THE EVER-PRESENT NEED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE.

• Author: Kraitchman, Amy

Men were not created in order to obey laws. Laws are created to obey men. They are established by men and should serve men. The laws and rules which officials inflict upon poor people prevent them from functioning harmoniously in society. There is no disagreement about this function of law in any circle--the disagreement arises from the question of which men laws are to serve. Such lawmakers ignore the fact that it is the duty of the poor and unrepresented to construct rules and laws that serve their interest better. Rewriting unjust laws is a basic human right and fundamental obligation.

~ Dr. Huey P. Newton (1)

1. INTRODUCTION

Eight years ago, the Environmental Law Editor in Chief wrote that "humanity stands before [an] ecological crossroad[.]" (2) While Mr. Reuther was discussing a different crossroad, the sentiment still stands. As natural disasters become more extreme and frequent, the need for environmental justice has never been more present. However, the need for justice--environmental justice, food justice, climate justice, etc.--is not a new concept or idea. The quote above is meant to highlight this. Written three years before the birth of Environmental Law, the work of Huey P. Newton and the Black Panther Party included addressing systemic injustices, such as the need for children to be provided adequate nutritional meals before school. The Panther's Free Breakfast for School Children Program became the first successful free meal program focused on providing food to low-income children in the country. Although the program would eventually end, it inspired and paved the way for the first successful federally funded program that still exists to this day. (3) However, while the Panthers were feeding thousands of children across the county, the FBI declared them to be a threat. The purpose of the quote and history is not to be political, but to highlight how environmental and social justice advocacy can often go unnoticed or overshadowed in the larger environmental movement.

Environmental Law was founded 53 years ago as the first ever student-run law review focused solely on environmental issues. This has not changed over its existence; Environmental Law has remained a premier journal that publishes cutting-edge and forward-thinking scholarship. It is long overdue that Environmental Law uses its platform to discuss environmental justice and injustice. The goal of this Issue is not to have a one-off discussion of environmental...