Introduction to Environmental Justice: Issues, Claims, and Policy Responses (day)

The Environmental Justice (EJ) movement has raised public awareness of how environmental benefits and burdens are inequitably distributed in society. Within this context, Environmental Justice activists and advocates have presented claims regarding the disproportionate environmental exposures and health impacts experienced by communities of color and low-income communities. As a result, proponents of EJ have appealed to policymakers (and others) to develop strategies to eliminate “environmental racism” and other forms of “environmental injustice” inherent in environmental policies and decision-making processes.

This introductory course will introduce students to the history of the EJ movement and the claims forwarded by EJ activists and advocates. Rooted in a worldview that defines “the environment” as “where we live, work,  play, pray, and go to school…,” from this perspective, EJ supporters have framed “environmental problems” in a manner that acknowledges the role of social location and power relationships in creating situations and conditions where certain groups are more vulnerable to environmental health risks and burdens.