acase@tulane.edu / This dissertation research brings together disparate bodies of literature on environmental inequality, sociology of space, and feminist theories of intersectionality to bear on the location and distribution of environmental hazards in the form of landfills. Landfills pose a threat to both ecological sustainability as well as present risks to human health through contamination and pollution. While environmental inequality literatures have executed exceptional work into the dynamics of race and class with respect to the distribution of hazardous waste facilities, the literature is noticeably lacking with respect to identifying relationships between gender and environmental inequalities. Furthermore, many quantitative studies have exclusively focused on hazardous waste facilities as a singular measure of environmental inequality. This study advances the field in three major ways. First, through the inclusion of theorizations based on feminist intersectionality theories, this research empirically analyzes hypotheses derived from intersectionality theories to understand dynamics of gender-environment interactions. Second, this study extends analysis to all forms of waste containment—municipal, industrial, construction and demolition, and hazardous—to identify trends across the social fabric of the contiguous United States at the county level of analysis with respect to multiple forms of environmental hazards. Third, utilizing innovative analytic techniques, this research provides three unique and related strategies, geographic information systems, logistic binary regression, and structural equation modeling, to examine socio-environmental disparities. Findings from each analytic strategy inform the subsequent strategy. Findings suggest the importance of including gender indicators to account for the unique effect of gender and environmental inequality. Furthermore, results indicate the importance in applying intersectionality theories to environmental outcomes as well as empirically testing hypotheses derived from the largely theoretical and qualitatively backed field. Future research should focus on specific regional dynamics of identified socio-environmental interactions by including historical and qualitative data to triangulate quantitative findings. / 1 / Clare Cannon

acase@tulane.edu / This dissertation research brings together disparate bodies of literature on environmental inequality, sociology of space, and feminist theories of intersectionality to bear on the location and distribution of environmental hazards in the form of landfills. Landfills pose a threat to both ecological sustainability as well as present risks to human health through contamination and pollution. While environmental inequality literatures have executed exceptional work into the dynamics of race and class with respect to the distribution of hazardous waste facilities, the literature is noticeably lacking with respect to identifying relationships between gender and environmental inequalities. Furthermore, many quantitative studies have exclusively focused on hazardous waste facilities as a singular measure of environmental inequality. This study advances the field in three major ways. First, through the inclusion of theorizations based on feminist intersectionality theories, this research empirically analyzes hypotheses derived from intersectionality theories to understand dynamics of gender-environment interactions. Second, this study extends analysis to all forms of waste containment—municipal, industrial, construction and demolition, and hazardous—to identify trends across the social fabric of the contiguous United States at the county level of analysis with respect to multiple forms of environmental hazards. Third, utilizing innovative analytic techniques, this research provides three unique and related strategies, geographic information systems, logistic binary regression, and structural equation modeling, to examine socio-environmental disparities. Findings from each analytic strategy inform the subsequent strategy. Findings suggest the importance of including gender indicators to account for the unique effect of gender and environmental inequality. Furthermore, results indicate the importance in applying intersectionality theories to environmental outcomes as well as empirically testing hypotheses derived from the largely theoretical and qualitatively backed field. Future research should focus on specific regional dynamics of identified socio-environmental interactions by including historical and qualitative data to triangulate quantitative findings. / 1 / Clare Cannon

Manufacturing in the United States has been in a period of general decline over much of the past fifty years, though this overall pattern of de-industrialization has occurred at different times and intensities in specific geographical regions. However, local officials and development experts still focus efforts on attracting manufacturing industries into their communities, an effort often referred to as “smokestack chasing.” At the same time, environmentalism has been of increasing importance in the consciousness of American citizens. One of the central concerns of environmentalists and environmentally-oriented policy makers has been the pollution generated by these manufacturing facilities. As a result of these conflicting foci and interests, an intractable dividing line has emerged between those who view manufacturing as a source of local economic growth and employment opportunities, and those who are primarily interested in environmental quality and protection. This debate, characterized as one of “jobs versus the environment,” has been a central rhetorical frame utilized by the competing sides in both the policy and academic arenas. Numerous diverse strands of thought about these issues are synthesized into three primary theoretical perspectives, each of which purports to explain the economy-environment relationship. An assessment of the empirical relationship between economic standing, change, and environmental quality conducted using a variety of data sources and analytical techniques. Significant findings emerged which can be utilized to inform the environmental social sciences as well as policy makers and communities facing these issues.

