Year: 2023
Type: book-chapter
Abstract: This chapter begins with a land acknowledgment to frame the ways in which the ecojustice and sustainability movements are increasingly coalescing around climate justice. The second section (1664–1961) explores the history of sustainability with its roots in forest management for economic and utilitarian purposes. The third section (1962–1973) reviews the history of environmental justice and ecojustice as civil and human rights issues, including the farm workers movement, the Memphis Sanitation strike, and the Young Lords of Harlem. The National Environmental Protection Act in 1970 serves as a watershed moment that ushers in a flood of legislation designed to protect the environment. This period also marks the beginnings of scientific evidence that drew a link between greenhouse gases and climate change. The fourth section (1979–1988) raises concerns about toxic wastes and the disproportionate health impacts in Black, Latinx, and Indigenous communities. Sustainable development and climate change science emerge as worldwide concerns during this time. The fifth section (1990–2021) juxtaposes national and international efforts to ensure environmental and Indigenous environmental justice by greening sustainable development and addressing climate change alongside ongoing failures of these efforts, pointing to signs of hope amid ongoing challenges.
Author: María S. Rivera Maulucci
Institution: Barnard College
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4381436734