GEOGRAPHY 430-900: Environmental Justice

Dr. Wendy E. Jepson

Department of Geography

Communities of color and working-class communities bear a disproportionate impact and cost of environmental hazards where they work, live and play.

Environmental Justice class with environmentalist Hilton KelleyA history of unequal protection, often based on the spatial configurations of communities, proximity to unwanted hazards, and narrow definitions of “nature” in broader environmental movements, has contributed to the systematic exposure and marginalization of these communities. This course explores the concepts of environmental justice and racism in terms of major debates about environmental quality, poverty, race and social justice in domestic and international contexts. Field trips include Houston and the Beaumont-Port Arthur industrial region.