Not all People are Polluted Equally in Capitalist Society: An Eco-Socialist Commentary on Liberal Environmental Justice Theory

Abstract

In reaction to the economic and ecological injustices perpetrated by neoliberal capitalism and corporate-led globalization, as well as the global pandemic and deepening climate crisis, a deeper shade of green politics is coming of age throughout the world (Bond and Dorsey 2010; MartinezAlier 2020). Peoples traditionally relegated to the political margins of society are challenging the wholesale depredation of their land, water, air, and community health. At the forefront of this new wave of activism are thousands of grassroots environmental justice (EJ) organizations working to reverse the disproportionate social and ecological hardships borne by Indigenous peoples, communities of color, ethnic minorities, peasants, women, rural communities and working class families. The importance of these struggles cannot be overstated. Now, more than ever, a truly massbased, international movement devoted to environmental justice and ecological socialism is needed to confront the global ecological crisis and existential threat to humanity that is climate change. There are many major challenges confronting activists as they try to forge such a movement. These challenges include the formation of a master “frame” that allows for activists to identify with the goals of the movement; the adoption of suitable organizational structures that will allow the movement to grow and prosper; as well as the utilization of effective political strategies and tactics necessary to bring about real transformation of dominative state structures, racial and gender oppression, class exploitation, and the global capitalist system. Forging a socialist EJ movement is a daunting task. Transnational coalition building requires that activists frame EJ issues in ways that resonate with those in both the global South and North, and experience shows that