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EnvironmentalRacism.edited.docx3
Environmental Racism
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Environmental Racism
The paper aims to evaluate the strategies that serve as interventions to mitigate environmental racism and work toward environmental justice. Agyeman et al (2016) found that despite the country advocating and fighting for equal rights for all citizens, environmental injustices are still happening. Environmental racism is one of the inequities, whereby some laws or policies are applied disproportionately. The laws discriminate against some people, target people of color or low-income earners, and expose them to environmental hazards.
However, community members have not been quiet and they have been doing the following to mitigate environmental injustice. First, educating themselves on how environmental injustices are practiced. One way of knowing that a certain community is being discriminated against is understanding the disproportionate environmental hazards. Communities are also learning about the local and federal policies to understand when they are applied inappropriately. Second, forming community-based social justice associations. Some community members have studied law and gained other necessary knowledge on environmental justice and decided to give back to the community. They have helped communities to form movements that fight against injustices and become advocates where people can seek support and guidance. A good example is Black Lives Matter.
Fourth, some communities have been using boycotts to express their anger and disappointment with environmental racism. Many companies value and take the necessary precautions to avoid harming the environment where people live. However, some deliberately cause environmental harm to vulnerable communities for economic gain. After trying all other means and failing to see progress, the only option is always to boycott. The community organizes peaceful demonstrations and walks in the streets seeking justice.
Other important players are the NGOs and other government and international institutions. A good example of such a player is a United Nations agency called the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This agency can reduce environmental injustices by enforcing environmental laws globally. They can do so by monitoring organizations to ensure they provide a safe and health working environment for all employees. UNDP can also ensure that justice is served by having environmental justice advocates and human rights institutions that function accordingly.
Another important player is the policymakers. They have developed various policies that operate at local, state, and federal levels to address environmental injustices. Some of these policies include, first, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This operates at the federal level, whereby the agency is mandated to promote environmental justice in all its activities. Federal agencies work closely with the community, provide a platform where they n report allegations of environmental injustices, gather evidence by conducting environmental impact assessments, and ensure justice is served. Second, Executive Order 12898, which operates under federal agencies. The policy requires federal agencies to have viable strategies to apply while administering justice to people suffering from environmental injustices. It directs the agencies to identify how some people are disadvantaged and environmentally harmed by others or organizations because of their race, color, economic status, or other parameters. However, these laws can be applied at other levels based on the bargaining agreement between the parties involved.
There are so many barriers limiting the application of these policies as well as strategies. Some of the barriers include, first, lack of knowledge. Many people in society experience environmental injustices, but they don't know how to deal with the issue. They don't know where to report or ask for help. Second, threats from organizations or powerful people in a society practicing these environmental injustices. This mostly happens in low-earning neighborhoods, whereby an organization threats people living around from reporting any environmental harm, like pollution. Most of those people are even employed by those organizations and so they prefer not to talk.
Third, lack of proper policies or laws to serve justice to the people. In many cases, when such organizations or individuals are reported, they still walk since there are no specific laws to prosecute them. Fourth, corruption and an ineffective judicial system whereby these organizations buy judges and rule in their favor because most of the plaintiffs are poor and they don't have resources to fight in courts for justice. The justice system has failed, despite community members doing their part. I think environmental racism can be reduced if all stakeholders can work together, and establish tough laws on how to deal with organizations or individuals engaging in activities that may harm some people just because they seem less important because of their economic status or race.
References
Agyeman, J., Schlosberg, D., Craven, L., & Matthews, C. (2016). Trends and directions in environmental justice: from inequity to everyday life, community, and just sustainability. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 41, 321-340.
Mohai, P., & Bryant, B. (2019). Environmental racism: Reviewing the evidence. In Race and the incidence of environmental hazards (pp. 163-176). Routledge.
