The Death of Environmentalism

Over the past decades, world leaders have tried to prevent environmental problems such as global warming. Billions of dollars have been spent on environmental problems, but results can barely be seen. This article brings up some interesting questions, like what we consider environmental?

There is a lot of information in this article that I've never heard before, and it brings up some new themes and issues that I found interesting;

"Why, for instance, is a human-made phenomenon like global warming — which may kill hundreds of millions of human beings over the next century — considered “environmental”? Why are poverty and war not considered environmental problems while global warming is?" (p.12)

It was shocking to read about how several good environmental suggestions were closed down or delayed in the nineties; "Tragically, had Bryan and environmentalists succeeded in 1991, they would have dramatically slowed the rise of SUVs in the coming decade and reduced the pressure on the Refuge — a patch of wilderness that the Republicans again used to smack around environmentalists under President George W. Bush." (p.18)

The article also provides a good insight on how complicated and complex these environmental problems are;

"The challenge for American environmentalists is not just to get the US to dramatically overhaul its energy strategy but also to help developing countries like China, India, Russia and South Africa do so as well."

"Environmentalists weren’t thinking about what we get out of each defeat. We were only thinking about what we get out of them if they succeed."

Social Justice and Sustainability.

It's exciting to see how class differences in ambulatory cities such as Berlin begins to flourish again.
And how political property destruction is being used as protest. Seems like class difference is becoming a problem not only in suppressed countries, but also in rich sustainable countries. "As natural resources themselves, rather than the capital to extract them, become a major limiting factor in the world, one person’s gain is more closely correlated with another’s loss."

It's also interesting how they explain brutal regimes in the article, and how; “In the long run, great inequality can only be maintained by brutal regimes that crush the expression of dissent and keep the population in fear or cringing respect”. With today's technology and consumerism, people all over the world now have access to phones with both video cameras and internet. This have given people in suppressed countries with brutal regimes a new opportunity and a chance to be heard. Just look at whats happening in the middle east right now! I guess there is a dilemma with consumerism, bad for the environment, but good for social justice.

"Finding ways to combine a relatively free market economy with greater equality is one of the dominant challenges of our times."

Gro Harlem Brundtland was the prime minister in Norway when I grew up, so it was cool that she was included in this article. The Brundtland Commission is doing a great job for sustainability, and will hopefully continue their much needed work. "Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

 

White Privilege: "Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack" By Peggy McIntosh

This article was startling to read, the author makes some good points and they are all true. The white race still have certain advantages in today's society and in some twisted way, we have manage to hide it from our self (the white race). “I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege.”(p.1) It's both sad and disturbing to know that kids are being raised in a society where they are taught not to recognize white privilege or racism if you prefer. How can we ever achive social justice if our children is raised in a society were rasism is hidden in our unconscious.

"What will we do with such knowledge? As we know from watching men, it is an open question whether

we will choose to use unearned advantage to weaken hidden systems of advantage and whether we will

use any of our arbitrarily-awarded power to reconstruct power systems on a broader base."(p.4)

Buttonwillow; Resistance and Disillusion in Rural California.

Chapter four is another story about environmental racism. This one occurred in Buttonwillow, California, in the early 90's. As I mentioned in my last blog post, I think alot of the materials in these storys is repetition. Both Kettleman City and Chester had almost identical problems. Don't get me wrong, I think these stories are both fascinating and interesting to read about, but I'd would also like to read about social justice from other viewpoints as well.
But there were also some interesting comparisons of social justice between the American government and the Mexican government in this chapter. A phrase that really got stuck with me was Montoya's view on the U.S. government; "More than anything, I was disillusioned. Because I really believed  that the United States government was different than the Mexican government." "The only difference is that, in Mexico they do what they do outside the law. And in the U.S. they want to make the laws legitimate what they do. In other words, they want to make things appear legal."
Would you prefer living in a country where the government was open about corruption, or would you choose a country which concealed it with laws?

Chapter 3, Environmental Racism: Beyond the Distributive Paradigm.

In this chapter, the author brings us closer into the field of environmental racism. To be honest, I must say that I didn't find this chapter really necessary. The chapter is more or less like a long and heavy summary on how environmental hazards runs their distributions, and how environmental racism can occur as a result of this. Although the chapter brings up some interesting issues such as: "Which Came First, the environmental hazard or the racial makeup of the neighborhood?" I feel that most of the issues in this chapter has been explained more than enough in the previous chapters.
I hope this book doesn't continue to tell me how environmental hazards choose to dump toxic waste in colored society's. But instead show me some new approaches or solutions in the chapters to come.

My reflection on Chapter 2; "The Political Economy of Environmental Racism."

In chapter two the author take us on the inside of the oppressed colored community in Chester, Pennsylvania. It's shocking to read about how the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) gave more and more waste companies permission to operate waste burning in Chester. These companies showed no mercy to the inhabitants of Chester and brought hundreds of truckloads with waste through the poor neighborhoods of Chester every day.
One can clearly see the hidden threads that bind the policy, law and rich waste companies in Pennsylvania together. It makes me sick to see how the wealthy and educated people can be so ignorant. They don't care about the poor people's health as long as they can get their hands around some extra cash.
It's inspiring to see groups like CRCQL fight against such ignorant people against all odds. CRCQL never gave up, despite being apart of the oppressed colored community, and despite many downfalls.

My reflection on chapter one; "A History of the Environmental Justice Movement"

It was exciting to read about the history of the Environmental Justice Movement, I would have never guessed that the Environmental Justice Movement  flourished from so many different movements. Like the grassroots anti-toxics movements that blossomed out of the Civil Rights Movement in the early 80's. And how both World War II and the Vietnam War have affected the movement. It's suprising to hear that academics played such a crusial role i both sparking and  shaping the Environmental Justice Movement. 

- I liked the fact that some of the leaders from the Civil Rights Movment later lent assistance to the Environmental Justice Movement.

Nativ American actevist brought experiences of centuries of struggle for self-determination to the Environmental Justice Movement.