Enduring Toxic Injustice and Fenceline Mobilizations
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Published:September 2023
Drawing on data from the Global Petrochemical Map, this chapter examines two key types of community mobilization over the impacts of the petrochemical industry, with overlapping yet distinct histories: first, environmental justice activism; and second, labor protests. It reflects on the significance of labor and environmental justice alliances and divisions in a context of global environmental injustice and systemic issues of social and ecological “expendability.” The analysis examines the problem of enduring toxic injustice, accounting for the barriers facing grassroots struggles for creating systemic change thus far, while recognizing hard-won achievements. The conclusion draws attention to systemic barriers to addressing toxic petrochemical injustice beyond the boundaries of fenceline communities, related to the issue of expendability.