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Pollution, Communities, and Schools: A Portrait of Environmental Justice on Southern California’s “Riskscape”

DifferenTakes Series
12 ~ Environment and Climate Change
[PDF Version]
By Rachel Morello-Frosch, Manuel Pastor, Jr.

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Lately, politicians have been talking passionately about diversity and equal opportunity in America. Changing demographic realities are pushing politicians in this direction as they are forced to contend with a rapidly changing political and economic landscape. Even President George W. Bush recently unveiled initiatives for improving primary and secondary education for minority and low-income students, emphasizing that no child should be left behind.

Rachel Morello-Frosch is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Health Education at San Francisco State University. She is an epidemiologist and environmental health scientist, whose research interests include air toxics, comparative risk assessment and environmental justice, and conflicts over science and risk in policy-making.

Manuel Pastor, Jr. is a professor of Latin American/Latino Studies and Director of the Center for Justice, Tolerance and Community, at the University of California, Santa Cruz. His current research interests include environmental equity and changing labor markets in regional economies. The authors are currently collaborating on a community-academic partnership that includes research, organizing, and policy advocacy on environmental justice issues in southern California.