<p>A worldwide movement has emerged in recent years, bringing millions of young people together to demand action on climate change. While youths’ high level of vulnerability to climate change could make them especially credible, and therefore powerful, messengers on this topic, there has been relatively little scholarly attention on <em>youth</em> activism and the nuances of framing by youth climate activists in particular. This gap may be especially important in the United States, which represents a substantial portion of global emissions but has historically struggled to establish enduring climate policy. Can this new generation of activists – many of whom are not yet old enough to vote – uniquely impact climate policy in the United States? My dissertation uses a multi-method approach to explore this question, focusing on communication by youth activists. I begin by examining the distinct frames that U.S. youth activists use to describe the issue of climate change, and exploring how they perceive those messages will influence the policymaking process. I do this using interview data with youth activists and examining Tweets, finding that youth activists often rely on climate science frames rather than justice-related frames that arguably “fit” well with their identities and vulnerabilities as youth. Next, I consider the effect of different climate frames on three sets of actors relevant to policymaking on this issue: (i) the general (adult) public, (ii) the youth public, and (iii) policymakers. More specifically, I draw on data from an original survey experiment and interviews with local- and state-level officials. I find clear evidence that the “fit” between message framing and messenger source matters – youth can be effective messengers about climate change, but particularly when they invoke arguments about the intergenerational and environmental injustices of climate inaction. The role of source identity is a critical contribution to the political communication and climate framing literature. Although many scholars have pointed to source identity as an important factor, the relationship between message content and source identity has been underexamined in the literature regarding climate change to date. This study also contributes to the framing literature through a focus on age as an important facet of source identity and by examining the causal influence of justice-based frames. Finally, this study aims to contribute to the social movement literature by a focus on the unique impacts of communication by <em>youth</em> climate activists. Given youths’ high level of vulnerability to climate impacts, this dissertation work could have notable environmental justice implications as well.</p>

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In 2015, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by state nations across the globe to eradicate poverty in all its forms, combat inequality, preserve the planet, create sustainable economic growth and foster social inclusion (United Nations [UN], 2015:5). Social work is committed to contributing to sustainable development by responding to social and economic injustices (Global Agenda for Social Work and Social Development, 2012). The goal of this research study was to explore and describe the role of social workers in promoting environmental justice for sustainable communities from a non-government perspective in Tshwane. The researcher adopted a qualitative research approach and an instrumental case study design. The sample of eight participants was purposively selected from non-governmental organisations in Tshwane and data was collected through semi-structured one-on-one interviews. The findings of the study indicate that participants had some understanding of environmental justice and that both people and the natural environment should be equally protected and advocated in social work interventions. Although some current interventions reflect an environmental focus, participants were not consciously aware of their role in environmental justice and sustainable development. The study concluded that social workers understand the challenges that are respectively posed by the social and natural environment but not necessarily how they are intertwined and related to environmental injustices and green social work. Recommendations include education and awareness-raising of social workers on environmental justice and adopting green social work as a practice model. / Mini Dissertation (MSW (Social Development and Policy))--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Social Work and Criminology / MSW (Social Development and Policy) / Unrestricted

