Environmental Justice & Activism in the Huron Valley

Items

• Environmental Justice Tools for the 21st Century

  A project submitted by Molly Blondell, Wakako Kobayashi, Bryan Redden, and Arianna Zrzavy in May, 2020, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (School for Environment and Sustainability) at the University of Michigan. Abstract: As local environmental justice (from here on EJ) issues have become increasingly prevalent in tandem with our growing global climate crisis, the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition (MEJC) seeks to advance the use of online EJ screening tools and establish EJ policies for the state of Michigan. This research study sought to address the question, “What are the lessons that Michigan can learn regarding EJ screening tools?”
• Strategies for Success in the Environmental Justice Movement

  A dissertation submitted by Scott D. Sherman in 2003, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Natural Resources and Environment) at The University of Michigan. Abstract: This dissertation examines 60 case studies of communities in the United States that have fought against incinerators, toxic wastes, polluting industries, nuclear waste sites, and other locally unwanted land uses.
• Assessing the State of Environmental Justice in Michigan

  A project completed by Laura Grier, Delia Mayor, and Brett Zeuner in May, 2019, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (School for Environment and Sustainability) at the University of Michigan. Abstract: This study sought to address the research question, “What is the state of environmental justice in Michigan?” In doing so, the team addressed the feasibility of creating a publicly available, accessible Michigan-specific screening tool that would display environmental, social, and health data relevant to environmental justice.
• Implications of the Environmental Justice Movement for Environmental Education

  A thesis submitted by Liam Downey in April, 1994, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (Natural Resources and Environment) at the University of Michigan. Abstract: In studying the Environmental Justice Movement, it has increasingly become clear that environmental education is a vital aspect of the daily work of many, if not all, Environmental Justice organizations. While this environmental education is unlike most currently recognized EE efforts, it also falls well within the bounds of the definition of environmental education provided by the Tblisi Declaration. A further aim of this thesis is to argue that this is, in fact, the case.
• Building Bridges Where There is Nothing Left to Burn: The Campaign for Environmental Justice within a Southwest Detroit Border Community.

  A dissertation submitted by Amy Erin Krings in 2015, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Social Work and Political Science) in The University of Michigan. Abstract: This dissertation examines the nature of power in land use decisions that contribute to the production of environmental inequality.
• Intersections of Environmental and Reproductive Justice: Examining Social Movement Efforts to Protect Vulnerable Communities from Toxic Exposures Harmful to Reproductive Health

  A dissertation submitted by Rebecca Jill Mandell in 2016, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Health Behavior and Health Education) in the University of Michigan. Abstract: Cross-movement collaboration is emerging amongst advocates at the intersection of environmental justice (EJ) and reproductive justice (RJ) to protect communities of color, Indigenous, and low-income communities from toxicants harmful to reproductive health. Little research exists on this intersection, and on cross-movement collaborations in general. This study examined the collective action frames (CAFs) of advocates at the EJ/RJ intersection. CAFs highlight how advocates identify problems and solutions, and motivate people to take action.
• Advancing a ‘Climate Plan for Public Lands’ Through Collaborative Advocacy

  A practicum completed and submitted by Amanda Wheelock in April, 2022, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, Environment and Sustainability. Abstract: Public land management is an often overlooked but vital part of efforts to solve the climate crisis. Changes in public land management policy could dramatically shift incentives for production of both fossil fuels and renewable energy, increase carbon sequestration and ecosystem resilience, and support or hinder a just transition for communities with local economies historically dependent on nonrenewable resource extraction. The People, Public Lands, and Climate Collaborative (PPLCC) is an informal network of nonprofit organizations that was formed in 2020 to ensure that public lands are part of a just and equitable climate solution. This practicum was undertaken to provide capacity to further PPLCC goals by advocating for Congressional action. Through an iterative process, several tools were developed to identify, analyze, and compare the relative merits of federal legislative proposals that could help achieve PPLCC priorities. These tools included a legislative tracker, a rubric for analyzing and comparing legislation, and a scorecard to visually demonstrate these comparisons. This report details the development of these tools and their implementation by the PPLCC. It also contains a case study to be used by students studying environmental policy to better understand the benefits, challenges, and relevant considerations for working in a collaborative with members that represent a variety of organizational missions, strategies, and structures.
• Institutional Ethnography of Rights and Resources Initiative: Coalition-Building, Strategy and Land Tenure Advocacy

  Completed and presented by Anjali Thakker, Maxime Groen, Victoria Rachmaninoff, Haley Riley under the advisement of Dr. Cristy Watkins and Dr. Arun Agrawal. Abstract: Established in 2005, the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) is a global coalition dedicated to promoting land tenure and policy reform for Indigenous Peoples, local communities, Afro-descendants and women. Through an institutional ethnography framework, this report analyzes the operations, successes, and challenges of RRI in order to synthesize strategies for tenure reform and document the perspectives of coalition members. As an influential organization in the field of land tenure, forest conservation, and environmental justice, understanding these factors will also inform members outside of the coalition as keys to success for strategies in coalitional land tenure advocacy.
• Assessing Equity and Environmental Justice in the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

  A capstone projected completed and presented by Helena Garcia, Logan Murphy, Briana Wendland, and Tiffany Wu in in April, 2021, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (University of Michigan, School for Environment and Sustainability) under the advisement of Dr. Paul Seelbach.