Environmental Justice at Stake: The Slow Erosion of Health in Industrial Areas

 

Fig. 1. Environmental conflicts registered in the EJAtlas (n = 3030). A: Geographical coverage of environmental conflicts (each dot represents one case and each colour a category of conflict). B: Category of conflicts and coverage (pie colours correspond to the colour of the cases shown in the map). C: Percentage of EHC cases and non-EHC cases. This figure follows a similar representation as in Scheidel et al., 2020.

The concept of slow violence refers to the slow harm caused by pollution to low-income communities. The article introduces how toxic pollutions affect these communities gradually over time, making it a hidden form of harm. The researchers dove into a comprehensive global database that compromises over 3,033 environmental conflicts. It focuses on the differences between environmental conflicts with health impacts (EHCs) and those that do not (non-EHCs), offering a better understanding of the complex relationships between environmental degradation, human health, and social justice. The research highlights how the toxic pollution affects the communities through slow, long-term exposure. It was revealed that the exposure has led to human health deterioration like respiratory problems and cancer, a topic often overlooked. Unique to this research is its global perspective, showing the similarities across regions and industrial sectors. The article urges policymakers to prioritize environmental justice and regulate industrial pollution to create a safer environment to public health. Developing more effective strategies to dictate the adverse affects of the environment on human health is an essential policy. The study emphasizes the need for the community involvement to address the challenges posed by EHC. A trade-off is implementing stricter pollution controls that can potentially raise operational costs for industries. Addressing the slow violence from toxic pollutions is necessary for achieving environmental sustainability, ensuring the protection of communities. Ultimately, this research highlights the importance of considering the relationships between environmental conflicts in order to pursuit environmental sustainability.

Navas G, D’Alisa G, Martínez-Alier J. 2022. The role of working-class communities and the slow violence of toxic pollution in environmental health conflicts: A global perspective. Global Environmental Change. 73:102474. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2022.102474.

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