Environmental Justice: A Reference Handbook, Second Edition offers a current overview of the environmental inequities faced by poor and minority communities and the development of the grassroots movement working to address them.
A 2005 study reported by the Associated Press estimated that African Americans are 79 percent more likely to live in places where pollution poses health risks. To activists advocating for environmental justice, this study serves as further proof that minority and low-income populations in the United States and around the world are disproportionately affected by environmental hazards.
Building on the original edition's focus on the link between social inequalities and the uneven distribution of environmental hazards in the air, water, and soil, Environmental Justice: A Reference Handbook, Second Edition presents a contemporary look at the convergence of the environmental movement and civil rights activism.
Environmental Justice, Second Edition follows the rise and maturation of the movement focused on environmental racism, describes solutions that have been implemented, and examines issues that remain unresolved. The book offers a wealth of new data and information, particularly in its expanded coverage of environmental disparities in developing countries and its rich bibliography of print and online resources.
Features
• Primary documents, including selections from the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Executive Order 12898 on Environmental Justice, and reprinted policy statements on environmental justice
• An new annotated bibliography of books, articles, reports, and Internet sources on the subject of environmental justice
Highlights
• Offers the only authoritative overview for young adults on a vibrant area of environmental and civil rights activism, now updated to cover recent events and studies
• Features fascinating biographies of key individuals involved in the fight for environmental justice, including Bunyan Bryant, Robert Bullard, Cesar Chavez, Deeohn Ferris, and LaDonna Harris,
• Provides information on governmental and non-governmental organizations associated with environmental justice, such as Americans for Indian Opportunity, Center for Policy Alternatives, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Center for Health, Environment, and Justice
Reviews
"It provides some strong connections between environmentalism and civil rights. .. College-level libraries strong in either environmental or social justice issues will find this a top reference."—Midwest Book Review
"Veteran science educator Newton sets out the essentials of the movement that resulted from the cross-fertilization of the civil rights and the environmental movements." —Reference & Research Book News
". . .a key pick for any library interested in modern global environmental issues . . . a top pick for any college-level library strong in environmental science."—Midwest Book Review
"Clearly written and authoritative, the work is up to date and objective, updated in this 2d edition to include recent events and studies and to expand coverage of environmental disparities in developing countries. . . . Environmental Justice is a valuable addition to any high school, public, or academic library where an interest is had in environmental justice and change."—ARBAonline
