Rural Environmental Justice: Summary

PART I: ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Introduction

Chemicals

Land Use

Rural Environmental Justice: Summary

Solutions

A Brief History of Environmental Justice

Examples

Resources

PART II: HOW CAN RESEARCH HELP?

Participatory Research and Environmental Justice



Microsite Credits

Environmental justice infractions commonly occur when a group with little political influence experiences decreased or contaminated resources, and/or negative cultural impacts. Some of the goals of a rural environmental justice movement are as follows:

1. Increase information, participation, and knowledge sharing between rural groups facing injustices.
2. Educate government agencies. Agencies are either unaware or unwilling to address the concerns of affected populations when resource allocation and management decisions are made.
3. Connect rural and urban issues and groups in order to build regional, issue-based, and/or statewide coalitions. In this way, tribes are not pitted against farm workers when water transfers are proposed, strategies are shared, and groups reach an understanding of one another's concerns Collaboration, albeit challenging, is the only way to create mutually beneficial alternatives. The strength and diversity of youth movements in environmental justice points to the increasing success of organizing across constituencies.