The Health and General Wellbeing of the Populations - Essay Example

? Policy and Governance in Sustainability: Environmental Injustice in Superfund Sites Policy and Governance in Sustainability: Environmental Injustice in Superfund Sites Introduction The increase of industrial activities has led to the exacerbation of environmental problems. In the modern society, environmental problems are at the center stage of the social issues that affect societal functioning. Notably, their negative implications are pervasive and compromise the wellbeing of both the current and future populations. This has further been compounded by the cross boundary nature of these implications. In this respect, both the communities that reside in the affected area and those that do not get affected with the respective negative effects. This has prompted the relevant authorities to assume a collective responsibility towards ensuring that environmental problems are addressed accordingly. Some of the measures that have been undertaken in this regard include environmental cleanup initiatives, community capacity building and empowerment and environmental monitoring amongst others. Perhaps the most effective of these has been the super fund initiative. Basically, this seeks to clean up the areas that have been adversely affected by the negative effects of environmental pollution. Besides having been considered one of the most effective approaches in the twentieth century, it is compounded by a host of complexities. The most critical and sensitive of all of these pertains to the perceived environmental injustice that the approach promotes. In this regard, O’Neil (2005) cites that the approach has greatly benefited the White settlements as opposed to the populations of color. Statistical evidence shows that compared to their White counterparts, Blacks and other persons of color have the tendency to inhabit regions that are most affected by the problem of environmental pollution by hazardous wastes. This trend is attributable to the fact that their earlier generations worked in industries and therefore inhabited surrounding areas. Additionally, Bullard (1993) posits that their high poverty levels do not allow them to settle in environmentally friendly neighborhoods. For this reason, they tend to suffer the most from the lasting psychological and environmental effects that respective environments pose. Regardless of the fact that their vulnerability is high, current efforts with respect to superfund initiatives have done very little to address the scenario. At this point, it is worth appreciating that environmental wellbeing greatly influences societal functioning. In particular, it determines the social as well as economic performance of a particular society. Thus it needs to be addressed effectively in order to enhance and sustain an upward growth. To a great extent, Bowen (2001) believes that environmental sustainability is used as a benchmark in measuring social equity. This is due to the realization that it greatly influences the holistic wellbeing of the society. Relative to this is the high cost that characterizes the superfund site cleanup initiatives. Arguably, the resources that are employed in cleaning the sites are immense. The fact that they are drawn from the public treasury requires that they should benefit all factions of the society. This would go a long way in enhancing social equity and promoting sustainable development. Under-representation of the minority populations in these important initiatives has had adverse impacts on the welfare of the affected populations as well as that of the entire society. In particular, it has led to increased poverty levels, further widening the social disparity between them and their White counterparts. This has been contributed to by their employment of significant resources in addressing the relative health problems. In his research, Downey (2005) found out that these populations suffer from terminal diseases that are associated with environmental pollution. Examples in this respect include cancer, cardiovascular problems, psychological problems such as schizophrenia and so forth. The resources that they employ in maintaining their health are immense and coupled with the recognition that they have lower incomes; this undermines their ability to achieve optimal economic growth and development. From a national point of view, the preceding state of affairs directly compromises the ability of the nation to attain both short term and long term economic goals. In light of environmental sustainability, current initiatives need to be reflective of the needs of both the current and future generations. According to Probst and Sherman (2004), respective measures need to place emphasis on enhancing the wellbeing of current populations and avoid undermining the welfare of future populations at the same time. With respect to attainment of national goals, this fragmented approach to solving critical environmental problems compromises the ability of the nations to attain a desirable state of affairs. Put differently, a more comprehensive and integrated approach need to be assumed by relevant stakeholders. At this point, it cannot be disputed that this would go a long way in ensuring that the social, economic and environmental goals and objectives of the nation are achieved in a timely and effective manner. Notably, this is consistent with the provisions of the national and international policies regarding the abovementioned societal spheres. The identification of inherent gaps in this area is vitally important in addressing the emergent problems that greatly affect growth and development. In his research, Bullard (1993) contends that policies, laws and regulations provide a viable platform through which wide ranging critical social concerns can be addressed effectively. In this respect, reviewing and amending this policy area would be instrumental in enabling the nation to attain relative goals and objectives. At