Environmental Justice
The environmental justice movement emerged in the late 1980s when a blistering report exposed massive disparities in the burden of environmental degradation and pollution facing minority and low-income communities. These issues existed and had been recognized previously, most notably in 1982 in Warren County, North Carolina, where thousands of tons of PCB-ridden soil was intentionally dumped in a facility in an African American community despite the community’s protest. This incident and others sparked research into the environmental and health burden born by these communities, culminating with the publishing of the study Toxic Waste and Race in 1987.
Over the next decade, the movement gained momentum and groups sought governmental action to ensure that the hardships of pollution and environmental degradation would not be further imposed upon any community, especially those already facing discrimination. While pursuing legal and legislative action, the movement has stayed true to its grassroots beginnings with local environmental justice organizations appearing in communities across the country. The federal government began to address the issues associated with environmental justice in the 90s with Executive Order 12898, which established environmental justice offices in the EPA, DOJ, and other federal agencies.
Currently, the movement consists of an extensive formal and informal network of community, national, and international organizations that provide a new framework for addressing some of the most pressing environmental and social issues facing us today. Working both in the government and within historically marginalized communities, the environmental justice movement has attempted to mitigate the disproportionate subjugation of these communities to the consequences of flawed environmental policies and practices. By approaching the broader environmental movement through these means, the environmental justice movement provides an avenue for social justice for all people, regardless of race, color, gender, or income, in the pursuit of a more cooperative and sustainable future.
Quoted from Sierra Club's History of Environmental Justice Page
On paper, Massachusetts has long been considered a leader in environmental policy; however the state has continually left behind its environmental justice (EJ) communities (including communities of color, communities with high rates of English Language Learners, and neighborhoods with low median incomes). In terms of EJ, its policies are woefully inadequate and the state is not a leader in practice. Most municipalities in Massachusetts are home to at least one area that the state has designated as an EJ community. These areas, and the people who live in them, are often treated as disposable, which fuels both the climate crisis and egregious inequities. As Hop Hopkins powerfully states, "You can’t have climate change without sacrifice zones, and you can’t have sacrifice zones without disposable people, and you can't have disposable people without racism." The climate crisis cannot be solved if we do not acknowledge and address the systems of power, privilege, and oppression that have led us here.
We see these inequities when we look to communities such as East Boston, which is home to predominantly communities of color and has a high poverty rate. East Boston has several large highways and stores substantial amounts of jet fuel and heating oil, which likely contributes to the high rates of childhood asthma.
The current moment provides an urgent opportunity to create a more equitable and just future. There are many challenges; in Massachusetts, climate policy has historically been, and continues to be, written by and for wealthy white communities. Statewide initiatives and funding sources continue to be inaccessible by low- and middle-income communities and municipalities. However, awareness of these inequities is growing and our leaders are beginning to listen to the voices of those most affected by climate injustices, thanks to the tireless work of grassroots organizers. The Next Generation Climate Roadmap Bill, passed in 2021, is the first to legislate specific regulations aimed at achieving equity for EJ communities. The state has an opportunity to become the leader it claims to be, but everyone from grassroots organizers to municipal leaders to our elected officials must work together to accomplish this goal.
Municipalities are uniquely positioned to create equitable solutions in their communities. Decisions such as zoning and land use laws play important roles in determining who can live in which areas, how waste is handled, and where polluting infrastructure will be built. Currently, these local laws often harm EJ populations, but municipalities have the power to create healthy and safe communities for all of their residents.
If you would like to learn more about how to implement more equitable policies where you live, check out our organizing resources.
Interactive EJ Map
One important EJ issue is energy burden, or the percent of annual income that a household spends on energy costs (such as gas heat and electricity). Across the country, low income people (who are disproportionately also people of color) spend large portions of their income on energy costs, and Massachusetts is no different. Take the graph below as an example: in Massachusetts, households with incomes between 0-100% of the Federal Poverty Level spend an average of 22% of their earnings on energy costs, while households with incomes over 400% of the federal poverty level spend just 2% of their earnings on energy. High energy costs mean that low-income people may have to choose between paying utility bills and having other essentials, like food or medicine.
Energy burden is also a climate issue: not only are costs high, but most of the energy we use in our homes emits greenhouse gasses. However, many climate-friendly actions can help reduce energy burden, such as weatherization and joining a municipal aggregation program. Weatherization can help reduce the amount of energy needed in the winter and summer, and municipal aggregation programs establish long-term electricity rates that are often lower than the market rate while purchasing more renewable energy. Municipalities have the power to help reduce energy burden in their communities. Municipal policies, including setting energy burden reduction targets, establishing municipal aggregation programs, and prioritizing funding for weatherization in low-income homes, can be a starting point to address this problem. Check out these resources to learn more about how your municipality can work toward equitable climate solutions that prioritize a livable future for all:
