Question

Examples of a research topic framed as a central question:

• What is environmental justice and why is it important?
• Do states with sustainable energy tax credits result in more consumers purchasing an electric vehicle or solar panels than those without?
• What are the economic, environmental, and health costs caused by toxic waste sites located near residential areas?

Answer 1

Answer for First Question

Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, nation, origin or income with respect to the development implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies.

Example: Air and water pollution are major environmental justice issues. Because many lower income or minority communities are resided near industrial plants or waste disposal sites, air and water quality will affect if not properly monitored. These communities may also contain unsafe shelters.

Environmental justice feels that a healthy environment is necessary component for a healthy life. Environmental justice and its effects make everyone’s environment clean, safe and healthy. The primary aim is therefore to ensure each individual benefit equal degree of protection from environmental health hazards. It is all about equal distribution of the benefits and risk of the environment accompanied with participatory decision making on environmental matters.

Importance of Environmental Justice:

It defines human relationships – Air pollution can harm communities, individuals and ecosystems. When people realize that the environment justice protects environmental elements and commons that belong to their community, they support it

It highlights the importance of conservation and fair usage of natural resources- When principles of environmental justice are followed injustice associated with natural resources are forgotten and things like War and Clashes over usage of natural resources are forgotten.

It defines the need for just distribution of resources – When one has more resources they are keeping it all while the others are suffering from lacking any, which is injustice. Environmental justice thus emphasize on the law of distribution.

It strengthens environmental laws, policies and regulations – Environmental justice supports and strengthens laws through equal distribution of resources and laws regarding pollution.