雅思阅读

📖 Reading Passage

The concept of 'environmental justice' has evolved significantly since its inception in the 1980s, when it was primarily associated with the disproportionate siting of hazardous waste facilities in low-income and minority communities. Over time, the term has broadened to encompass a wider range of issues, including access to clean air and water, the equitable distribution of environmental benefits such as parks and green spaces, and the inclusion of marginalized groups in environmental decision-making processes. Recent scholarship argues that achieving environmental justice requires not only procedural and distributive reforms but also a fundamental restructuring of the socio-economic systems that perpetuate environmental inequalities. This perspective emphasizes the interconnectedness of ecological sustainability and social equity, suggesting that policies aimed at one cannot succeed without addressing the other. Consequently, contemporary environmental justice movements increasingly advocate for systemic change rather than isolated remediation efforts.