Vulnerability and Injustice: Visualizing Environmental Health Impacts

Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion or JEDI is the latest catch-all acronym which denotes commitment to dismantling systemic racism in American society. Justice is the ethical, philosophical idea that people are to be treated impartially, fairly, properly and reasonably by the law and the arbiters of the law. Sadly, this noble concept falls short in actual practice with measurable consequences in both our built and natural environments. Restoration is defined as the act of returning something to its former condition that often aspires to rehabilitate beyond the original circumstances due to improved knowledge, science and technology. A closer examination of the actual practice of restoration reveals an unequal distribution of these ambitions, however. This begs the question of how, exactly, are restoration sites chosen? Who chooses them, under what circumstances and using which parameters? Are local communities consulted throughout the process? Further, are these citizens informed and empowered enough to serve as active participants? The very existence of the Kellogg Dam in Downtown Milwaukie, OR is an epitomizing example illuminating the inherent inequalities of our built environment and most environmental improvement projects. The Kellogg Dam Removal Project provides a model of both the importance and relevance of including environmental justice in restoration projects