雅思阅读

📖 Reading Passage

The concept of 'environmental justice' has evolved from a localized concern into a global framework for addressing the disproportionate environmental burdens borne by marginalized communities. Initially rooted in the civil rights movement of the 1980s in the United States, it highlighted how hazardous waste sites and polluting industries were often located near low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. Over time, scholars have expanded this notion to include not only the distribution of environmental harms but also the procedural fairness in decision-making processes and the recognition of diverse cultural and historical relationships with the environment. This broader interpretation underscores that effective environmental policy must integrate social equity, ensuring that no group bears an unjust share of negative environmental consequences. However, critics argue that the framework's expansion risks diluting its original focus on racial discrimination, potentially weakening its legal and political efficacy. Despite such debates, environmental justice remains a critical lens through which to examine the intersection of ecological sustainability and human rights.