Equity and the Environment by William R. Freudenburg (Editor); Robert Wilkinson (Editor)
Around the time of the first 'Earth Day', on April 22, 1970, the academic world joined in a virtual explosion of societal interest in a topic that inherently lies in the confluence between 'social problems' and 'public policy' - the ways in which humans use and abuse the natural environment. In the worlds of social movement organizations and policy, that newfound interest showed up in dramatic growth of environmental organizations and a stream of powerful new environmental laws. In the academic world, echoes of the explosion showed up in equally dramatic growth of interdisciplinary 'environmental' programs with an explicit focus on the fact that 'environmental problems' are inherently social problems as well. Over the past decade, a growing body of research has shown that equity issues need to receive greater attention in academia - not just among activists, and not just as the focus of courses on environmental ethics, but as topics that deserve careful academic study and that in many ways are at the core of what we call 'environmental' problems. As David Orr (1992) noted, 'the symptoms of environmental deterioration are in the domain of the natural sciences, but the causes lie in the realm of the social sciences and humanities'. This volume is intended to call this research to attention, but also to encourage its further expansion; far from being the kind of topic that ought to be relegated to a small pigeonhole, issues of equity and inequality deserve to be absolutely central to the study of connections between humans and the habitat that we share with all other life on earth. This volume brings together the leading research on equity and the environment. It features contributions from academics and researchers in the field. This book series is available electronically at website.
ISBN: 9780762314171
Publication Date: 2008-01-01
The World We Need: stories and lessons from America's unsung environmental movement by
As the world's scientists have come together and declared a "climate emergency," the fight to protect our planet's ecological resources and the people that depend on them is more urgent than ever. But the real battles for our future are taking place far from the headlines and international conferences, in mostly forgotten American communities where the brutal realities of industrial pollution and environmental degradation have long been playing out. The World We Need provides a vivid introduction to America's largely unsung grassroots environmental groups--often led by activists of color and the poor--valiantly fighting back in America's so-called sacrifice zones against industries poisoning our skies and waterways and heating our planet. Through original reporting, profiles, artwork, and interviews, we learn how these activist groups, almost always working on shoestring budgets, are devising creative new tactics; building sustainable projects to transform local economies; and organizing people long overlooked by the environmental movement--changing its face along the way. Capturing the riveting stories and hard-won strategies from a broad cross section of pivotal environmental actions--from Standing Rock to Puerto Rico--The World We Need offers a powerful new model for the larger environmental movement, and inspiration for concerned citizens everywhere
ISBN: 9781620975169Publication Date: 2021
