Purdue University

Environmental Justice

The Environmental Justice Research Community has a long-term interest in supporting research and programming that supports environmental and social justice. Our work also emphasizes how these issues overlap and intersect. For example, systems of governance over environmental resources can have a significant impact on the right to live in safe and healthy communities. Similarly, promoting healthy ecosystems can benefit human health and environmental justice for everyone. This community is committed to finding ways to address the complex and interconnected challenges that we face in these areas through raising awareness, supporting research and learning, and building a community of scholars who are dedicated to developing new knowledge and solutions that can promote a world where environmental justice is fully achieved.

Areas of interest include:

  • How systems of governance over environmental resources can be made more equitable and inclusive, for example, by ensuring that all communities have a voice in decision-making.
  • Strategies for living in safe and healthy communities, for example by reducing exposure to environmental pollutants and improving access to healthy food and clean water.
  • The right to live in safe and healthy communities includes equitable access to clean air and water, adequate housing, safe and healthy working conditions, access to healthcare, and protection from environmental hazards.
  • How to promote healthy ecosystems in ways that benefit both human health and environmental justice, for example, by restoring degraded ecosystems and creating new green spaces.

Co-Leads: Aaron Thompson (HORTLA) & Ellen Wells (HSCI/PUBH)

What is Environmental Justice?

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