Episode 04: Environmental Justice
This episode is a conversation on Environmental Justice with Miranda Mlilo! Miranda is a Food and Agriculture Intern at Friends of the Earth, and graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Environmental Science and Policy. Listen to learn more about the history of this movement, the issues central to EJ today, and how we can all help change our future.
Definition
According to the EPA, Environmental Justice is defined as, “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.”
History Lessons
John Muir and Indigenous Peoples: Muir is considered the father of the environmental movement, and many people were shocked to discover his mistreatment of indigenous peoples. This has led way to new discussions about how indigenous peoples are truly the first environmentalists for their protect of our world’s biodiversity.
Dr. Robert Bullard and Bean vs. Southwestern Waste Management: Dr. Bullard is considered the father of modern day environmental justice and the case that started it all was Bean vs. Southwestern Waste Management. This case was the first under civil rights law to prove that people of color were unfairly discriminated against in regards to the environment.
Timeline of the Environmental Justice Movement: In this article, the NRDC details how this movement came to be.
Just a Few of Today’s EJ Issues
What the EPA Says: Here is a list of the issues that the EPA has identified under Environmental Justice.
Natural Resource Extraction: Indigenous peoples, Latinx, and Black communities have all been unfairly affected by natural resource extraction. An example of these projects includes the oil pipelines that flow through tribal lands.
Industrial Agriculture: The cycle of distress that this industry causes to communities is evidenced by the pollution that is created through farming practices—pollution that also goes back to unjustly affect the minority and low-income workers on the farms.
Point Source Pollution: Pollution that comes from a single place, like incinerators and smokestacks, are deeply harmful to the communities they inhabit, and especially discriminatory against communities with people of color and low income.
Government Policies are Not Helping: Oftentimes the policies that are in place do not enforce that our government (looking @ you EPA) addresses serious issues with urgency, even in cases of major harm to both people and our planet (ex: the incinerator that we all heard about in Flint, Michigan is still operating today).
How to Get Involved
Stay tuned for a blog post featuring resources to learn more about race and how it intersects with the environment—as well as how to take action against the injustices that our society is facing right now.