Despite the directions of regulatory agencies, that prompt a sufficient provision of green spaces in the urban context, research claims that the access to parks depends on the Socio-Economic-Status (SES) of the inhabitants of the city. Therefore, the uneven access to the green areas, known as Environmental Inequality, has been recognised as an Environmental Injustice. In this study, a qualitative approach was employed to assess the presence of the Environmental Inequality between two neighbourhoods with different SES in the city of Rome; consequently, the interest was to investigate how does the inequality occur given a satisfying quantity of green space. Ten citizens were selected to participate in semi-structured interviews with the aim to understand their attitudes and perspectives towards the local green parks and to verify if the inhabitants perceived any inequality. The results indicate the presence of the Environmental Inequality based on the SES of the inhabitants of the two neighbourhoods, in consequence of qualitative factors such as maintenance and lack of facilities. A perceived Inequality was also found within the participants of both the neighbourhoods supporting the results about the presence of the inequality. The present study contributes to the discussion about the qualitative obstacles that may influence access to the urban parks and that may determine an environmental injustice. Further research should extend the samplings to more than two neighbourhoods in order to confirm that these results apply to the rest of the wide territory of Rome, as these results cannot be generalized with a sample size of ten.

O objetivo desta pesquisa é estudar a análise espacial da desigualdade ambiental no município de São Paulo/SP. A desigualdade ambiental é o princípio pelo qual, grupos de pessoas sejam étnicos, raciais ou de classe suporte uma parcela desproporcional das conseqüências ambientais negativas das operações econômicas, de políticas e programas federais, estaduais e locais, bem como resultantes da ausência ou omissão de tais políticas. Os dados utilizados para análise são o Censo 2000, realizado pelo IBGE, uma imagem de satélite Landsat ETM+, a carta geotécnica do município de São Paulo, produzida pelo IPT e o levantamento de áreas contaminadas realizado pela Cetesb. São consideradas as condições de abastecimento de água, de esgotamento sanitário, de coleta de lixo, a arborização urbana, a ocorrência de inundações e/ou escorregamentos e a presença de reservatórios de retenção das águas pluviais (piscinões) e áreas contaminadas. Para a análise e integração dos dados é utilizado um Sistema de Informação Geográfica com funções de processamento de imagens. / The purpose of this work consists of studying the spatial analysis of the environmental inequality in São Paulo city. Environmental inequality is the principle that a specific social group (eg. ethical, racial or economic) is disproportionately affected by environmental hazards. In this study we used: 2000 Census data (released by IBGE); Landsat ETM+ image of bands 3 and 4; a geotechnical map of São Paulo (IPT) and a list of contaminated point sources carried out by Cetesb. Urban infrastructure facilities such as water supply coverage; sewerage system; garbage collection; urban green area; landslides and flood occurrences; presence of piscinões and contaminated area were employed. The analysis of these data was undertaken using a Geographic Information System (GIS) integrated with Remote Sensing image processing.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the driving factors of population exposure to sources of environmental pollution and to determine if poor neighborhoods are disproportionately exposed to negative environmental externalities. This research also examines whether the concentration of polluting industries within neighborhoods of different socio-economic levels varies over time. To determine the causes of the spatial coincidence between population and industrial polluters, this study employs a mixed-methods approach. Quantitatively, this study uses an exploratory approach to capture the effects of poverty and segregation on the density of hazardous industries. This methodological approach models the spatial variation of the relationship between poverty and pollution. Qualitatively, a cross-case comparative analysis is conducted on two different socio-economic neighborhoods to trace the causes of continuity or change in industrial density. The study finds that polluting industries tend to be distributed homogenously across neighborhoods of different socio-economic backgrounds and that poverty and segregation are not mayor drivers of that distribution. On the contrary, the relationship between poor and segregated and industries presents spatial variation and it is localized in some specific areas. The case-studies comparison, moreover, indicates that the spatial concentration of hazardous industries varies over time, decreasing slightly in a middle-class neighborhood and increasing in a poor neighborhood. This is explained by: i) economic constraints and opportunities to the local economy determine the permanence of polluting activities; ii) middle-class collective actions to live in a better environment contribute to expel polluting activities from the neighborhood in the long run; and iii), local political practices and the lack of alternatives and resources to access the formal land market means that the poor face tremendous environmental burdens which traps them in a noxious environment. Several policy implications arise from this research; first, access to information, transparency, and environmental law enforcement must be strengthened in order to underpin equity and common standards across the city. Second, local governments should weigh and balance the need for housing and development, and the environmental consequences when establishing zoning ordinances. Third, policies and resources should be targeted towards residents, especially those poorer residents that are most at risk. / text

O objetivo desta pesquisa é estudar a análise espacial da desigualdade ambiental no município de São Paulo/SP. A desigualdade ambiental é o princípio pelo qual, grupos de pessoas sejam étnicos, raciais ou de classe suporte uma parcela desproporcional das conseqüências ambientais negativas das operações econômicas, de políticas e programas federais, estaduais e locais, bem como resultantes da ausência ou omissão de tais políticas. Os dados utilizados para análise são o Censo 2000, realizado pelo IBGE, uma imagem de satélite Landsat ETM+, a carta geotécnica do município de São Paulo, produzida pelo IPT e o levantamento de áreas contaminadas realizado pela Cetesb. São consideradas as condições de abastecimento de água, de esgotamento sanitário, de coleta de lixo, a arborização urbana, a ocorrência de inundações e/ou escorregamentos e a presença de reservatórios de retenção das águas pluviais (piscinões) e áreas contaminadas. Para a análise e integração dos dados é utilizado um Sistema de Informação Geográfica com funções de processamento de imagens. / The purpose of this work consists of studying the spatial analysis of the environmental inequality in São Paulo city. Environmental inequality is the principle that a specific social group (eg. ethical, racial or economic) is disproportionately affected by environmental hazards. In this study we used: 2000 Census data (released by IBGE); Landsat ETM+ image of bands 3 and 4; a geotechnical map of São Paulo (IPT) and a list of contaminated point sources carried out by Cetesb. Urban infrastructure facilities such as water supply coverage; sewerage system; garbage collection; urban green area; landslides and flood occurrences; presence of piscinões and contaminated area were employed. The analysis of these data was undertaken using a Geographic Information System (GIS) integrated with Remote Sensing image processing.

