"All people and communities have the right to equal environmental protection under the law, and the right to live, work and play in communities that are safe, healthy and free of life-threatening conditions." (Environmental Justice Definitions, Environmental Justice: A Primer for Allies, Academics, Planners, and Scientists, Columbia University)
"Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies." (Environmental Justice, US EPA)
Environmental Justice, Explained, a 3:33 minute YouTube video from Grist, a non-profit media organization specializing in storytelling about climate change and solutions.
The library has many resources related to environmental justice and environmental science. Explore the sections listed on the left to learn more about environmental justice: Books, Journal and Magazine Articles, Videos, and Games. We also have other library guides related to environmental justice that you may want to explore.
These are excellent websites that introduce you to the concept of environmental justice.
The library has a large collection of books, both print and electronic, about environmental justice. You can see the entire list by using this search in the Discover library catalog: Environmental Justice. The titles below are a sampling of our collection.
As long as grass grows: The indigenous fight for environmental justice from colonization to Standing Rock by 
Waste: one woman's fight against America's dirty secret by 
The World We Need: Stories and Lessons from America's Unsung Environmental Movement by The library has numerous databases through which you can find articles about environmental justice. The articles below provide examples of environmental justice issues. You can find many more articles with these databases:
Chakraborty, J. (2021). Convergence of COVID-19 and chronic air pollution risks: Racial/ethnic and socioeconomic inequities in the U.S. Environmental Research, 193, Article 110586. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2020.110586
Collins, T. W., Grineski, S. E., & Morales, D. X. (2017). Sexual orientation, gender, and environmental injustice: Unequal carcinogenic air pollution risks in greater Houston. Annals of the American Association of Geographers, 107(1), 72-92. https://doi.org/10.1080/24694452.2016.1218270
Ketcham, C. (2021). Forests to burn: The biomass-energy industry is a climate and environmental justice disaster. Sierra, January, 1-4.
Ramirez, R. (2021). Where climate and race coverage meet: Environmental justice reporting chronicles how the climate crisis, racial inequity, and government policy impact vulnerable communities. Nieman Reports, 75(2), 34-39.
Sorell, A. (2020). Environmental justice in Arlington, Texas. Mother Earth News, (303), 8-9.
Sullivan, J., & Parady, K. (2018). “Keep working for environmental justice no matter how bleak things look. Don’t give up. Don’t just go away”: An interview With Wilma Subra. New Solutions: A Journal of Environmental & Occupational Health Policy, 28(3), 487-500. https://doi.org/10.1177/1048291118795161
The Media Library offers resources that bring awareness to environmental justice. These resources provide examples of environmental injustices, highlight the community movements that work to combat these injustices, and address environmental social policies and practices that can impact the well-being of communities disproportionately based on their race, color, national origin, income, and other demographics.
This guide is modeled after the Environmental Justice Self-Study Guide created by the Center for Diversity and Inclusion at Washington University in St. Louis. We thank Travis Tucker, Jr., Associate Director of the Center, for permission to draw from the their guide.
