Environmental Injustice, Research Paper Example

Global Warming is indeed a general condition that is specifically causing dilemma among human populations around the globe. Notably the changing condition of the earth affects the status of human living hence creating problems that usually compromise the health safety of human individuals. Relatively, the beginning of the causes that brought about by the emergence of industrialization and the careless utilization of resources that big companies incur for the sake of embracing the culture of development. As a result, the resources provided by the environment become scarce hence pushing for the unequal distribution of basic commodities that humans need to survive. Basically, this results to inequality in economic opportunities at the same time. This issue has been given particular attention to by Hanson (2007) in his Defence Analysis Report entitled Gender Issues in Climate Adaptation. In this article, Hanson supported the idea that gender issues is one of the specific matters being affected by the emergence of climate change due to global warming. To present the evidences to such claim, Hanson’s article shall be given particular attention to especially in connection to how it relates to the issue on the growing gender inequality in the face of the development of environmental injustice occurring in the society at present. Alongside the article of Hanson, four other remarkable articles shall be added into analysis so as to strengthen the evidence of the fact being proven herein.

Most often than not, the most affected members of the society are the most vulnerable ones including women and children who have less capability to get out of their homes and work for themselves. In times of disaster, women and children are the most victimized individuals as mentioned by Seager (2006) in an article entitled Noticing Gender or Not in Disasters saying, “Around the world, women are among the poorest of the poor… and people in poverty are the least likely to have access to good information ahead of disaster, the least likely to have a place they can go to and stay for days or weeks and the least likely to have the means to leave” (30). Men, while they are given the chance to work for their families are also not given equal opportunities due to the fact that there are certain requirements that they must be able to reach. This is the reality that lays specifically true and proven to be occurring in third world countries and among minorities in highly urbanized areas. While global warming makes it harder for the environment to recover from the loss of its resources, it also imposes the injustice of distribution of needs to all the members of the society.

In the hope of providing solutions against the emergence of global warming in the modern society, governments have imposed particular taxes placed on the consumption rates of electricity and transportation that the entire society shall carry on their backs. This means that the taxes placed upon the products that are produced under the utilization of coal, and oil are to be increased. To note, Cutter (1995) mentioned in his article entitled Race, Class and Environmental Injustice, that environmental equity is an inherently geographic problem yet [we] are noticeably absent from the literature. We need more involvement by our research community to insure that public policies are based on sound social science, not hyperbole (119). True, in reference to this matter, the mentioned situation is again a form of injustice that the vulnerable members of the society should shoulder. It could be that the consumption of the more elite members of the society are higher when it comes to carbon emissions due to the fact that they do have their own cars as well as numerous appliances that utilize extensive amount of electricity. On the other end, the lower-end earners in the society only survive with the basics, usually not even having anything to use for a bit of luxury for their homes. However, they too are given the responsibility to shoulder the same amount of tax that the other members of the society have to pay. This form if injustice specifically creates a source of chaos among members of the society hence manipulating the process of development to be more in favour of those who have the money to buy or purchase the supposed benefits from the environment that was supposed to be equally distributed to everyone else. The conflict between justifiable distribution of resources and the controlling power of commerce continues to emerge to be the resulting factor that even deepens the problems that global warming offers the modern human society. The question of whether or not the lower-end earners of the society should also pay for the problems caused by the extensive developments incurred by those who are able to manipulate the economy continues to loom over the thinking of modern social experts. True to its sense, Thomas and Twyman (2005) in an article entitled Equity and justice in climate change adaptation amongst natural-resource-dependent societies, said that when policies affect social institutions that govern key natural resources, especially at the local level, some fundamental questions relating to equity and justice need to be raised (119).

Given that protecting the environment is everyone’s responsibility, perhaps thinking over the justifiable approach towards providing the best provision for the welfare of both the superior members of the society and the less-superior ones should also be given attention to. Receiving the best benefits that the environment could give could improve the ways by which all human individuals respond to the need of solving the problem in a more balanced manner.

Everyone is a part of the campaign towards reducing the effects of climate change. In Geraldine Terry’s (2009) article entitled No climate justice without gender justice an overview of the issues, it could be analyzed how she pointed out that the desire of the society to prevent climate change from further incurring any more chaotic effects in the environment and the human society has lead it to the point of creating procedures that would transform the current system of lifestyle with a more refined process of producing a sustainable system as the reduction of carbon emission is being prompted. To do this, the creation of highly technological jobs requiring high-end skills on manipulating technological machines has been opened to the public. Understandably though, it could be observed that most of these positions could only be incurred by individuals who have taken specific educational attainments that are usually more accessible to men. Could it be that the role of women in enjoining the campaign against climate change is being put aside due to these imposed developments in most industries around the globe?

Adaptation to climate change is an important aspect of surviving this environmental phenomenon’s challenge. Terry (2009) mentioned in her article that in connection to this matter, gender advocates and women’s rights campaigners feel mystified and even disempowered in the face of climate change especially as relatively few women have been trained in the skills required to engage in detailed scientific debates (6). The different sectors of the community that is being highly affected by climate change often undergo particular adjustments that are not that easy to compel with.

Another proof that Terry presented in her article is the fact that men and women view climate change differently hence have different suggestive solutions to the problem when it comes to facing the issue. Considerably, men hope to mandate change in a radical manner through counter defining human lifestyle with the aide that modern technology offers. On the other end, women most often than not rely on the hope of adjusting the lifestyle of humans starting from the basic activities towards the most complex ones. Women believe that with small steps great achievements could be garnered and radical solutions would only increase the complexity of the problem being incurred by the planet today. Making the best out of what is could be currently worked upon is the desire that women want to impose, which at some point have not been fully heard by those who are indulged in making more complex solutions to the issue.

The imbalance of such views continues to be a cause of debate among progressive indicators of solutions to the growing problem of climate change around the globe. Going for the radical changes usually take new ventures in the more responsive aspect of modern economy as it results to higher gains for organizations enjoined within the commercial powers. On the other hand, the more subtle approach to the problem is gradually being applied in most companies as complementary solutions to the issue at hand but are not fully recognized to be the core solution to the issue hence disposing an idea that the solution offered by women are still considered less superior than that of the resolutions presented by men.

Supported by the facts presented through the different articles used to define the issue being considered in this discussion, Hanson’s Defence Analysis Report on the correlating value that connects global warming and gender issues together has been proven truthful especially that it presents the different issues relating to the topic that imposes the direct impact that global warming has on the separation of gender roles in the society. Contemplating upon the issue does provide a notion that women, being the lesser factor [as perceived to have a contribution to the resolution of the problem] in the society receive so much discrimination that also serves as the definition as to how environmental injustice through global warming is even more compelling to the feminine population of the society.

References

Terry, G. (2009). No climate justice without gender justice: an overview of the issues. Gender & Development Vol. 17, No. 1.

Thomas, D; Twyman, G. (2005). Equity and justice in climate change adaptation amongst natural-resource-dependent societies. Global Environmental Change Journal.

Saeger, J. (2006). Noticing Gender (or Not) in Disasters. Social Policy: Winter Edition.

Clutter, S. (1995). Race, class and environmental justice. Progress in Human Geography.

Hanson, S. (2007) Gender Issues in climate adaptation. Defense Analysis Report. http://www.foi.se/upload/projekt/Climatools/Rapporter/FOI-R–2351–SE.pdf. (Retrieved on March 8, 2012).