Ways of Looking Waste - Essay Example

Name Course Lecturer Date Ways of Looking Waste Introduction In the last two decades, the coverage and concepts of environmental justice have increased substantially. This could be attributed to the fact that the notion of environmental justice has been regarded as a core concern in various academic disciplines (Schlosberg p. 37). It is obvious that the debate on environmental justice is expanding and broadening in scope that is far beyond the initial application. In recent times, there has been an expansion of the usage of environmental justice, vertically as a way of examining the distinct nature of environmental injustices globally and horizontally into a wider range of issues (Pellow p. 24). Most environmentalists refer to environmental justice as a social justice that expresses environmental ethics. This paper seeks to review the principles of environmental justice; given that there are some complexities surrounding what environmental justice is, it review the complexities while applying the concept to waste. In addition, in order to highlight in a powerful way the importance of environmental justice in relation to waste, it will focus on specific case studies that have different ways of looking at waste in reverence to disposal. It is important to note that environmental justice came to exist two decades ago and it is narrowly interpreted as the efforts carried out to address and document the disproportionate health and environmental burden borne by people of the color and poor. Still, environmental justice encompasses all things that are unsustainable about the world, which includes pollution, energy use, resources depletion, consumption pattern, industrialization and high population growth. Environmental Protection Agency defines environmental justice as “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of people regardless of color, income, national origin, with respect to implementation, development, and enforcement of environmental regulations policies and laws ( U. S EPA p. 13).” Environmental justice is also said to refer to provision of sufficient protection against environmental toxicants for every person regardless of health status, age, gender, ethnicity, race or class. The latter definition will be used in discussing environmental justice in relation to waste (Schlosberg p. 47). Over the last two decades the disposal and movement of waste has become a core issue of environmental justice. This is attributed to the fact that more than 9,000,000 million metric tons of waste was produced worldwide. Approximately, 90 per cent of the waste is said to have come from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. Notably, disposing facilities for waste especially hazardous waste is becoming more costly and scarce in industrialized countries; as a result, lesser developing countries are being targeted as a cheap of disposing the waste (Shrader-Frechette p.72). Indeed, this results to a disproportionate burden on these countries. Of important to note is the fact that disposing or exporting waste for instance hazardous waste to other countries is viewed as environmental injustice on a global scale. As Pellow (96) asserts despite the fact that waste has an economic significance as a raw material, it poses a challenge in the developing countries. It is obvious that waste may be exported for re-use, recycling and resource recovery; therefore, reducing the use of virgin resources which are costly (Lipman p. 2). However, this is controversial in developing countries given that waste is a threat not only to the environment but also to the living thing health; and these countries do not have a sound manner to handle the waste (James p. 278). With the above understanding, there is a need to develop environmental justice for the minority or other group of people who may be at risk as a result of careless disposal of waste (Okereke p. 730). It is important to note that in 1992, the Basel Convection came into being and Australia is one of the countries that have ratified the Convection. Despite the fact that this Convection does not clearly refer to the notion of environment justice, its underlying principle of ensuring that protection of environment and human health in reference to minority or developing countries reflects the principle of environmental justice. To some extent it is then obvious that environmental justice advocate for industry and business to focus on waste recycling and reduction not only disposing. One case that may try and explain environmental injustice in relation to hazardous waste is the export Australia does to Asian countries including Thailand, Taiwan, Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong, India, China and Papua New Guinea. This waste is mainly exported to be recycled. However, environmentalists have discovered that the exported waste is not handled appropriately thus posing danger to the environment and people. In addition, most of the recycling plants are said to be unsafe. In Philippines and Mexico, for example, while looking at the import of lead acid batteries, one of the environmental organizations noted that legal hazardous waste recycling plant in the country are polluting the environment through the emission of toxic substance (Iles p. 3). Furthermore, the residual waste is much toxic than original waste. As such, the organization concluded that the waste is not handled appropriately in the country of import (Moore p. 430). Critiques argue that exporting waste especially the hazardous waste to developing countries which have no capacity to prevent negative effects be exposed to disapproval as required by the environmental justice. Indeed, one may argue that exportation of hazardous waste to developing countries reflects a failure on a global scale of environmental justice. As such, there is a need to introduce ban policy for such waste in order to protect countries that lack the need capacity to handle waste (Gregon p. 684). Innovative Waste Utilization is one of the waste facilities situated in South Phoenix in Arizona. Initially, the company had proposed an expansion of the facility in order to have a larger capacity to hold waste. Furthermore, the company had thoughts of treating hazardous waste at the facility. However, it was noted that the waste stored at this facility was imported from other areas. The community living near the area which comprised mostly of Latinos and African American people felt that they were at risk. This was a result of the fact that psychological stigma may affect them in that they are living among other states’ waste. As such, one would definitely agree to the fact environmental justice had been place on the habitant of the area. In fact grassroots organizations that rose up argued that this is one way of discriminating the minority in the country. The organization with the assistance of environmental justice advocates, charged the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality with violations with rights related to discriminatory and disproportionate impact on the minority group. However, of importance to note is that the company wished to expand the facility and waste duties to comprise fuel blending and treatment of other waste. Given that the site the company was planning to carry out the expansion had been operating without a permanent permit for over 15 years, questioning whether the company would