KORINNA DENNEHEY ECON 315 SPRING ‘12 TERM PROJECT Environmental Justice for All

What is Environmental Justice? The Environmental Justice (EJ) protests and acts against environmental degradation in low-income areas Landfills, solid waste plants, toxic chemical storage, power plants mostly found in areas with high poverty and minority rates  40% of African Americans households near toxic facility  30% of Latino households  20% of white households Risk of cancer and respiratory hazards increased

Background Sustainability of urban and poor communities has been ignored by mainstream environmental movement EJ movement began in 1970s and 1980s, grassroots “New civil rights of the 21 st century” Believes whole society benefits from safe jobs, health care to decrease disease and create awareness of air and water quality, public education, job training, and “green rights”

Mission and Goals Raise awareness of environmental disparities Making environment relevant to poor people  Disenfranchised from environmentalism  Tends to focus on ‘far away’ issues, rainforest and Arctic  Spans public health, community development, and economic growth Focus on people affected by the environmental degradation, rather than the concept of The Environment Directly challenging development companies and planners Challenging “NIMBY-ism"

Why the unbalance? Land is cheaper in low-income and minority communities  Cheaper to build interstates and waste facilities Many residents not home owners Poor residents have less political and economic power to fight back against harmful development  Less free time for education and organization

Pros and Cons Pros:  Cleaner air and water  Lower risks and rates of cancer and respiratory problems  Safer neighborhoods for children  Creation of green-collar job opportunities  Community empowerment, self- sufficiency Cons:  Amounts of time and energy needed to organize and educate  Difficulty challenging wealthy neighborhoods and companies  Wide range of issues as to why this discrimination exists

Action and Alternatives “Fight pollution and poverty at the same time and with the same solutions and methods.” -Van Jones of the Ella Baker Center Form action centers  Ella Baker Center – Oakland, CA  Physicians for Social Responsibility – Los Angeles, CA  Sustainable South Bronx – New York City, NY Train leaders within communities  Green Jobs Act of 2007  Oakland Green Jobs Corps  People ages with barriers to employment  Jobs, internships, and training in new energy skills

Action and Alternatives Strong grassroots campaigns Reform individual site permit process  Only reviews plans for chemical sites one-by-one  Doesn’t take into account overall picture in a community Bring in tours to witness pollution and degradation  Wealthier people to take action/donate funds  USC’s “toxic tours” Photo: Martijn Mollet-Molletphoto / Grid Alternatives

Appreciation and Questions EJ has been in important focus in my studies Gained information on specific people and centers dedicated to EJ Greater understanding of the many social and economic issues behind environmental discrimination Where did these landfills and other sites end up being built? Have these grassroots groups have faced opposition in their own communities because of jobs lost to moving plants somewhere else?