Editors: The book will be introduced to the public at a reception and reading hosted by the Natural Resources Law Center on Jan. 18 from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the CU-Boulder University Club. For a preview copy of the book or to arrange an interview please contact Jeannie Patton at (303) 492-1288.
"Justice and Natural Resources: Concepts, Strategies, and Applications," a new book from the CU-Boulder Natural Resources Law Center, explores concepts of environmental justice in the realm of natural resources.
"This book is the first of its kind to do that," notes editor and contributor Kathryn Mutz. "Environmental justice brings together two of the most powerful social movements of the late 20th and early 21st centuries: environmentalism and civil rights. This book is inspired by the simple observation that the burdens and benefits of environmental protection are not distributed equally, and that the injustices reach well beyond the pollution problems emphasized by the traditional environmental movement."
"Most of the essays in this collection are powered by a hope that refuses to defer to the burdens of history," said CU-Boulder history professor and contributor Patricia Nelson Limerick.
Edited by researchers at NRLC, the book is divided into three sections: frameworks, concepts, and strategies and applications. The 21 contributors consider how decisions about managing and using resources can exacerbate social injustice and the problems of disadvantaged communities.
Looking at issues that are predominantly rural and western, the book offers a new, expansive view of environmental justice and generates many areas of inquiry, including:
* History of the environmental justice movement (David Getches, David Pellow, Patricia Nelson Limerick)
* Connections between the civil rights and environmental justice movements (David Pellow, Luke Cole)
* The unique status of Native American environmental justice claims (Sarah Krakoff, Dean Suagee)
* Public participation in environmental policy and management decision making. (Sheila Foster)
* Using civil rights theory to prevent injustices (Luke Cole)
* Parallels between domestic and international environmental justice, particularly in the context of management activities (Tseming Yang)
* Causes of environmental injustice and the means to reduce it (Jeff Romm)
* Environmental injustice in the context of water and poverty in Colorado (James Wescoat)
* Justice in the context of forests and forest management: traditional forestry practices vs. U.S. Forest Service policies and the goals of preservationists (Jeff Romm and Henry Carey)
* Federal policy and practice regarding environmental justice (Barry Hill, Nicholas Targ, Jan Buhrmann)
"Justice and Natural Resources: Concepts, Strategies, and Applications" is available from Island Press by calling 1-800-828-1302 or visiting the Web site at .