consider the safety of the people living in the area. While confirming whether the company had set the right policy and regulations in handling waste in the region, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) found out that the company had serious flaw in their emergency plan and permanent permit request. Therefore, there were delays in guaranteeing permission to the expansion which gave the resident time to protest and disapprove to the ADEQ. The area that IWU had been operating was found to be contaminated and no cleaning processes were ever took place (Brooks p. 3). When the company was pressed over its expansion and relocation to the area, they argued that there no disproportionate and discriminatory factors involved in their operations. Instead, they argued that this relocation and expansion would greatly benefit the community since there would be availability of jobs and the company would contribute to the region taxes. However, the CRSP: the main organization that comprised of residents of that region were outraged by the fact that the company viewed the operations as a way of making money and did not consider the impact on the people’s health and the environment (Yu et al., p. 208; Zandbergen and Chakraborty p. 23). It is important to note that the rising of the organization was initiated as a response to toxic chemical fire that took place in one of the plastic manufacturing company in the area. These occurrences raised questions whether the residents were safe from the waste that they were exposed to everyday. As a result, CSRP staged several protests through holding marches, meetings and taking active roles in the city meetings. The organizations were not only concerned by the expansion of IWU but also preventing further disposal of waste from other states. As a result of the massive protests from the community, ADEQ which is responsible for inspecting, regulating and permitting hazardous and toxic waste in Arizona backed away from the expansion plan. This was also as a result of City Council of Phoenix prevented the waste facilities from expanding. Furthermore, it also stopped new waste companies from coming into the region. In addition, the City Council prohibited new waste companies from disposing waste in the region. The community and grassroots organizations were successful in the struggle for environmental justice. They worked diligently and their efforts paid off. It is important to note that it was clearly suggested that ADEQ should undergo training in relation to environmental justice. Of most importance in respect to environmental justice is the fact that two bills were introduced in South Phoenix that proposed that hazardous and toxic waste facilities in the state not to operate on temporary permits (temporary permit allowed less clean up and safety regulations therefore, holding less financial liability requirements as compared to those holding permanent permit); and ADEQ to stop giving out permits to companies that were planning to operate in areas that would result to discriminatory impact on the minorities living in a given area. Therefore, this would lead to redistribution of waste in order to free the residents of South Phoenix and other people the burden of carrying majority of waste facilities. The bills were passed by and this led to the awareness of environmental justice in the state. One cannot rule out the fact that the strategies the CRSP used indeed passed messages on environmental justices to the targeted group. One of the targeted groups was the ADEQ which has the power to award the company a permit and also prohibit the expansion of the waste facilities in the area. The officials and lawmakers were also important target who were entitled with power to change waste and toxic regulations on a state level. As a result of this, the environmental advocacy organization played a major role in raising awareness among the public on the environmental injustices that were facing the community. The organization informed the public through the internet in order to inform the public on a state level. Conclusion Indeed, in recent times there have been different ways through which people view waste. However, in relation in environmental justice, there are many ways through which waste has become a major concern among many communities and environmental organizations. As discussed in the paper, the two case studies reflect ways through which managing and handling waste inappropriately has resulted to major issues on the communities that have been affected. As such, there is a need to introduce measures that will not only stop the negative effects of waste but also will allow effective and efficient ways of handling waste. Therefore, it is expected that all stakeholders are involved in promoting environmental justice in their areas of operations. Of most important to note is the fact that there is a need for environmental justice in relation to waste to involve community. This is significance given that the community are majorly responsible for environmental and health issues. In regard to exportation of hazardous waste to developing countries, there is a need to enforce ban so as to put to an end this form of environmental injustice Work cited Agency, US Environmnental Protecion. Environmental Justice. 2009. Brooks, Sarah. Environmental Justice Case Study; Innovative waste utilization and the concerned residents of South Phoenix, AZ. Environmental Justice. South Phoenix, 2000. Yung, Cl, Sang S and Pan P. "Resident exposure to petrocheicals and the risk of leukamia: using geographical information tolls to estimate individual level residential exposure." America Journal of Epidiemology (2006): 164 (3):200-207. Gregon. "Identity, mobility and the throwaway society." Environment and Planning (2007): 25: 682-700. Iles, A. "A mapping environmental justice in technology flows; computer waste impacts in Asia ." Global Environmental Politics (2004): 4:4 (3). James, P. "Taking us for village idiots: two stories of ethnicity, class and toxic waste from Sidney, Australia." Washington, S, H Goodall and P Roser. Echoes from the poisoned well;global memoires of environmental injustice. Lanham : Lexington Books, 2006. 271-284. Lipman, Zada. Trade in hazardous waste; environmental justice versus econmic growth. Environmnental Justice and Legal Process. Sydney: Macquarie University, 2011. Moore, S. "The exces modernity: garbage politics in Mexico." The Professional Geographer (2009): 61; 426-437. Okereke, C. "Global environment sustainability; intragenerational equity and conceptions of justce in multilateral environments regimes." Geoforum (2006): 37; 725-738. Pellow, D. Resisting global toxics. Cambridge : MIT Press, 2007. —. sisting global toxics; transnational movements for environmnental justice. MA: MIT Press, 2007. Schlosberg, D. Defining environmental justice. Oxford: Oxford Scholarship Online, 2007. Schlosberg, David. "Theorising environmental justice; the expanding sphere of a discourse." Environmnetal Politics (2013): 22 (1); 37-55. Shrader-Frechette, K. Environmental justice: creating equity and environmental justice ; twenty lesson in environmental sociology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. Zandbergen, P and Chakraborty. "Improving environmnental exposure analysis using cumulative distribution functions and individual geocoding." International Journal of Health Geographics (2006): 5;23. Read More

