difference between environmental and social justice is that environmental justice, although part of social justice, deals exclusively with the environment. Environmental justice is primarily concerned with the positive as well as negative effects that different environmental factors can have on communities and individuals.
There can be environmental advantages as well as disadvantages. Advantages include access to green spaces, clean water and air, and others. Disadvantages can be hazards from waste or industrial facilities, air or noise pollution from traffic, as well as other detrimental environmental hazards.
Environmental Justice
In the U.S., an environmental justice movement inspired by the civil rights movement gained momentum in the 1980s, according to the University of Michigan’s Center for Sustainable Systems. The environmental justice movement is, in a way, a response to environmental racism.
A study commissioned by the United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice during the 1980s focused on toxic waste distribution throughout the United States. This study found that more than 15 million African Americans, as well as millions of Hispanics and Native Americans, lived close to at least one toxic waste site.
Unfortunately, much work still needs to be done even today to try and achieve environmental justice for communities of color, minority communities, and those of low income.
Environmental Injustice
An article published in Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) defines environmental injustice as the “disproportionate exposure of communities of color and the poor to pollution, and its concomitant effects on health and environment, as well as the unequal environmental protection and environmental quality provided through laws, regulations, governmental programs, enforcement, and policies.”
Environmental injustice can have devastating effects on the health and morbidity of those living in underprivileged minority communities. These communities suffer from considerable exposure to environmental hazards such as toxic substances, polluted water or air, or dangerously high levels of air pollution from traffic sources.
Those suffering from the negative effects of environmental pollution, whether from toxic waste, industrial operations, or other sources, can develop many diseases, including but not limited to:
- Decreased lung function
- Asthma
- Emphysema
- Cancers
- Immune deficiencies
- Nerve disorders
- Liver and kidney damage
- Skin diseases
Constant exposure to pollutants and toxic substances in water or air can also cause early deaths. According to Newsweek, 200,000 Americans die each year due to environmental pollution, with lower-income communities as well as black communities disproportionately affected.
Environmental Racism
An extreme form of environmental injustice is environmental racism. Environmental racism exists when corporate or government decisions deliberately disadvantage minority communities, for example, by exposing them to industrial facilities or toxic waste sites. Such decisions can affect communities of color or those with a lower socio-economic standard disproportionately when compared to affluent or white neighborhoods.
Environmental racism can have several causes, for example, the availability of cheap land in black or lower-income neighborhoods, intentional neglect, and lack of enforcement of environmental protection laws, to name just a few.
Environmental racism is just as wrong and egregious as any other form of racism and mistreatment. The deliberate pollution of black or low-income neighborhoods causes people in those communities immeasurable suffering. Not only can pollution and living close to toxic waste have severe consequences on people’s life quality, but it can also destroy their health and potentially cause premature deaths.
If your community or you individually suffered from environmental injustice and racism, you can do something about it. Consulting with an environmental justice lawyer is a good first step that can help you get clear about any avenues for pursuing justice and compensation.
Ben Crump Law, PLLC Can Fight for Your Community
While there are some differences between environmental and social justice, the fact remains that we are all supposed to enjoy the equal rights that come with both, whatever our racial or financial background.
If you, your family, or your entire community suffers from significant environmental injustice, you should contact us. Environmental injustice contributes to the inequality that black and minority communities still have to face every day, and it is unacceptable.
We can speak out on your behalf and potentially hold those responsible to account, whether they are local governments, businesses, or even global companies. We are not afraid to tackle tough cases and will not leave a stone unturned in our fight for equality.
Clean air and clean water are not luxuries, but an essential right. In recent years, the United Nations passed a resolution stating that access to clean water is a basic human right. Hopefully, we will soon see similar resolutions regarding clean air and the right to live in a healthy environment.
Nobody has the right to deny you and your loved ones access to clean water, clean air, and a non-toxic environment based on your color or nationality. Ben Crump Law, PLLC is here for you. Call us today for a free case evaluation at (800) 959-1444.