Forests are embedded in diverse forest governance, resource use, and resource user settings which are linked as components of social-ecological systems. This dissertation examines forest health at a landscape scale, governance at a community scale, and livelihoods at a household scale within a social ecological system; I develop a measure of forest health, the Bare Ground Index, derived from satellite imagery and combine this with socioeconomic data to examine relationships between forest health and forest governance and livelihoods across central India. This body of work has identified livelihood and governance approaches that provide social benefits and maintain healthy forests in central India, a landscape with globally important biodiversity and socially and historically marginalized people. This context is reflected in additional human-dominated landscapes where identifying sustainable development solutions that provide social and environmental benefits is a priority. As forests are lost, gained, and degraded around the world, satellite data has been a powerful tool in collecting estimates of forest cover change but less widely adopted to measure forest degradation, largely due to challenges in common interpretations of operational measures. In chapter 1, coauthors and I develop landscape-scale land cover and forest health datasets for central India. First, we identified land cover, including tree cover and bare ground, from Planet Labs Very High-Resolution satellite data using a Random Forest classifier, resulting in a 3-meter (m) thematic map with 83.00% overall accuracy. Second, we operationalize a measure of forest health and derived the Bare Ground Index (BGI), a normalized index that is a ratio of bare ground to tree cover at 90 m resolution. The BGI was mapped across forest (>10% tree cover). Although open areas occur naturally throughout the tropical dry forest of central India, results from field data indicated that the BGI served as a proxy for measuring the intensity of cattle presence in a landscape where grazing has changed forest composition. The BGI was developed as an indicator of forest health and now serves as a baseline to monitor future changes to a tropical dry forest landscape at an unprecedented spatial scale. In chapter 2, coauthors and I integrated the BGI with socioeconomic data from surveys to households and locally elected leaders to assess forest health and governance patterns across 238 villages at the community-scale. We experimentally selected 80 total villages as treatment and control groups and used this dataset in various statistical analyses to assess the extent of exposed bare ground within forests around villages with and without local institutions involved in making decisions about the forest. Forest had less bare ground within forest where there was a local institution compared to villages without an institution at 3 and 5 kilometers (kms), distances that households traveled from the village to graze cattle or collect Non-Timber Forest Products, firewood, and fodder. Having a local forest institution was more strongly associated with bare ground within forest at 3 and 5 kms than measures of local forest use. In villages with institutions, the authority to modify rules about forest use was relatively more important than the length of time the institution had been established for bare ground within forest. Establishing formal institutions with authority over forest management is important to promote forest cover around forest-dependent communities but it is necessary to ensure that forest governance does not worsen existing socioeconomic disparities. Bare ground within forests near and far (1 and 10 kms) villages was not different in places with and without formal local institutions and was most strongly associated with local forest uses. Both formal forest institutions and forest uses like collecting firewood for cooking or wood for construction material impact forests in central India. In my third and final chapter, coauthors and I examined firewood collection patterns and the adoption of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) using surveys from 4,994 households in central India. Firewood collection is pervasive across central India’s rural communities and mainly used for cooking or heating. We adopted an energy justice approach, which emphasizes questions about who does and does not have access to alternative cooking fuels, because historically marginalized groups comprise a significant portion of central India’s total population. It was important to integrate social justice issues in a system where resource users experience multiple disparities, such as high levels of poverty. We found that despite overall growth in LPG use, disparities in access to clean cooking fuels remained and the probability of cooking with LPG was lowest for socially and historically marginalized households (i.e., Scheduled Tribe, Scheduled Caste, and Other Backward Caste). While 90% of LPG-using households continued to use firewood, households that have owned LPG for more years spent less time collecting firewood, indicating a waning reliance on firewood over time. This study found evidence that policies targeting communities with marginalized social groups living near forests can further accelerate LPG adoption and displace firewood use. My thesis examined components of a social ecological system at landscape, community, and household scales. I integrated insights from across social and ecological disciplines to identify strategies for sustainable development in central India. First, I developed an operational measure of forest health. Following chapters identified characteristics of governance and livelihood interventions that present potential pathways towards achieving benefits for conservation and people. Environmental and development goals should be harmonized so that the central Indian landscape can continue to support biodiversity and people. My approach can be replicated across additional social ecological systems by linking a landscape-scale resource condition to community governance and household socioeconomic patterns.

