Environmental Justice: Background

Environmental justice emerged as a concept in the United States in the early 1980s. The term has two distinct uses with the more common usage describing a social movement that focuses on the fair distribution of environmental benefits and burdens. The other use is an interdisciplinary body of social science literature that includes theories of the environment and justice, environmental laws and their implementations, environmental policy and planning and governance for development and sustainability, and political ecology.

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. EPA has this goal for all communities and persons across this Nation. It will be achieved when everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards and equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work.

Fair treatment means no group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, governmental and commercial operations or policies

Meaningful involvement means:

-People have an opportunity to participate in decisions about activities that may affect their environment and/or health;

-The public's contribution can influence the regulatory agency's decision;

-Community concerns will be considered in the decision-making process; and

-Decision makers will seek out and facilitate the involvement of those potentially affected.

Other definitions of environmental justice include: equitable distribution of environmental risks and benefits; fair and meaningful participation in environmental decision-making; recognition of community ways of life, local knowledge, and cultural difference; and the capability of communities and individuals to function and flourish in society. An alternative meaning, used in social sciences, of the term "justice" is "the distribution of social goods"

For me, environmental justice means worthy and fair treatment of all humanity irrespective of color, adoption, and observance of environmental regulations, laws and policies.

Environmental Problem in Nepal: Based on the perspective of environmental justice

Climate Change and its effects in Nepal:

Climate change refers “to the change of earth’s global or regional climate over a long period of time, whether due to natural variability or as a result of human activities” (IPCC,2007d:30).

Climate change is an issue of human right for a country like Nepal.

Nepal is ranked 13th in the world in terms of climate change vulnerability (2012 Climate Change Risk Atlas). Nepal, as one of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), has a high vulnerability to climate change. The projected rapid change in the atmosphere’s temperature could have severe and long-lasting consequences in Nepal, including increased drought and flooding, shifts in the location of croplands and wildlife habitat, high intensity rainfall, landslides, soil erosion, sedimentation, forest fires, GLOFs etc. Phenological change is seen in flowering plants. Melting Himalayas has been the most highlighted issue of climatic changes in Nepal. The negative impacts caused by climate change are global, contemporaneous and subject to increase exponentially according to the degree of climate change that ultimately takes place.

Countries around the world are upping their game in the fight against climate action. For the country like Nepal, the state should do the following works for climate action:

-The government should invest and focus on research and development efforts on innovation that lower the cost of clean energy alternatives, so that they compete more favorably with fossil fuels.

-The government should put a price on carbon emissions by phasing in taxes of each unit of CO2 or CH4 emitted. Developed countries must pay us for making us vulnerable.

-Also, the government should motivate and train the people to use animal feeds that reduce CH4 emissions from cows (belching) and shift to more sustainable and climate friendly agriculture.

-The government also should use a cap and trade policy which helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

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