Environmental Justice

Environmental justice is the study of how environmental benefits and burdens are distributed in society. It looks at the influence of factors such as race, class, and gender on how pollution or exposure to toxic chemicals is distributed, as well as efforts by affected communities to improve their local environment and quality of life through organizing and political action. Environmental justice is increasingly relevant to both the domestic and international contexts, and intersects with a wide range of environmental problems ranging from exposure to toxic chemicals among poor and minority communities in the U.S., to the effects of conservation and development policies internationally on women and indigenous groups across the developing world. For this theme, CRDI will partner with the Center for the Environment (C4E)to organize at least one major research symposium, a research brief, and a set of web resources.