Introduction Support Friends of the Earth Friends of the Earth is a charity that Easy ways to help gets people campaigning at all levels – in What is communities, nationally and internationally. change the world Our campaigns are groundbreaking and have environmental Friends ofFriends the Earth been behind laws to protect wildlife in Britain, doorstep recycling for every home and the justice? world’s first climate change act. We believe Environmental justice means everyone has: But to get environmental justice for the environment is for everyone and that everyone, society must change: we need a • A right to healthy places to live, work fairer world. This includes ordinary people healthy people and a healthy planet go hand and enjoy themselves. having legal support and the political • A right to a fair share of nature’s clout to influence decisions affecting the in hand. We believe things can get better if benefits like food and water. environment where they live. • A responsibility to look after the planet we tackle the underlying causes of the threats In this booklet we highlight examples for others and for future generations. to our planet – economic and social injustice. of environmental injustice – and describe In doing this we not only ensure a better what we’re doing to tackle them. Read on And with your help we can do this. life for all of us – but help protect the and find out how we can work together for environment too. a fairer – and greener – future. CEIBA/Friends Changing our individual behaviour can are many other ways you can help us help, but we’ll have even more impact if financially. These include getting a Friends of we act together to change politics. That’s of the Earth credit card, signing up to Good the why Friends of the Earth asks you to Energy for green electricity, shopping with Earth support us in our work. Here’s how you us, or holding a fundraising event. Guatemala can help: Keep your finger on the pulse Take action and campaign with us Sign up for our email newsletter for the From simple actions to joining latest news, campaign actions and greener groundbreaking campaigns, you can help lifestyle tips delivered straight to your inbox. make the environment better for everyone. Do all this and more at Make a donation or regular contribution www.foe.co.uk www.foe.co.uk A regular direct debit is a great way to www.foe.co.uk/shop support our vital campaigns. And there or phone 020 7490 1555 Friends of the Earth, 26-28 Underwood Street, London N1 7JQ Environmental Tel: 020 7490 1555 Fax: 020 7490 0881 Website: www.foe.co.uk Friends of the Earth is the collective name for Friends of the Earth Trust, registered charity 281681, company number 1533942, and Friends of the Earth Limited, company number 1012357 July 2010 justice Printed on paper made from 100 per cent post-consumer waste. Cover photo Frank Chmura/Alamy Show of hands: voting against a new mine in Guatemala The issues Friends of the Earth’s solutions Environmental injustice How we tackle around the world environmental injustice Pacific G.M.B. Friends of the Earth believes that tackling countries are more likely to have their Fuel poverty Solution – better UK planning Solution – Power Up Calling environmental injustice will not only lives turned upside down by climate Four million UK households are in fuel Akash Friends of the Earth is campaigning for Every year Friends of the Earth runs a protect people, but also the natural change. Already some low-lying Pacific poverty. This means they spend more than planning laws that: unique training weekend called Power Up. world. If you have healthy people, islands are being abandoned because of a tenth of their income on staying warm. Partnership/Edmund • Listen properly to the views This helps people understand the planning you get a healthy planet. But to do rising seas. of people who live locally. system and their legal right to influence this we have to get to grips with some Those with less money also get least out Poor laws • Give people and the environment decisions affecting their communities. big problems: of what the planet has to offer us. The rich It’s hard for people to use laws to protect as much importance as countries in the European Union have just their environment. For example, it’s Rice economic growth. Solution – fixing public transport Inequality 7 per cent of the world’s population. Yet they expensive for an individual to take Centre • Promote low-carbon solutions We are calling for every council to do its People living in deprived areas have gobble up nearly a sixth of its resources – a polluting company to court. such as renewable energy. bit to tackle climate change. Part of this less influence on what happens to their things like timber and metals for industry. In the UK some planning laws are is pushing for better public transport that environment – be it the site for a new factory stacked against ordinary people. This In Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, for example, everyone can afford to use. or saving a forest from the chainsaws. Transport means it’s hard to have a say in decisions there are plans to build a waste incinerator istock It’s also people on the lowest incomes, It’s the less wealthy who are affected most affecting where you live. Take the plans for a that would be the biggest in the UK. The who don’t consume much, that cause the by traffic. They get the health and congestion nuclear power station in Hartlepool. Locals community already has the largest UK open least environmental damage. problems because they tend to live nearer were only given a few days notice of when cast coal mine on its doorstep. Friends of Yet poorer people are often worst big roads. Children in the UK’s most they would be consulted; many were not the Earth is working with the people of hit when the environment is damaged. deprived areas are five times more likely to even aware the consultation was happening. “Many of the trees are Friends of the Earth wants to solve drought and severe flooding. Friends of Merthyr to ensure they have a say in this For example, the populations of developing be killed by traffic than those in richer areas. dying out, including the problems, not complain about them. Our the Earth is therefore campaigning for rich big new decision for their community. False climate solutions campaigns have brought about important countries to: Friends ofFriends the Earth Have you ever booked a holiday then paid breadfruit which is so changes, such as a world leading climate • Take the lead on cutting carbon Solution – law in your hands “You’d come out of the to offset the emissions of your flight? important to the local change law. Here are some of the ways emissions and to do this now. Friends of the Earth lawyers help people Offsetting claims to help tackle climate diet. The mangroves we want to tackle environmental injustice. • Cut carbon by making real changes stand up for their rights. In 2008 we worked house and this filth would with a resident of Port Talbot, South Wales. change. For every tonne of carbon dioxide I remember from childhood at home – not by offsetting emissions be on the car, everywhere. produced, the thinking goes, a tonne is Solution – towards climate justice abroad, which will not tackle He had got hold of information showing We cannot be poisoned avoided by investing in low-carbon projects. are almost gone. There At the heart of climate justice is a simple climate change. pollution around a nearby steelworks broke The truth about offsetting, though, is legal levels. The lawyers worked with him without any comeback. was a favourite place idea: those most responsible for climate • Pay for poorer countries to adapt Did you know that between 1997 and it lets rich countries continue pumping out to the effects of climate change. to force the Welsh Assembly Government I used to go with my dad change should be doing the most to tackle it. 2008 the real cost of motoring fell by 13 Our environment is as climate change gases while poorer countries • Help developing countries develop to produce plans to bring the pollution back Rich countries have benefited most from per cent. At the same time, bus and coach important as anyone else’s are expected to develop cleanly. If we are to when I was growing up, their own economies using clean within legal limits. fares increased by 17 per cent, and rail polluting the atmosphere – they’ve been avoid catastrophic climate change, we need but this has disappeared technology, such as renewable energy. We’re also working with people fares by 7 per cent. and it’s worth fighting for” pumping out climate-changing gases since emissions cuts all round. around the world to prevent destruction of under the sea” Victorian times. Yet the world’s poorest Dean Axford on the effects of the Wilton rainforests and poisoning from pesticides people are hit the hardest by global warming. chemical complex, Teesside Maria Tiimon on rising sea levels in Kiribati, (see overleaf). www.foe.co.uk/ a low-lying island in the Pacific Poor countries are also less able to deal www.foe.co.uk/ environmentaljustice/evidence with the effects of climate change such as environmentaljustice/solutions London Bangladesh Indonesia Smiles all round as market saved Toxic ships sail into court Gas drilling causes massive mud flow Our work in environmental Queen’s Market has long sold affordable – Friends of the Earth’s annual weekend Bangladesh’s ship-breaking industry years of legal work by Friends of the On 29 May 2006 the biggest mud volcano Indonesia/WALHI believes the disaster food in one of London’s most deprived of training and workshops.