INST 4100 - Selected Topics in Environmental Justice

Hours: 4
By signing Executive Order 12898 in 1994, President Clinton created a federal Environmental Justice (EJ) program. Defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the idea behind “environmental justice” is that all people, regardless of their race, nation of origin or income, are able to enjoy equal environmental protection. Environmental justice efforts try to address inequities of environmental protection in communities composed predominantly of minorities or those of low income, where community members have been excluded from policy setting and decision making, and where residents may be disproportionately negatively impacted by environmental hazards. Selected topics in environmental justice are examined, using specific case studies. Web-based lab activities, selected readings, and films. Topics include groundwater (depletion, irrigation, drinking water contamination from fracking, nitrate pollution from fertilizer, salt water intrusion), surface water (storm water runoff, pollution, toxic algae, bioaccumulation of toxic chemicals, flooding, watershed management), soils (soil water budget, erosion), air pollution (pesticides), and fisheries (food chain dynamics, overfishing). For each topic at least one case study will relate directly to the agricultural practices in the Salinas/Monterey area of central California, where the community consists primarily of immigrant Mexican farmworkers. The effective management of common property resources, e.g., water resources, fisheries, that have long been subject to overexploitation and misuse by individuals, is considered. In addition, sustainability is viewed through the lenses of environmental protection, economic well-being, social equity, and ethical responsibility—both locally and globally.
Notes: Paired with RELG 3100 or RELG 3200 to fulfill the dyad requirement.

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INST 4100 - Selected Topics in Environmental Justice