EnvironmentalJusticeIncome,Race,andHealth-Tufts.PDF

Environmental Justice: Income, Race, and Health by Rachel Massey A GDAE Teaching Module on Social and Environmental Issues in Economics Global Development And Environment Institute Tufts University Medford, MA 02155 /gdae Copyright © 2004 Global Development And Environment Institute, Tufts University. Copyright release is hereby granted for instructors to copy this module for instructional purposes. Students may also download the module directly from /gdae. Comments and feedback from course use are welcomed: Tufts University Global Development And Environment Institute Tufts University Medford, MA 02155 /gdae E-mail: gdae@ ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE : INCOME, RACE, AND HEALTH 1. INTRODUCTION Protecting the environment is sometimes viewed as a luxury -- something people care about only when they have plenty of leisure time and disposable income. In practice, low-income communities and minority ethnic groups often bear the most severe consequences of environmental degradation and pollution. In this module, we explore questions related to the distribution of pollution and other forms of environmental degradation. Our discussion is centered on environmental justice: the recognition that minority and low-income communities often bear a disproportionate share of environmental costs – and the perception that this is unjust. This issue affects both national and international spheres. Toxic waste dumps may often be located in poorer communities (see Box 1), and to