this point, it cannot be disputed that the current policy is limited by various inconsistencies. This have contributed a great deal to the current social injustice and further exacerbated environmental degradation. The following suggestions offer useful insights that can be used in bridging the gaps, incorporating the aspect of sustainability in the current initiatives and ultimately enhancing the effectiveness of the policy in promoting social equity. One of the limitations of the current policy pertains to its characteristic bureaucracy. In particular, O’Neil (2005) indicates that the rules and regulations that govern the choice and categorization of affected areas as superfund sites is complex and complicated. The procedure requires the population in liaison with relevant authorities to provide important information to the policy makers regarding why the area need to be classified as such. Further, the rules that govern the very categorization are comprehensive and require the area to meet the underscored conditions. Seemingly, this bureaucracy slows down the decision making process. In the meantime, populations continue to be negatively affected by the relative detrimental implications. To curb this, relevant authorities should establish clear provisions to oversee the choice and classification process. This according to O’Neil (2005) will be imperative in easing the procedure and promoting quick decision making. Further, relevant authorities need to pursue information dissemination and public education regarding the importance of superfund initiatives. According to Downey (2005), statistical evidence ascertains that a significant percentage of the national population does not understand the importance of the initiatives. This is all inclusive and comprises of both the minority and majority factions. In this regard, it is important for the policy formulators and implementers to educate the public about the importance and nature of the initiatives. Since education plays an instrumental role in changing attitudes and behavior, relative efforts can yield desirable outcomes. In particular, informing the public about the nature and dynamics of the process would enhance positive response. Thus populations from vast backgrounds are likely to participate actively in the various projects aimed at addressing environmental degradation and promoting restoration. Relative to this is the active involvement of the affected communities in the decision making process. The decisions that are ultimately arrived at by the policy makers in this regard need to be based on informed thought. Put differently, the respective decisions need to mirror the wide ranging needs and perceptions of the affected populations. Distinct approaches that aid in attainment of this range from presenting suggestions to the public to allowing them to make actual contributions to the decisions. Of great importance would be to ensure that their concerns are incorporated in the final decisions. According to Probst and Sherman (2004), this approach is the most effective in promoting sustainable growth and development. This is because the respective populations are given a chance to make direct contributions to the projects, regardless of the fact that they are not economically endowed like their White counterparts. In the long run, they feel that they ‘own’ the project and therefore continually invest in the same. Undoubtedly, this is at the core of sustainable development. Finally, the relevant authorities can counter the current scenario by establishing and sustaining relative projects that augment the efforts of the superfund initiatives in addressing environmental degradation. In this respect, Bowen (2001) cites that projects such as neighbor-assist-neighbor have been successful in promoting restoration of the degraded areas. In these, experienced staff and expertise work in collaboration with the local communities to ensure that the relative activities yield optimal results. To a great extent, this also aids in empowering the community by building its knowledge base with respect to environmental conservation and restoration. From the point of view of sustainable development, this approach is useful in enhancing the standards of living of both the current and future populations. In this respect, it should be appreciated that the holistic wellbeing of the society is directly depended on the state of the environment. Conclusion In sum, environmental sustainability is vital in promoting and sustaining the health and general wellbeing of the populations. Environmental problems have been a common feature of the twentieth century society. Perhaps the most pronounced problems include the environmental hazards that are posed by the superfund sites. As it has come out from the study, minority populations suffer the most from the relative negative implications. This is because they mostly inhabit this area and lack sufficient resources to deal with the health effects that emanate from the superfund sites. The current initiatives towards addressing these problems have yielded minimal outcomes. This is due to the inherent inconsistencies that undermine effective implementation and enforcement. To address this, factors pertaining to education of the public, involvement of the public in critical decision making, and establishment of sustainable projects need to be explored. References Bowen, W. (2001). Environmental justice through research based decision making. New York: Garland Publishing. Bullard, R. (1993). Confronting environmental racism. Boston: South End Press. Downey, l. (2005). Assessing environmental inequality: how the conclusions we draw vary according to the definitions we employ. Social Spectrum, 25, 349-369. O’Neil, S. (2005). Environmental justice in the superfund cleanup process. Chestnut Hill: Boston College. Probst, K. & Sherman, D. (2004). Success for superfund: A new approach for keeping score. Washington: Resources for the Future. Read More