Environmental Justice

I recently read a statement titled, "When Wildlife Wanders Into Your Neighborhood" by Darren Debloois. This blog post discussed a number of different instances that occurred of animals and wildlife wondered into neighborhoods and peoples yards and needed help of the DNR to help get the animals back out to the wildlife. I believe that this post was directed towards the common homeowner. That is because there is a possibility of animals walking into your yard no matter where you live. The author appeals to their audience in a variety of different ways. Pictures, examples and stories are just a few of those ways that he keeps his audience entertained. This blog has helped me with my initial knowledge of environmental justice by helping me see the effects that humans are having on animals and the danger it can cause them.

I also read a number of different resources that helped me to understand what Environmental Justice really is. My initial precepts of Environmental justice has been skewed slightly since reading these resources and I believe that I am now able to understand it with a more clear knowledge. Environmental justice is about social transformation. It is about changing the humans views of the environment as a whole. A very important part of EJ is allowing everyone to have equal rights to their access of natural resources. These possible resources could include but are not limited to healthy clean air or water, adequate and helpful health resources. Affordable and safe living conditions and shelter and a safe place to work and make a living.

Even with many people trying to change the way that EJ is effecting the world today we still have a wide variety of complex issues that are troubling the world. Racism, poverty, sexism, unemployment, mental disabilities and the problems of just being born into the wrong family are just some of the few problems that rattle the world today. How can we fix these problems? EJ is about trying to terminate the privilege that may come from these different god-given sources and trying to find out how to give the best person the best care possible. The United States Government is beginning to recognize and help where needed and that is a crucial aspect to the success of Environmental Justice. 

However, there are a number of things that Environmental Justice can and will do for people and also many things that it cannot or wont do for people. For example, EJ wants everyone to be safe and asks for the universal protection for Nuclear Testing and disposal of toxic wastes from nuclear substances. This will help the human race in many different ways. One, it will keep us safer in times of war and keep the world from blowing up. Also it will keep the air, land, water and food all clean and ready for our use. This is because Environmental Justice believes in the sacredness of Mother Earth and the importance and respect that the earth demands from us humans. Overall, Environmental justice protects all aspects of life. It protects humans from overuse and abuse of our natural resources that will keep us alive. It protects animals from humans killing them off to extinction. And it protects the earth and tries to keep it at its simplest and most pure state.