1. In the research plan (UFO-Plan) 2011 of the Federal Environmental Agency (UBA), environmental justice (EJ) is considered twice: by a "strategic conference on EJ" (project 117); and by research on "EJ in the urban environment - development of practical strategies and measures for reducing socially unequal distribution of envionmental impacts" (project 124).

2. At the university of Bochum, there will be a congress (28.-30.3.2011) on "Justice in modern health care. Perspectives for the 21st century". It is organized by the BMBF Junior Research Group at the Institut for ethics in medicine and medical history.

3. The German Environmental AID (DUH) plans for the end of 2011 a congress on "EJ and biodiversity".

4. Where I live (in Potsdam), EJ is - without mentioning the concept - a frequent issue on the news. Some examples:

• the air routes of the new airport, under construction, BBI (Berlin-Brandenburg International) will touch affluent South-Western areas of Berlin, formerly unharmed by airplane noise. Several grassroot groups sprang up to resist the new noise pollution;
• the setting-up of still more windparks in the "energy country Brandenburg" (according to the plans of First Minister Platzeck) is met by growing resistance from affected communities;
• the CCS technology for subterranean storage of carbon-dioxide, planned by the energy TNC Vattenfall and approved by the Brandenburg government - which is to improve the climate balance of brown coal combustion used in Brandenburg - is rejected by the population, mostly for safety and health risks;
• the on-going mining of brown coal in the Lausitz - against many promises of politicians and political parties - is regarded as another proof of official climate bigotry, and increases disechantment with politics;
• in the North of Berlin, several huge hog-farms are planned. This induces conflicts between the traditional local population - often without jobs -, and Berliners, who bought a vacation home here: "Idylle statt Gülle ("idyll instead of manure").

5. The work on EJ presently gets a push from an unexpected side. The providers of spatial ("geo-referential", "geo-") data, techniques, and services - like Google - are opening up a huge new market. Therefore competence in GIS methods is more and more important for geographers, epidemiologists, and social scientists. This obviously increases their willingness to look at the socio-spatial distribution of environmental goods and bads - as an example for using GIS methods.

6. Socialdemocrats and greens, as partners in the new government of Northrhine-Westfalia (NRW), have included EJ in their coalition contract, as an issue in the new "masterplan environment & health".

7. The Berlin EJ study (Dr. Klimeczek, SenGUV) will publish in 2011 an overview of the existing analyses. The study is to be continued and extended. A model application of results in the borough Mitte is discussed.

8. The new issues of the journal "Environmental Justice" treat, among other things, ways to improve information deficits of communities, which are affected ly lack of EJ (3/2010); preferential treatment of investors and agencies, compared to affected communities, in experts´ opinions on environmental projects (4/2010). Access via www.liebertpub.com/env.

New publications on EJ:

• Emmett EA, Desai C, Community First communication: Reversing information disparities to achieve environmental justice. Environmental Justice, 3, 2010, 79-84
• Estrella-Luna N, Public participation and communicative interaction: The structural mechanisms of institutional bias. Environmental Justice, 4, 2010, 135-140
• Maier W, Mielck A, "Environmental Justice" (Umweltgerechtigkeit). Stand der empirischen Analyse und Ableitung von methodischen Empfehlungen. Präv Gesundheitsförderung, 5, 2009, 115-128
• Martuzzi M et al, Inequalities, inequities, environmental justice in waste management and health. Eur J Publ Hlth, 20, 2010, 21-26
• NN, Weltgesundheitsorganisation: Soziale und geschlechtsbezogene Ungleichheiten im Bereich Umwelt und Gesundheit in Europa. UMG, 2, 2010, 100-109

-> back to beginning

-> back to start page