|
SCENARIO: The operation of an incinerator near a racially diverse community in a small, financially depressed town is the focus of debate in this exercise. As members of a "task force", participants must formulate an action plan to address charges of unfairness in the implementation of environmental policy. The exercise asks what are "valid" grounds for claims of environmental justice, who has a right to make such charges, and to what degrees remedies should acknowledge issues of race and class. MECHANICS:This is multi-party negotiation that has the potential for coalitions. The preparation time necessary is 30 minutes. The minimum negotiation time is 1 hour and debriefing can be completed in 1 hour too. The threat of legal action and community outrage is motivation for process in the negotiation. TEACHING MATERIALS: For all parties: General Instructions Portia Tribune Article Role specific: Confidential Information for Franz Confidential Information for Soren Confidential Information for Hamilton Confidential Information for Thompson Confidential Information for Briggs Confidential Information for Price Teacher's Package (49 pages total): All of the above Teaching Note Major Lessons: Environmental racism has been defined as racial and/or class discrimination in enviornmental policy making and in the enforcement of regulations and laws, the deliberate targeting of poor communities or communities of color, or the official sanctioning of the presence of poisons and pollutants in life-threatening levels within those communities. A process of consensus building can be structured so that environmental justice is achieved. The requirements of such a process go beyond what democracy typically provides (i.e. one cannot depend upon the electoral or voting process to ensure adequate input of consensus). Compensation may be part of a response to charges of environmental racism, but public participation is necessary to forestall any future problems.
Note: Now available is the Environmental Justice Package, which is comprised of the Teacher's Packages of this exercise and the simulation "Siting an Asphalt Plant in the City of Madrona", and includes the article Risk and Justice, by Patrick Field, Lawrence Susskind, and Howard Raiffa.
|
