What is environmental justice?

Imagine some of us in the world who live in places exposed to pollution and some inconveniences caused by climate change, and some of us who are not really affected. Why the unfairness?
Environmental injustice has been around in our societies for a long time, and it is often also something governments close an eye to. Why do some have to live in places that out them in some form of harm to their health?

Environmental justice ensures that everybody has the means and ways to cope with, or at least to a certain extent are able to deal with environmental challenges and problems. Or at least have some kind of choices or a way out.
It is important to have this equity as societies are formed in big ways on how resources are distributed and shared.

Climate change, environmental impacts and injustices 

Why are the effects of climate change unevenly felt and unfairly dealt with? What is environmental justice, and why does it matter? 

Environmental justice refers to the fair or even redistribution of environmental benefits and burdens, regardless of economic status of people, skin colour, or ethnicity.  Environmental justice supports the policies about the environment and strengthens environmental laws. Equal distribution of resources and laws regarding pollution is key in environmental justice.

As the effects of climate change worsens, there will be more places suffering from its effects and more people suffering from its effects and deeper.


How certain groups of people seem to suffer more

Environmental injustice is caused by many factors, including discriminatory siting of facilities and infrastructures that exacerbates the externalities that occur from climate change effects, misguided regulatory policies, unequal regulation enforcement, and unequal political power.

Certain groups of people like the poor and the marginalised end up suffering more due to their inability to move, the limited ability to relocate, and the little or limited access and means they have to access resources. 

Indigenous people for instance, often find themselves on the receiving end of such injustices. They live close by to facilities that pollute which are not able to be sited elsewhere.
 
What is dreadful is that the contaminants from mines and factories can move into the water, air and soil, where they affect the flora and fauna Indigenous people rely on for traditional hunting, fishing and gathering.

We hope you enjoy this course, and write to us if there is anything we can help!
Email: admin@nehemiah.global


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