Just Sustainabilities
What are”Just Sustainabilities”
According to Julian Agyeman ‘s published book, Introducing Just Sustainabilities: Policy, Planning, and Practice, he discusses the importance of having a sustainable community and integrating social and welfare needs. To achieve a just and sustainable community of any scale, Agyeman describes how there are four essential conditions that have to be followed. The four key conditions include “improving quality of life and well-being, meeting the needs of present and future generations, justice and equity and living within ecosystems”.
The first condition, improving the quality of life and well-being of people, involves improving measures regarding a person’s health education, personal activities and environmental conditions. For the second condition, meeting the needs of present generations, helps to explore the relationship between material consumption and needs to make community improvements. This helps to identify health and social disparities within the community and consider the needs of certain groups. The third condition, justice and equity, helps to recognize and exercise our human rights. As for the fourth condition, living with ecosystems, this includes knowing the limits of nature to prevent unfair distribution of environmental goods to avoid resources. It also involves protecting our supplies to prevent shortages of natural resources.
4 Key Conditions of Just Sustainabilities Model
The Four Key Conditions to Improve Plastic & Air Pollution
1.) Improving people’s quality of life and well-being:
Improving the quality of life and well-being within the community, especially the St. James Parish community, is important to improving an individuals physical health. Educating others about the potential harm plastic and petrochemical companies pose on our environment plays an essential role in identifying risk factors. It also helps to stay well-informed and learn how to take safety measures when it comes limiting air pollution exposure and plastic use. Education also plays a key role in learning how to use our voice to express our concerns and learn about what products are harmful. By being knowledgeable on what materials are harmful helps to learn about different health issues, and choose safer and alternative products to use.
2. Meeting the needs of both present and future generation:
Ways to meet the needs of both the present and future generations within this community is building community resilience. Being able to come together as a community to bring awareness on plastic and air pollution is important to implement changes and prevent future petrochemical factories from being built. This will reduce fossil fuel and air pollution. It will also reduce air pollution exposure and improve the well-being of present and future generations. The more action we take on reducing pollution, the more we can help save the environment and public health. In addition, protecting individuals from consumer goods and strengthening regulatory agencies will help the present and future generation identify harmful plastic products in food and drinks to improve their overall health.
3. Justice and equity in terms of recognition, process, procedure & outcome:
In Saint James Parish, their community has faced many environmental discrimination and injustice. This is due, to the government failing to realize the health issues that come along with building petrochemical companies in St. James. The government officials have neglected the well-being of the community and continued to give permission to build more petrochemical factories. As a result, the BIPOC community is especially effected in Saint James Parish. However, in order to ensure justice and equity within this community, providing equal education and health resources is important so individuals are up-to-date with ongoing issues and well protected. In addition, being able to identify who is at risk is important to addressing health concerns. Everyones life and health matters so ensuring justice and equity regardless of gender, race, and socioeconomic status is essential in providing equal resources and access to human rights.
4. Living within ecosystem limit:
The ecosystem is greatly effected by plastic and air pollution. There are many petrochemical companies built which is emitting air pollution. As a result, it’s become difficult, especially for St. James Parish, to live in. One way we can live within the ecosystem, is by creating stricter regulations for factories to reduce air pollution. This will help to hinder the production of petrochemical companies and learn how to stick up for ourselves. In addition, monitoring the air quality and the effects it has on the community also plays a crucial role in understanding how much of a threat air pollution is for our health. This can help determine whether or not it’s safe to continue living in the community. We can also learn how to live within the ecosystem, by treating the environment and land better which involves advocating for ourselves and preventing future factories from being built.