ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT....
Toxins and radiation in your child's playground, in your home, or in your community?
Public health issues, including the safety of your family's food and water, and the consequence of air pollutants such as lead?
The risks borne by vulnerable members of society, such as farm workers exposed to dangerous pesticides, and children affected by skyrocketing rates of asthma?
Being forced to choose between jobs, economic development or environmental protection?
The lack of opportunities for young people to become leaders and make positive contributions to society?
The Environmental Justice movement is made up of people who share your concerns and are doing something about it.
WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE?
In order to understand environmental justice, we need to recognize environmental injustice. Environmental injustice, or "environmental racism," is defined as the disproportionate impact that pollution and toxins have on people of color, indigenous peoples and poor people.
Studies have confirmed that a toxic or dangerous facility is more likely to be located in a community of color (Afican American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Latino or Asian and Pacific Islander) than in a white community.
These same communities that serve as dumping grounds for society's waste are also chronically denied a fair share of society's goods, such as school dollars, decent jobs, and public parks. Such inequalities are compounded by the new rules of the global economy, which increasingly give more freedom to large corporations but make it more difficult for communities to defend themselves against negative environmental and economic consequences.
The good news is that there is now a movement of people across North America working to change this. In addition to protecting our land, air and water, this movement works to implement preventative public health programs and provide urban and rural communities more control over their own resources by encouraging them to speak for themselves.
The ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE movement prioritizes the protection of the environment "where we live, work, play, go to school and pray." What we all have in common is a commitment to build healthy communities. The success of the movement means overall improvements for our environment and better health and safety for everyone.