Environmental Justice Movement

Many aspect of environmental policy have been shaped by powerful entities in our society. Whether it is a powerful government, a corporation, or individuals, they all have more leverage in the decision-making process than the general population. When it comes to agricultural interests, large corporate farms are held in higher regard than small-scale farming operations. In the environmental justice movement, there is a major discrepancy between the power held by big businesses, the government, and small communities. The exercise of power within the agricultural industry and throughout the environmental justice movement has a major influence on policy and decision-making in the United States. Agriculture has been a vital part of human survival …show more content…
The most immediate effect of the industrialization of agriculture was the closure of family-run and small-scale farms. Not only did family farms get pushed out, but also many Americans lost their jobs as machines replaced them. Large corporations consolidated all of their farming procedures into a few large factory farms. With the reduction in the number of farms nationwide, it takes much more time and energy to get food onto tables, also known as food miles. While this is not a problem for most communities, some areas experience “food deserts,” where there is a constant struggle to find healthy and fresh food to eat. Agro-industrialization transitioned from polycropping to monocropping to increase efficiency, which resulted in crops that are less resistant to pests and disease. As a result, these companies resort to using pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and fertilizers to keep their yield high. These chemicals can present a health risk to consumers and can cause major illnesses among farm workers. To reduce the need for pesticides and fertilizers, the agriculture industry has invested in genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. While there is limited scientific evidence to suggest the harmful effects of GMOs, there are some cases of pesticide resistant “superweeds” and genetic drift (cross-pollination from GMO crops into organic crops) in modern farming. …show more content…
In the Love Canal case, Lois Gibbs formed the Love Canal Homeowner’s Association after her son began to develop health problems. When she discovered many others in the neighborhood had similar health concerns, she decided to raise the issue with the city. The homeowner’s association was successful in their efforts to challenge the injustices they faced. The neighborhood’s efforts captured national attention, which urged Congress to pass the Superfund. “The law provided for the establishment of a priority list of dirty sites, and created a mechanism for the cleanups to be paid for by the companies that created them” (DePalma, p.2). The Love Canal community protested the injustices, and held the government and the polluter accountable for their actions. As a result, Lois Gibbs became an inspiration for many others involved in environmental justice cases when she proved that there is hope, through organization, of defeating powerful corporations. In the case of Barrio Logan, the community joined together with the help of the Environmental Health Coalition to challenge the mix-use layout of the city. According to Georgette Gómez, they joined together to elect David Alvarez, a candidate from Barrio Logan who had experienced the injustices in his community. Alvarez got the