Watch the film Erin Brockovitch (2000), which exemplifies some of the issues involved in environmental justice, specifically relating to differential access to power based on factors including income and education.
To complete this discussion, you should first describe how the areas where people live can impact their health, using specific examples from the readings provided. Then, you should discuss the film, including why the people of Hinkley were at particular risk, and why this film is a good example of environmental injustice.
Social Class: Environmental Justice/Poverty
Various studies have inferred that various factors impact the health of an individual, which include both economic/financial conditions and locality. From the systematic study of literature/evidence, regarding economic conditions and locality, we can assert that people, who belong to a particular segment/class of social-economic system, dwell in a particular locality. For instance, an individual, who is earning more than average, per year, live particular localities, where individuals, who’s earning can be categorized as average and below average, cannot afford to live. This allowed researchers to understand how economic/financial factors and locality impact various aspects of human health. In fact, the essential variable is an economic or financial factor, which impacts 1) locality/neighborhood and 2) health. In the reading, which is based on the study on deprived neighborhoods in the United Kingdom, we learn that the neighborhood and economic factors directly impact mortality rate and health-condition of an individual. In addition, the neighborhood not only has economic characteristics, but also environmental characteristics. For instance, the study reveals that the physical environment varies evidently from locality to locality or neighborhood to neighborhood. The factors, of the physical environment, which have been considered, are pollution and hardness of water, which directly impacts health and an average lifespan of an individual. Therefore, the drawn conclusions are very authentic and logical, which help us explain why a neighborhood has certain economic and environmental characteristics and how these characteristics impact health conditions on the individual and on a community level.
The movie, Erin Brockovitch, is based on a true story/struggle of Erin Brockovitch, who is a law clerk, in the United States. Eric, who has limited or no formal education, pertaining to law, played a pivotal role in devising or building up a case against the large corporation, Pacific Gas, and Electric Company. In the case, it was alleged that because of particular industrial processes, which were being used by the company to fight corrosion in the Hinckley Compressor Station. The movie, in which Julia Roberts played the role of Erin Brockovitch, shows in detail how a large corporation ignored repercussions of contaminating fresh water, above and beneath the ground, for profit. We also learn how contamination deteriorated physical environment and how it impacted the lives of that locality or neighborhood. For instance, studies find that cancer rates, in that locality increased dramatically and radically, during the period from 1988 to 2008. Various studies inferred that it was because of the contamination of water, because of the industrial processes, which were adopted by Pacific Gas and Electric Company. We also learn that the neighborhood was kind of poor and therefore; the awareness and ability to fight such large corporation were lacking. However, the during the case, it was established that Pacific Gas and Electric Company was contaminating water and therefore, the company was forced to settle the matter for $333 million, which is an enormous sum.
From the movie, which is based on a true story, it is quite evident that locality has great relevance when it comes to environmental deterioration. Large companies, as per one theory, deliberately chose such locations or neighborhoods, where the response time, of communities, to the irresponsible actions of a company, which has a cost for the environment, is slow. Posh neighborhoods are more responsive towards environmental changes and they react quickly and strongly to such actions, by firms, companies, or organizations, which has a toll on the environment. From the discourse, we can conclude that communities must be proactive, when it comes to environmental deterioration, in a particular neighborhood or locality. In addition, the government must also take measures to improve the economic and environmental characteristics of a neighborhood. The deprived neighborhoods must be the priority and a comprehensive strategy must be formed to address the mentioned issues.
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