Environmental Pollution and Social Inequality: The Perspective of Environmental Justice

Authors

  • Jihong Xie

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61173/g3g7e951

Keywords:

Environmental justice, social inequality, pollution, policy reform, community action

Abstract

Environmental pollution is now a global problem that directly affects ecosystems and the health of people who live, but disproportionately affects low-income communities. The paper discusses four types of environmental pollution namely air, water, soil, and noise in connection to social inequality within the framework of environmental justice. The study underscores that pollution is not an equal opportunity killer; it disproportionately affects the poor, aggravating disease and poverty. Worse, when environmental policies are crafted without acknowledging these injustices, they will inevitably perpetuate existing inequalities. The research results indicated the importance of increased policy equity, stakeholder engagement, and technological innovation in reducing environmental risk and enhancing sustainability. To solve these problems, modern people need a holistic solution that involves policy change; local action, and technology developed for cleaner capabilities. Together, these findings highlight the necessity of embedding environmental justice concerns into policy to build an equitable and healthier future for everyone.

References

[1] KNOX J H. Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Issue of Human Rights Obligations Relating to the Enjoyment of a Safe, Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment: Biodiversity Report[EB/OL]//papers.ssrn.com. Rochester, NY(2017-01-19). https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2913630.

[2] UNICEF. Air pollution accounted for 8.1 million deaths globally in 2021, becoming the second leading risk factor for death, including for children under five years[EB/OL]//UNICEF. UNICEF, 2024. https://www.unicef.org/rosa/press-releases/ air-pollution-accounted-81-million-deaths-globally-2021- becoming-second-leading-risk#:~:text=Air%20pollution%20 accounted%20for%208.1,for%20children%20under%20five%20 years.

[3] SCHWEITZER L, NOBLET J. Chapter 3.6 - Water Contamination and Pollution[EB/OL]//TÖRÖK B, DRANSFIELD T. ScienceDirect. Elsevier, 2018: 261- 290. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/ Fig. 4 Information ecological-cartographic B978012809270500011X. models of environmental pollution Cs137 on

[4] GOINES L, HAGLER L. Noise Pollution: A Modern the Rivne region).[29] Plague[J/OL]. Southern Medical Journal, 2007, 100(3): 287- 294. https://docs.wind-watch.org/Goines-Hagler-2007-Noise_ 5. Conclusion pollution__a_modern_plague.pdf. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/ smj.0b013e3180318be5. Environmental contamination and enhanced levels of

[5] BRULLE R J, PELLOW D N. ENVIRONMENTAL social unfairness thus interacted in complex multifarious JUSTICE: Human Health and Environmental Inequalities[J/ ways with major implications for human health and jus- O L]. A nnua l R e vie w of Public H e a lth, 2006, 27( 1) : tice. Environmental justice provides us with a framework 1 0 3 - 1 2 4 . D O I : h t t p s : / / d o i . o r g / 1 0 . 1 1 4 6 / a n n u r e v. to analyze and address these problems, along with conpublhealth.27.021405.102124. tributing towards environmental governance that is both

[6] MARIA CHRISTINA FRAGKOU. Environmental fairer and more sustainable. It is evidenced that poverty Justice[J/OL]. The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Urban and marginalized communities are exposed to greater and Regional Studies, 2019: 1-6[2024-06-09]. DOI:https://doi. environmental risks, which become even worse when org/10.1002/9781118568446.eurs0091. there are equalities in the process of decision-making on

[7] CARRILLO I, PELLOW D. Critical environmental justice the environment. Solving these issues will involve policy, and the nature of the firm[J/OL]. Agriculture and Human Values, community action (policy and beyond), and technological 2021. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-021-10193-2. innovation. Therefore, policies need to be shaped that give

[8] BRENDER J D, MAANTAY J A, CHAKRABORTY J. a higher level of protection for those populations, and Residential Proximity to Environmental Hazards and Adverse participation as well as empowerment in communities are Health Outcomes[J/OL]. American Journal of Public Health, needed along with attention towards the voices from de- 2011, 101(S1): S37-S52. DOI:https://doi.org/10.2105/ prived sections. At the same time, innovation in technoloajph.2011.300183. gy provides ways of limiting pollution and monitoring its

[9] WALKER G, MITCHELL G, FAIRBURN J, et al.. Industrial condition. In the future, modern people can further study pollution and social deprivation: Evidence and complexity in social inequality and environmental pollution on interacevaluating and responding to environmental inequality[J/OL]. tion process relationship dynamics, and improve relevant Local Environment, 2005, 10(4): 361-377. DOI:https://doi. policy effects testifying methods or measures targeted org/10.1080/13549830500160842. solutions. In this way, modern people can help advance a

[10] CUSHING L, MORELLO-FROSCH R, WANDER Dean&Francis Jihong Xie M, et al.. The Haves, the Have-Nots, and the Health of UCLA J. Envtl. L. & Pol‘y. 2021;39:1. https://heinonline.org/hol- Everyone: The Relationship Between Social Inequality and cgi-bin/get_pdf.cgi?handle=hein.journals/uclalp39&section=5 Environmental Quality[J/OL]. Annual Review of Public Health, [21] MORMANN F. Beyond Tax Credits: Smarter Tax Policy 2015, 36(1): 193-209. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev- for a Cleaner, More Democratic Energy Future[J/OL]. Yale J. on publhealth-031914-122646. Reg.. 2014;31:303. https://heinonline.org/hol-cgi-bin/get_pdf.

