The Quest for Environmental Justice: Human Rights and the Politics of Pollution

By: Robert D. Bullard and Maxine Waters

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Synopsis: Capturing the voices of frontline warriors who are battling environmental injustice and human rights abuses at the grassroots level around the world, this follow–up to Dr. Robert D. Bullard's highly acclaimed Unequal Protection: Environmental Justice and Communities of Color, examines the policies and globalization trends that place people of color and the poor at special risk Part I of this work presents an overview of the early environmental justice movement and highlights key leadership roles assumed by women activists. Part II examines the lives of people living in "sacrifice zones"—toxic corridors (such as Louisiana's infamous "Cancer Alley") where high concentrations of polluting industries are found. Part III explores land use, land rights, resource extraction, and sustainable development conflicts, including Chicano struggles in America's Southwest. Part IV examines human rights and global justice issues, including an analysis of South Africa's legacy of environmental racism and the corruption and continuing violence plaguing the oil–rich Niger Delta. Together, the diverse contributors to this essential anthology present an inspiring and illuminating picture of the environmental justice movement that is challenging government and industry in the first decade of the twenty–first century.