Analyze

The North Carolina Environmental Injustice Network (NCEJN) is a grassroots coalition of community organizations that is predominantly organized and led by people of color. They work to expose and oppose institutionalized practices that create environmental injustice.

Their mission statement: "To promote health and environmental equality for all people of North Carolina through community action for clean industry, safe workplaces and fair access to all human and natural resources. We seek to accomplish these goals through organizing, advocacy, research, and education based on principles of economic equity and democracy for all people.”  

Ways to get involved are linked here: https://ncejn.org/get-involved/

In this essay the authors have highlighted some of the stakeholders in the fight against industrial biomass operations as members of the surrounding community who live with these operations as close as their own backyards, and experience the environmental pollution directly everyday. They highlighted Belinda Joyner, a resident of Northhampton County, and an environmental activist who rose to defend her community and their lands and livelihoods due to expanding hazardous infrastructures such as the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and the Enviva power plant. Other stakeholders besides activists and organziers such as Belinda include the people of Northampton County who attend hearings with government officials and take a stance agaisnt pollution, as well as organizations such as the Dogwood Alliance. The county is predominantly Black and working class, one of several in North Carolina that bear the brunt of exploittion and pollution by powerful biomass manufacturers such as Drax and Enviva.

This timeline essay provides more examples from recent years of community responses and collective action for environmental justice.

In an article written in August 2022 details the complaints of residents of Duplin County and the Environmental Justice Community Action Network in response to a general permit for hog farms in Eastern North Carolina that would pollute the ground and water by relaxing regulations on farms with varying numbers of livestock. A quote from Sheri White-Williamson, cofounder of the Community Action Network, says, 

“A general permit is a one-size fits all system, regardless of the number of animals you have,” she said. “That doesn’t seem to make good environmental sense. At the very minimum we would like to see the denitrification system that has shown to be better for taking care of the toxins that come out of this process. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened.”

Local groups urge the DEQ to set regulations on a case by case basis depending on the size of biogas operations and should require cleaner systems and ways of getting rid of waste.

The article is linked here:https://coastalreview.org/2022/08/groups-challenge-ncs-biogas-general-p…

The article's main points have been supported focusing discussion around the history of laws and immigrations, as well as philosophical background on the matter and discussions. Stories and testimonies from past experiences and residents are also used to drive home the main arguments. 

According to the publication linked below, funding for this program is provided by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundations, the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, and the Royal Norwegian Government. The university itself (Tulane) as well as partnering schools will sponsor certain programs or take in donations as well, to provide a trip to Africa etc. to present information or educate those in the area.

http://www2.tulane.edu/drla/upload/DRL-Publication-2015.pdf

This policy applies to all people in America who meet the eligibility requirements and are in a state who has expanded to medicaid coverage. They must apply and meet certain criteria in terms of income, household demographic and marital status. 

This article discusses the Chernobyl disaster and the management and cooperation that followed this disaster. Technologies at play, as well as government involvement, scientific knowledge and sociopolitical factors effecting this situation post disaster are also mentioned. The author also extensively reviews Chernobyl through field research based off resettled families and radiation exposed workers. The dependence of health and illness based off economics and politics is also heavily discussed. International scientific cooperation is also discussed in terms of studies done on those exposed after the disaster. 

There is a lot of controversy behind the effects that Chernobyl had on the surrounding areas. There have been accusations of officials trying to cover it up, as well as completely denying that there were any repercussions that are current and apparent today. This report shows that there is no question about it, there is nuclear fallout as a result of the Chernobyl disaster. This will not only hold government officials and those in charge accountable, but also make the public aware of their risks and what they have been exposed to and what measures they should be taking to protect themselves and reverse and aid any effects or issues that may have occurred due to the disaster. This report exposes the real detriment that the disaster had on society and makes the public aware, allowing them to better fend for and protect themselves and also to make scientists more accountable as well as the government on ways to fix and counteract the issues that have risen due to the disaster.