Notably, disposing facilities for waste especially hazardous waste is becoming more costly and scarce in industrialized countries; as a result, lesser developing countries are being targeted as a cheap of disposing the waste (Shrader-Frechette p.72). Indeed, this results to a disproportionate burden on these countries. Of important to note is the fact that disposing or exporting waste for instance hazardous waste to other countries is viewed as environmental injustice on a global scale. As Pellow (96) asserts despite the fact that waste has an economic significance as a raw material, it poses a challenge in the developing countries.

It is obvious that waste may be exported for re-use, recycling and resource recovery; therefore, reducing the use of virgin resources which are costly (Lipman p. 2). However, this is controversial in developing countries given that waste is a threat not only to the environment but also to the living thing health; and these countries do not have a sound manner to handle the waste (James p. 278). With the above understanding, there is a need to develop environmental justice for the minority or other group of people who may be at risk as a result of careless disposal of waste (Okereke p. 730). It is important to note that in 1992, the Basel Convection came into being and Australia is one of the countries that have ratified the Convection.

Despite the fact that this Convection does not clearly refer to the notion of environment justice, its underlying principle of ensuring that protection of environment and human health in reference to minority or developing countries reflects the principle of environmental justice. To some extent it is then obvious that environmental justice advocate for industry and business to focus on waste recycling and reduction not only disposing. One case that may try and explain environmental injustice in relation to hazardous waste is the export Australia does to Asian countries including Thailand, Taiwan, Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong, India, China and Papua New Guinea.

This waste is mainly exported to be recycled. However, environmentalists have discovered that the exported waste is not handled appropriately thus posing danger to the environment and people. In addition, most of the recycling plants are said to be unsafe. In Philippines and Mexico, for example, while looking at the import of lead acid batteries, one of the environmental organizations noted that legal hazardous waste recycling plant in the country are polluting the environment through the emission of toxic substance (Iles p. 3). Furthermore, the residual waste is much toxic than original waste.

As such, the organization concluded that the waste is not handled appropriately in the country of import (Moore p. 430). Critiques argue that exporting waste especially the hazardous waste to developing countries which have no capacity to prevent negative effects be exposed to disapproval as required by the environmental justice. Indeed, one may argue that exportation of hazardous waste to developing countries reflects a failure on a global scale of environmental justice. As such, there is a need to introduce ban policy for such waste in order to protect countries that lack the need capacity to handle waste (Gregon p. 684). Innovative Waste Utilization is one of the waste facilities situated in South Phoenix in Arizona.

Initially, the company had proposed an expansion of the facility in order to have a larger capacity to hold waste. Furthermore, the company had thoughts of treating hazardous waste at the facility. However, it was noted that the waste stored at this facility was imported from other areas. The community living near the area which comprised mostly of Latinos and African American people felt that they were at risk. This was a result of the fact that psychological stigma may affect them in that they are living among other states’ waste.

As such, one would definitely agree to the fact environmental justice had been place on the habitant of the area.

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