Local to Global Intersections of Environmental Justice, Social Practice, and Climate Change
January 1, 2025 - Collins, Sarah; Gervich, Curt; Kehl, Jenny; Nesmith, Ande
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EmailJournal or Book Title: JOURNAL OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL WORK
DOI:10.1007/s41134-024-00356-6
Abstract: Environmental injustice is worsening, and the largest adverse impacts are suffered by the lowest-income communities globally (IPCC, 2024). Yet there is a dearth of effective strategies to incorporate environmental justice into the work of scholar-practitioners, interdisciplinary education, and transformative practice. This article explores environmental injustice as a compounding factor in social challenges at macro and micro scales. We introduce three lenses through which to view the social-ecological relationships that cause and exacerbate environmental injustice. These lenses also serve as guideposts for recognizing and restoring human-environment relationships and achieving the promise of environmental justice. They are the macro level social-ecological systems lens, the community level poor pay more lens, and individual scale eco-anxiety and Solastalgia lenses. These lenses may serve as guides for social work practitioners, researchers, educators, and students.
Type of Publication: Article; Early Access