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Environmental risks and dangers affect certain geographic areas and populations more than others. The environmental justice movement, comprising public and private sectors, addresses this disproportionate burden of risk and exposure to pollution in minority and/or low-income communities, and works toward engaging these communities in decision-making processes. The complex dynamic of environmental justice concerns environmental, social, economic, health, and political concerns, not the least of which is the human right to a clean environment.
This revised and updated edition of Environmental Justice addresses the legal and social aspects of this important field as well as its relation to sustainable development. From the perspectives of both environmental and civil rights law, the book explores how environmental justice issues are framed, addressed, and resolved in the United States through acts of civil disobedience; federal, state, and local government initiatives; litigation and alternative dispute resolution; and mediation. Environmental Justice also examines how this area of law is an essential tool for national, state, or local governments to achieve sustainable communities. Environmental law provides the foundation for governmental policies and actions for the preservation and protection of the environment and human health, and for ensuring that the use of natural resources is both equitable and sustainable. This is the only legal and policy-related book that can be used effectively both in the classroom and in the legal offices of environmental practitioners.