Environmental justice is 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. People have an equal right to a healthy environment to live, learn, and work. Consensus can be difficult when defining shared interests of humans and the planet, but most can agree on water, air and land (food and shelter) are needed for survival. While not all agree on the importance of preserving the natural world for intrinsic value, pollution of natural resources violates the most basic human right to life. The right is violated when companies continue to pollute resources, with little to no consequences, and the governmental organizations designed to protect resources are not enforcing those protections.
According to EPA records, more than 64,000 facilities are currently listed in agency databases as being in violation of federal environmental law, but fewer than one-half of one percent of violations trigger criminal investigations. Many worry that civil proceedings, which typically result in fines, not jail time or restitution, don’t offer robust deterrence necessary to curb violators.
Widening social inequalities and accelerating damage to the environment are rooted together in capitalism. While the economy needs both social and environmental resources to survive, capitalism assigns no intrinsic value in return and instead engages in practices that exploit both. A society that promotes sustainable development considers social and environmental impacts, not just economic outcomes. In order to live in a world that promotes social justice and environmental sustainability, people must call for collective action through the state (locally and nationally) and transnational institutions. “We must pool resources, recognize shared interests, and act together so that everyone has an equal chance in life, not just those with the deepest pockets and sharpest elbows.”
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