Thesis advisor: Shanta Pandey / Thesis advisor: Samantha Teixeira / Anthropogenic climate change will push 100 million of the world’s population into poverty in the next decade, and worsen economic, food, and housing insecurity. Natural disasters are some of the most manifest markers of climate change impacts, set to become more intense and frequent as a result of the climate crisis. The brunt of these stressors falls disproportionately on the most marginalized populations across the world - women, children, people with disabilities, and older adults, among other disadvantaged groups. Despite a surge of interest in scholarship on disasters and their unequal impacts, studies on preventative strategies and action have been relatively fewer even though it is widely agreed that post-disaster recovery is enhanced when coupled with pre-disaster readiness and planning. There are multiple empirical and theoretical unknowns around factors promoting or hindering preparedness at micro, mezzo, and macro levels, which are all critical avenues for interventions. This three-paper dissertation addresses this gap in the context of the United States to understand individual and household capacities in dealing with natural disasters. The human capabilities approach helps to frame the overall dissertation examining the associations of social and structural vulnerabilities, self-efficacy, disaster experience, disaster-related information, and participation in social welfare policy with household disaster readiness. The individual papers are further informed by self-efficacy theory and concepts spanning Vulnerability, Absorptive Capacity, and Resilience. Three aims guide this research resulting in three separate papers: Paper 1 examined associations between social vulnerabilities, disaster self-efficacy, and preparedness using nationally representative data from Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Household Surveys 2018. Disaster preparedness was found to vary across self-efficacy and social vulnerability. The confidence in one’s abilities to carry out necessary preparatory action and socioeconomic status were consistently associated with higher preparedness controlling for social vulnerability indicators. Paper 2 assessed the role of social and structural (housing and neighborhood) vulnerabilities in disaster risk reduction employing household-level data from nationally representative American Housing Survey (AHS) 2017. Results suggested that housing insecurity and social vulnerability concurrently were associated with disaster readiness. Further, this paper examined if the association of social vulnerability with disaster preparedness varied by housing insecurity among households in the U.S. Results suggested that housing insecurity moderated the association between minimal preparedness and socioeconomic status, sex of the householder, marital status, and presence of older adults in the house. Paper 3 probed the effects of social vulnerability and welfare policy participation on disaster readiness in U.S. households using the AHS 2017 data. Further, the paper examined the direct and indirect effects of household demographics and participation in social safety net programs (TANF, SSI, SNAP, Housing Vouchers) on household disaster preparedness and found that income, education, race, and having a person with disability at home were statistically mediated at least partially by welfare recipiency. This dissertation examined fissures between intent, capacities, and disaster preparedness with implications for vulnerable communities in the U.S. Results from this three-paper dissertation offer multiple takeaways and intervention points at individual and household levels for social work scholarship, education, and policy. In probing factors that enable or prevent households from taking steps to safeguard themselves against future threats, this dissertation helps inform and affirm values of human dignity and human rights, particularly among vulnerable groups. Overall, the dissertation extends the conversations around individual, contextual, and policy interventions needed to assist vulnerable populations in absorbing and overcoming the multitude of shocks they face. Social and structural barriers to improved household capacities to deal with disasters and other shocks can be addressed through effective policy interventions and a robust safety net. This dissertation examines these elements separately and offers key considerations for research, practice, and policy. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2021. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Social Work. / Discipline: Social Work.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the grassroots environmental movement brought national attention to the issues related to inequities in environmental quality. Previous research addressing these environmental inequities has progressively increased and advanced methodologically. However, the arguments and focus have been primarily limited to examining the socio-demographics in an ongoing debate of race and class. This thesis extends past the methodological stalemate focusing on the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) using survey data in an environmental justice case study of a community in south Florida. This approach examines the social, health and environmental impacts of a Superfund site on a low income, minority community. Using geo-coded survey (N=223) and environmental data (ash deposition patterns), this thesis employs path analysis to test the hypothesis that exposure matters. The exposure matters hypothesis suggests exposure (perceived, self-reported and actual) is a significant predictor of physical and psychological health. Results discuss significant findings, and then compare them with previous disaster and trauma-related research and present directions for future research.