[11] JIAWEN LIU, CLARK L P, BECHLE M J, et al.. cgi?handle=hein.journals/yjor31&section=13 Disparities in Air Pollution Exposure in the United States by [22] BULLARD RD, editor. Growing smarter: Achieving livable Race/Ethnicity and Income, 1990-2010[J/OL]. Environmental communities, environmental justice, and regional equity[J/OL]. Health Perspectives, 2021, 129(12): 127005-127001. https://eds. Mit Press; 2007 Jan 12. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en& s.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=8&sid=7531a9ff-51ea- lr=&id=NAcmSchlTOYC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=+high+risk+o 4a63-8ca4-a39295343762%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPX f+environmental+harm+moving+to+better+places+&ots=X4M1 NoaWImc2l0ZT1lZHMtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=15457 m6jlG-&sig=KK20Mj-HIekApfxKWEbZjv6q3sc 1177&db=8gh. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP8584. [23] WILLIAMSON DH, YU EX, HUNTER CM, KAUFMAN

[12] BRISMAN A, MCCLANAHAN B, SOUTH N, et al.. Too JA, KOMRO K, JELKS NT, JOHNSON DA, GRIBBLE MO, Dirty: Water and Pollution[J/OL]. Palgrave Macmillan UK KEGLER MC. A scoping review of capacity-building efforts eBooks, 2018(3): 13-52. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137- to address environmental justice concerns[J/OL]. International 52986-2_2. Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020

[13] LU Y, SONG S, WANG R, et al.. Impacts of soil and Jun;17(11):3765. https://scholar.rochesterregional.org/advances/ water pollution on food safety and health risks in China[J/ vol3/iss1/8/ OL]. Environment International, 2015, 77: 5-15. https://www. [24] BRINKLEY C, WAGNER J. Who is planning for sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412015000021. environmental justice—and how? [J/OL]. Journal of the DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2014.12.010. American Planning Association. 2024 Jan 2;90(1):63-76. https://

[14] MUZET A. Environmental noise, sleep and health[J/OL]. www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01944363.2022.2118155 Sleep Medicine Reviews, 2007, 11(2): 135-142. DOI:https://doi. [25] BARON S, SINCLAIR R, PAYNE-STURGES D, PHELPS org/10.1016/j.smrv.2006.09.001. J, ZENICK H, COLLMAN GW, O‘FALLON LR. Partnerships

[15] SAPOUNTZAKI K. The Interplay Between Socio- for environmental and occupational justice: contributions to economic Crises and Disaster Risks: Examples from the research, capacity and public health[J/OL]. American Journal of Developed and Developing World[R/OL]. (2019). https://www. Public Health. 2009 Nov;99(S3):S517-25. preventionweb.net/files/65840_f213finalkalliopisapountzakithei [26] CHAPMAN AJ, MCLELLAN BC, TEZUKA T. Prioritizing nte.pdf. mitigation efforts considering co-benefits, equity and energy

[16] BULLARD R D. Environmental Justice in the 21st justice: Fossil fuel to renewable energy transition pathways[J/ Century: Race Still Matters[J/OL]. Phylon (1960-), 2001, OL]. Applied Energy. 2018 Jun 1;219:187-98. 49(3/4): 151. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3132626. DOI:https:// [27] MUSVOTO C, NORTJE K, NAHMAN A, STAFFORD doi.org/10.2307/3132626. W, MUSVOTO C, NORTJE K. The socio-economic context

[17] EYLES J, WILLIAMS A. Sense of place, health and quality of green economy implementation in the agriculture sector[J/ of life[M]. Routledge, 2016. OL]. Green Economy Implementation in the Agriculture Sector:

[18] LESLIE C. Environmental Health Inequalities and Moving from Theory to Practice. 2018:13-39. Discriminatory Zoning: Identifying Systemic Barriers for [28] KORCHENKO O, POHREBENNYK V, KRETA D, Environmental Health Equity through Community-Engaged KLYMENKO V, ANPILOVA Y. GIS and remote sensing as Research[J/OL]. Shareok.org, 2024. https://shareok.org/ important tools for assessment of environmental pollution[J/ handle/11244/340330. DOI:https://hdl.handle.net/11244/340330. OL]. International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference:

[19] BULLARD R D, JOHNSON G S. Environmentalism and SGEM. 2019;19(2.1):297-304. Public Policy: Environmental Justice: Grassroots Activism [29] KORCHENKO O, POHREBENNYK V, KRETA D, and Its Impact on Public Policy Decision Making[J/OL]. KLYMENKO V, ANPILOVA Y. GIS and remote sensing as Journal of Social Issues, 2000, 56(3): 555-578. DOI:https://doi. important tools for assessment of environmental pollution[J/ org/10.1111/0022-4537.00184. OL]. International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference:

[20] SALCIDO RE. Retooling Environmental Justice[J/OL]. SGEM. 2019;19(2.1):297-304.

Downloads

Published

2024-12-31