Decentralized renewable energy procurement has gained traction in recent years for its potential to alleviate rural energy poverty and environmental degradation in developing countries. Hence, this study investigates if deploying renewable energy can mitigate rural energy poverty in developing countries as often claimed. Because any energy regime cannot be initiated or sustained without the conviction of local political leaders, the study also evaluates the extent to which government investments in the development of renewable energy technologies and the energy sector, affect the environmental quality (i.e. greenhouse gas emissions) of developing countries. Energetic theory and environmental inequality constitute the key conceptual premises guiding this study. Ordinary least squares regression is utilized to analyze the relationship between key variables. The results reveal that as of 2010, use of renewable energy can indeed support rural electrification. Higher GNI per capita and use of conventional fuels are also positively related to rural electrification, all else equal. As for environmental degradation in 2005 and 2008, R&D investments actually tend to increase GHG emissions; procuring energy from either renewable or non-renewable sources is however, found to be environmentally detrimental, net of all other variables. Finally, some evidence is found for the role of aid funds and multilateral debt in abating GHG emissions.

Le quartier Saint-Henri dans le sud-ouest de Montréal est marqué depuis plusieurs décennies par un processus de gentrification aux conséquences néfastes pour les populations vulnérables, ainsi que plus récemment d’une importante croissance des espaces verts durable afin de favoriser leurs accessibilités à ces mêmes populations. Or, en cherchant à répondre au problème d’inégalité environnementale lié à l’accessibilité, ces espaces verts influencés par l’idéal de durabilité peuvent aussi contribuer à un phénomène d’(éco)gentrification qui à son tour peut engendrer une injustice environnementale attachée aux déplacements des populations vulnérables. Pour comprendre cette problématique, ce mémoire illustre la relation entre (éco)gentrification, développement durable et verdissement des espaces urbains et les conséquences de celle-ci sur les populations vulnérables. La réflexion entourant cette triple relation permet aussi de mettre en lumière un écart entre discours et pratiques d’accessibilité aux espaces verts à partir de la mobilisation d’une approche de justice environnementale critique. En conséquence, la méthodologie de recherche est construite pour vérifier la présence de cet écart dans le contexte spécifique de Saint-Henri et plus particulièrement du triangle vert observé lors du terrain de recherche. Cette dernière mobilise une analyse qualitative transversale des discours et des observations de comportements non verbaux. L’analyse et l’interprétation des données collectées démontrent la présence d’un écart entre les discours et les pratiques d’accessibilité aux espaces verts causés par le phénomène d’(éco)gentrification. Cet écart ancré dans une injustice environnementale vient paradoxalement favoriser le renforcement d’une inégalité environnementale lié à la limitation de l’accès des espaces verts aux populations vulnérables et donc à l’amélioration de leurs conditions de vie. / The Saint-Henri district in the southwest of Montreal has been marked for several decades by a process of gentrification with harmful consequences for vulnerable populations, as well as more recently by an important growth of sustainable green spaces in order to favour their accessibility to these same populations. Yet, in seeking to address the problem of environmental inequity related to accessibility, these green spaces influenced by the ideal of sustainability may also contribute to a phenomenon of (eco)gentrification, which in turn may create environmental injustice related to the displacement of vulnerable neighborhood populations. To understand this issue, this brief illustrates the relationship between (eco)gentrification, sustainable development and greening of urban spaces and the consequences of this on vulnerable populations. The reflection surrounding this triple relationship also allows us to highlight a gap between the discourse and practices of accessibility to green spaces by mobilizing a critical environmental justice approach. Consequently, the research methodology is built to verify the presence of this gap in the specific context of Saint-Henri and more particularly of the green triangle observed during the research fieldwork. It mobilizes a cross-sectional qualitative analysis of discourses and observations of non-verbal behaviors. The analysis and interpretation of the collected data demonstrate the presence of a gap between the discourses and the practices of accessibility to green spaces caused by the phenomenon of (eco)gentrification. This gap, rooted in environmental injustice, paradoxically favors the reinforcement of an environmental inequality linked to the limitation of access to green spaces for vulnerable populations, and thus to the improvement of their living conditions.