Environmental justice

Who’s moving forward and who’s being left behind?

Abstract

In the United States, both racial and socioeconomic factors determine whether individual communities are left behind when it comes to environmental over-sight. While progress has been made in reducing pollution levels over the past few decades, research conducted at the Alfred Weber Institute for Economics suggests that environmental injustice persists: U.S. firms are less likely to be inspected for compliance with environmental standards following increases in the non-White population in the communities where they operate – especially in states where Republican candidates consistently win major elections. As this article shows, moving forward will require a uniform and equitable approach to environmental regulation and enforcement.