The concept of environmental justice has become a dominant frame for environmental policy agendas in the US federal government. Administrations from both parties have shifted attention from society-wide benefits and costs of environmental policy to the distribution of benefits and costs, both for regulation and industrial policy. However, as concepts of justice rooted in grass-roots advocacy and academia collide with the opportunity structure of federal policymaking and implementation, environmental justice has gained new meanings, including definitions rejected by most activists and absent from academic writing. While the adoption of environmental justice discourse is evidence of the movement's impact on policymaking, the disparate meanings of justice paint a more complex picture of the movement's impact on substantive policy outcomes. This talk addresses how scholars can systematically study the impacts of environmental justice advocacy then the terms of the debate are contested.

Coffee Talks provide a monthly opportunity during the academic year to network, learn about pressing and emerging water-related issues, hear about ongoing water-related research, and meet new partners. In 2024/25, Water@Michigan Coffee Talks will explore the water-climate nexus.

For more information about the fall series, visit the Coffee Talks webpage: https://graham.umich.edu/wateratmichigan/coffee-talks