This three-essay dissertation examines racial disparities in infant health outcomes and exposure to air pollution in Texas. It also asks whether the EPA's Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators Geographic Microdata (RSEI-GM) might be used to assess the effects of little-studied toxic air pollutants on infant health outcomes. Chapter 1 contributes to the ``weathering'' literature, which has shown that disparities in infant health outcomes between non-Hispanic black and non-Hispanic white women tend to widen with age. In this study, we ask whether the same patterns are observed in Texas and among Hispanic women, since other studies have focused on black and white women from other regions. We find that black and Hispanic women in Texas do ``weather'' earlier than white mothers with respect to rates of low birthweight and preterm birth. This differential weathering appears to be mediated by racial disparities in the distribution and response to socioeconomic risk factors, though a large gap between black and white mothers across all ages remains unexplained. Chapter 2 extends the statistical environmental justice literature by examining the distribution of toxic air pollution across infants in Texas. We find that, within Texas cities, being black or Hispanic is a significant predictor of how much pollution one is exposed to at birth. We further find that, among mothers who move between births, white mothers tend to move to significantly cleaner areas than black or Hispanic mothers. In Chapter 3, we use geocoded birth records matched to square-kilometer pollution concentration estimates from the RSEI-GM to ask whether the pollution-outcome relationships that emerge through regression analysis are similar to the effects found in previous research. If so, the RSEI-GM might be used to study the health effects of nearly 600 chemicals tracked in that dataset. We conclude, based on instability of results across various specifications and lack of correspondence to previous results, that the merged birth record-RSEI data are not appropriate for statistical epidemiology research.

There has been growing recognition in recent environmental discourse that environmental justice, which is normally understood to mean the disproportionate effect of climate change on minority groups, also takes the form of epistemic injustice. In the Canadian context, this means the exclusion of Indigenous philosophies, values, and perspectives from discourse about environmental ethics, as well as the spheres of policy and governance as they pertain to the environment. At the same time, there has been increasing concern with creating just outcomes for future people. Given that future generations have made no contribution to the pollution that causes climate change, but will feel its worst effects, many environmental and political philosophers have recently pointed to the need for a strong theory of intergenerational justice, especially as it pertains to the environment. In this thesis, I argue that an essential part of achieving intergenerational environmental justice in Canada is working toward the rectification of both material and epistemic harms toward Indigenous peoples which are perpetuated by the “rationalistic” conception of nature which sees nature as an instrumentally valuable resource to be exploited for human gain. I explore the historical construction of this conception of nature and its pervasiveness in recent work on environmental ethics in order to show how Indigenous perspectives have historically been suppressed through colonialism, and more recently been subjected to epistemic oppression within Western environmental ethics. I then focus specifically on intergenerational environmental justice as a field in which Indigenous philosophies have faced the greatest exclusion, and may also have the most to teach us. I conclude by providing a brief overview of recent Indigenous environmental activism as an expression of Indigenous values, and look to treaties as understood by Indigenous philosophies as a potential framework for moving together toward a just future for all.

Background: Burnout is significantly high among helping professionals and poses serious risks to one’s mental and physical health. Despite the high stress of environmental activists’ work and the importance of their role, there is little research on their mental health. Environmental activists protect the mental and physical health of the general population by advocating for environmental justice, pushing for large-scale changes to impede climate change, and providing education and resources for communities to navigate climate change-related events. This preliminary study aimed to contribute to the literature by gathering more information about burnout among environmental activists. Methods: A mixed methods framework employed a quantitative survey and qualitative individual interviews to ascertain the rates and experience of burnout from the point of view of the activists themselves. Activists were recruited from organizations throughout New York State that focus on climate change, climate justice, and environmental justice in community settings. Burnout, the main dependent variable, was measured with the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Independent variables included psychological distress, climate change-related anxiety, perceived organizational support, a variety of psychosocial workplace factors, and styles of coping. Correlation analyses were used to assess the relationship between burnout mean scores and mean scores on each of the independent variables. Qualitative interview data were analyzed by inductive Thematic Analysis and findings were organized and presented with the additional use of Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) frequency methods. Results: Thirty-two participants completed the survey and eight activists agreed to subsequently complete the qualitative interview. Quantitative scales showed moderate burnout comprised of high emotional exhaustion and decreased feelings of accomplishment, and low depersonalization. Psychological distress was generally mild and climate change anxiety was high, but not impairing. Activists rated perceived organizational support as high and workplace factors as satisfactory. Emotional exhaustion was positively correlated with psychological distress and demands at work, and negatively correlated with perceived organizational support, interpersonal relationships and leadership, social capital, and health and wellbeing. Feelings of personal accomplishment were positively correlated with work organization and job contents, interpersonal relationships and leadership, and adaptive coping styles, specifically the use of emotional support, use of institutional support, and planning. Depersonalization was positively correlated with maladaptive coping styles involving denial, behavioral disengagement, and self-blame. The qualitative study interviews identified eight thematic areas associated with the experience of burnout, risk and protective factors, and factors unique to activism, activism and personal identity, and activism and current events. Qualitative outcomes aligned with quantitative outcomes, clarifying motivations for engaging in activism and experience of activism. Conclusions: This exploratory study helps illuminate important factors relevant to environmental activists’ mental health and offers recommendations for future research and mental health organizational policies. Future studies are needed with greater sample size, systematic sampling, and multiple assessment points, to better determine predictive relationships between these variables and burnout.

