Why Enviromentalism Doesn't Work In Urban Areas

The environmental movement makes no plans for economic development -- something that is vital for environmental growth in inner-city communities.

1 minute read

May 18, 2005, 8:00 AM PDT

By Brenda Meyer


"For communities like mine, environmentalism has seemed to be about preserving places most of us will never see. Even when environmentalism has focused on problems that affect urban communities, such as air pollution or lead poisoning, it has pointedly avoided addressing my community's desperate need for economic development. Environmentalists do not talk about the importance of a living wage or affordable housing because, we are told, those are not environmental problems. Foundations feed this problem by failing to recognize minorities and urban city residents as prominent stakeholders in the environmental arena."

Thanks to Brenda Meyer

Tuesday, May 17, 2005 in AlterNet

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