Abstracts

Environmental Injustice in America and Why Climate Change is an Environmental Justice Issue: A Literature Review

by Autumn Wysocki

Environmental justice is an important movement in America that fights not only fights to protect the environment but also fights to protect marginalized communities who suffer from disproportionate amounts of exposure to pollution and worsening living conditions under climate change. Marginalized communities in America have not received fair treatment regarding environmental policy, as they are exposed to higher levels of pollution in the air and water in their communities because industrial plants look at their communities as the path of least resistance. Climate change creates another layer of environmental issues that these communities must now face. Worsening extreme weather events such as hurricanes and wildfires will make their communities harder to thrive and survive in. Food insecurity will worsen positive feedback loops that already exist in the global food system. All while these communities struggle with inequities in environmental laws meant to protect them, making it that much harder to affect change.