Environmental Justice Zine

ces: tic r u o S m ez ocra Dem 5 ). Je

r 1 les fo ecember g. in c ip D n iz in r , a P 6 g z 1 r O c i t J e m e z in g . (2 0 ocra z ni Dem jeme O rg a s fo r rce s/ le p i c e so u r / P r in g g .o r iz in C. .n rd c rg a n NRD w w w o c r a t ic - o / / : s h ttp s-d e m ciple - p r in

Env

tal

m n o ir en

Jus ce ti What is the Environmental Justice Movement?

THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE MOVEMENT WAS STARTED BY INDIVIDUALS, PRIMARILY PEOPLE OF COLOR, WHO SOUGHT TO ADDRESS THE INEQUITY OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

1

It is th e fair treatm mean ingful ent an involv d peopl emen e rega t of all rdless cultur of rac e, nat e , colo ional r, and e origin ducat , i n c o i m o nal le e, respe vels w ct to t ith he de velop imple ment, menta enfor tion, a cemen nd enviro t of pr nmen otecti tal law ve s, reg ulatio and p ns, olicies .

2

A Brief History of the Movement

Environmental racism burst onto the national political and academic radar in 1982 when civil rights activists organized to stop the state of North Carolina from dumping 120 million pounds of soil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the county with the highest proportion of 3 African Americans. (Mohai et al., 2009)

on in the ore attenti m d e in a g rmed in It later EEJ was fo N S e th r e , at the 19090's aft ew Mexico N , e u q r e Albuqu al Activist lor Region o C f o le p Justice.

Peo onmental ir v n E n o Dialogue ation al organiz n io g e r a atino, SNEEJ is merican, L A n a ic fr A of Pacific composed nd Asian/ a , n a ic r e e ngthen th Native Am ists to stre x e d n a s r Islande ons and organizati l a c to lo f o k wor d workers unities an m m o c r ic e empow nd econom nmental a o f ir v n e t c t people o impa ese impac th s a s e u g n justice iss S, and alo uthwest U o S e th in color f Mexico. r region o e d r o b e th

4 ENVIRONMENTAL PRINCIPLES...

In 1991, serving as the cornerstone for environmental justice, the 17 principles were adopted by the first National People of Color Environment Leadership summit.

1) affirms the sacredness of Mother Earth, ecological unity, and the interdependence of all species, and the right to be free from ecological destruction.

2) demands that public policy be based on mutual respect and justice for all peoples, free from any form of discrimination or bias.

3) mandates the right to ethical, balanced and responsible uses of land and renewable resources in the interest of a sustainable planet for humans and other living things.

THE ES OF L P I C PRIN ENTAL M N O ENVIR CE JUSTI

4) calls for universal protection from nuclear testing, extraction, production, and disposal of toxic/hazardous wastes and poisons and nuclear testing that threaten the fundamental right to clean air, land, water, and food.

5

5) affirms the fundamental right to political, economic, cultural, and environmental selfdetermination of all peoples.

6

6) demands the cessation of the production of all toxins, hazardous wastes, and radioactive materials, and that all past and current producers be held strictly accountable to the people for detoxification and the containment at the point of production.

12) affirms the need for urban and rural ecological policies to clean up and rebuild our cities and rural areas in balance with nature, honoring the cultural integrity of all our communities, and provided fair access for all to the full range of resources.

7)demands the right to participate as equal partners at every level of decisionmaking.

13)calls for the strict enforcement of principles of informed consent, and to stop testing of experimental reproductive and medical procedures and vaccinations on people of color.

8) affirms the right of all workers to a safe and healthy work environment.

14) opposes the destructive operations of multinational corporations.

9) protects the right of victims of environmental injustice to receive full compensation and reparations for damages as well as quality health care.

15) opposes military occupation, repression, and exploitation of lands, peoples and cultures, and other life forms.

10) considers governmental acts of environmental injustice a violation of international law, the Universal Declaration On Human Rights, and the United Nations Convention on Genocide.

16)calls for the education of present and future generations which emphasizes social and environmental issues

11) must recognize a special legal and natural relationship of Native Peoples to the U.S. government through treaties, agreements, compacts, and covenants affirming sovereignty and selfdetermination.

17) requires that we choose to consume little resources, produce low amounts of waste, and challenge our lifestyles to ensure the health of the world for current and future generations

7

R N EVE A H T ORE OME C NOW M O T ED T WE NE ROTEC P O T HER ITIES N TOGET U M COM BIPOC HE AND T E . THES T N E ONM ENVIR S ARE ISSUE L AND A N O I SECT DRESS D INTER A T NNO WE CA HOUT T I W ONE E NG TH I S S E ADDR !

OTHER

8

TO LEARN MORE VISIT HTTP://WWW.ENVIRO NMENTANDSOCIETY. ORG/MML/ENVIRON MENTAL-JUSTICERESOURCES-ONLINE 9

10