The extraction of lithium, a crucial mineral for the production of batteries in the rapidlyexpanding electric vehicle and renewable energy sectors, has gained significant attention due toits environmental and social implications. This thesis provides a comprehensive literature reviewon the environmental and social challenges associated with lithium extraction from the LithiumTriangle countries, namely Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile, through the lens of political ecology.Drawing upon a wide range of scholarly articles, reports, and case studies, this research examinesthe complex interplay between ecological dynamics and sociopolitical factors in the context oflithium extraction. The literature review explores key themes including land use conflicts, waterscarcity and pollution, indigenous rights and participation, governance and regulation, and globalmarket dynamics. The literature review reveals that lithium extraction in the Lithium Trianglecountries presents various environmental challenges. These include the large-scale use of waterresources, potential water contamination from mining activities, and the disruption of fragileecosystems. From a political ecology perspective, the review highlights the power dynamics andpolitical-economic structures that shape the governance of lithium extraction. It criticallyanalyzes the role of multinational corporations, government policies, and international marketforces in influencing the environmental and social outcomes of lithium mining operations.Furthermore, the review emphasizes the importance of recognizing and incorporating theperspectives and rights of local communities and indigenous groups in decision-makingprocesses. By adopting a political ecology perspective, it underscores the need for sustainable andsocially just approaches to lithium mining that prioritize environmental conservation, communityengagement, and equitable distribution of benefits. The findings of this literature review caninform future research, policy development, and advocacy efforts aimed at promoting responsibleand inclusive practices in the lithium industry. / Lithium utvinning, en nyckelkomponent i elbils- och förnybar energisektorns framväxt, haruppmärksammats för dess påverkan på miljö och samhälle. Denna avhandling utför enomfattande litteraturgenomgång om miljö- och samhällsutmaningar vid litiumutvinning i LitiumTriangel-länderna: Argentina, Bolivia och Chile. Genom att analysera en bred samlingvetenskapliga artiklar, rapporter och fallstudier utforskar studien det komplexa samspelet mellanekologi och sociopolitisk vid litiumutvinning. Litteraturgenomgången utforskar centrala ämnensom markkonflikter, vattenbrist och föroreningar, ursprungsbefolkningars rättigheter ochdeltagande, styrning och globala marknadskrafter. Resultaten avslöjar miljöutmaningar vidlitiumutvinning i Triangel-länderna, inklusive vattenanvändning, förorening ochekosystemstörningar. Genom ett politiskt ekologiskt perspektiv belyser översikten maktstruktureroch påverkan från multinationella företag, regeringspolitik och internationella marknadskrafter.Översikten understryker även vikten av att inkludera lokalbefolkningens ochursprungsbefolkningars perspektiv och rättigheter i beslutsprocesser. Studien främjar hållbara ochrättvisa tillvägagångssätt för litiumutvinning och visar att resultaten kan påverka framtidaforskning, policyutveckling och påverkansarbete för ansvarsfulla och inkluderande metoder inomlitiumindustrin.