The environmental justice movement (EJM) has evolved over the last several decades, both in the US and globally. The EJM seeks to respond to environmental inequalities that directly impact human health and safety, particularly among people who live or work in settings that put them at higher risk of exposure to environmental hazards. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) describes the goal of environmental justice as "...when everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards, and equal access to the decision-making process to live, learn, and work in a healthy environment." In this course we recognize the current environmental crisis as rooted in systemic inequities that are implicated in social determinants of health (SDOH) and have major implications for health outcomes of affected populations. Therefore, we will explore the EJM from a health equity lens, including racial capitalism, intersectionality, and other forms of structural violence that serve as SDOH, to explore the implications of environmental injustices on health equity. In addition, we will examine how academics, nonprofit/community-based organizations, community members, and government agencies collaborate to address environmental justice-related health equity. Finally, we will look at the notion of "just sustainabilities" to investigate and imagine solutions to these ongoing challenges that build community power to advance sustainable communities and health equity. |