Environmental Inequality

Question 1

Environmental Justice

Answer 1

the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies

Question 2

How is pollution distributed across society?

Answer 2

pollution and environmental hazards unevenly distributed across social groups, communities and regions

Question 3

Environmental Inequality

Answer 3

situation in which a specific group is disproportionately affected by negative environmental conditions brought on by unequal laws, regulations and policies

Question 4

Environmental inequality mostly studied in terms of ______ and ______.

Answer 4

Race

Class

Question 5

Environmental Racism

Answer 5

deliberate targeting of communities of color for sites of pollutants and toxins

Question 6

Systematic exclusion of minorities in ___________ _______-________.

Answer 6

environmental decision-making

Question 7

What does it mean to have environmental privilege?

Answer 7

live close to parks, clean water and air, near areas with less traffic

income in particular can determine these neighborhood lay outs

Question 8

1982 Warren County

Answer 8

state government decided to locate a new hazardous waste landfill in a poor, minority community

Question 9

1983 U.S. General Accounting Office Report (GAO)

Answer 9

in southeast, about 3 out of 4 landfills located in predominantly black communities

Question 10

1987 United Church of Christ Racial Justice

Answer 10

zip codes with waste facilities had double the minority populations of those without

Question 11

What did studies in the 1970s show?

Answer 11

poorer the neighborhood, the more polluted the air

Question 12

How does inequality happen? (3 reasons)

Answer 12

1) Facilities developed first and then neighborhoods built around it
2) no bias in selection but once people with money can move, it leaves poor and changes demographic
3) selected for other reasons (cheap land, zoning, access to transportation hub) and race/class composition a byproduct

Question 13

How does this type of targeting happen? (3 reasons)

Answer 13

1) class or racial prejudice
2) targeted because perceived as less powerful/politically able to stop the site
3) believe disadvantaged people will be more willing to accept promised jobs, taxes, from new facility

Question 14

What are the 4 dimensions of environmental justice?

Answer 14

Local struggles, legal gains and loss, policies, & challenges

Question 15

Local struggles

Answer 15

opposition to sites of pollution, waste, landfills

Question 16

Legal gains & loss

Answer 16

applying civil rights law to cases of environmental injustice