Environmental justiceSocial movementEnvironmental justice is a social movement that addresses perceived injustice which are alleged to occur when poor or marginalized communities are harmed by hazardous waste, resource extraction, and other land uses from which they do not benefit. The movement has generated hundreds of studies which contend exposure to environmental harm is inequitably distributed.
Environmental conflictEnvironmental conflicts, socio-environmental conflict or ecological distribution conflicts (EDCs) are social conflicts caused by environmental degradation or by unequal distribution of environmental resources. The Environmental Justice Atlas documented 3,100 environmental conflicts worldwide as of April 2020 and emphasised that many more conflicts remained undocumented.
Environmental protectionEnvironmental protection, or environment protection, refers to the taking of measures to protect the natural environment, prevent pollution and maintain ecological balance. Action may be taken by individuals, advocacy groups and governments. Objectives include the conservation of the existing natural environment and natural resources and, when possible, repair of damage and reversal of harmful trends.
Environmentalism of the poorEnvironmentalism of the poor is a set of social movements that arise from environmental conflicts when impoverished people struggle against a powerful state or private interests that threaten their livelihood, health, sovereignty, and culture. Environmentalism of the poor differs from mainstream environmentalism by emphasizing social justice issues instead of concentrating on conservation and eco-efficiency.
United Nations Human Rights CouncilUN agency for promotion of human rightsThe United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world. The Council has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a regional group basis. The headquarters of the Council are at the United Nations Office at Geneva in Switzerland.
Social justiceConcept in political philosophySocial justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has often referred to the process of ensuring that individuals fulfill their societal roles and receive their due from society.Global WitnessGlobal Witness is an international NGO which investigates environmental and human rights abuses. The organisation, which has offices in London, Washington, D.C. and Brussels, explores how diamonds and other natural resources can fund conflict or fuel corruption.
United Nations special rapporteurSpecial rapporteur (or independent expert) is the title that the United Nations (UN) gives to independent human rights experts called to report or advise on human rights from a thematic or country-specific perspective. Depending on the specific mandate, there can also be working groups composed of an independent expert from each of the five UN regional groupings: Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, and the Western group.
Natural resourceNatural resources are resources that are drawn from nature and used with few modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest, and cultural value. On Earth, it includes sunlight, atmosphere, water, land, all minerals, along with all vegetation, and wildlife. Natural resources are part of humanity's natural heritage or protected in nature reserves.
Waste managementActivities and actions required to manage waste from its source to its final disposalA specialized trash collection truck providing regular municipal trash collection in a neighborhood in Stockholm, Sweden.Waste pickers burning e-waste in Agbogbloshie, a site near Accra in Ghana that processes large volumes of international electronic waste.Original appropriationOriginal appropriation is a process by which previously unowned natural resources, particularly land, become the property of a person or group of persons. The term is widely used in economics in this sense. In certain cases, it proceeds under very specifically defined forms, such as driving stakes or other such markers into the land claimed, which form gave rise to the term "staking a claim."*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.