The Catch-22s of Disaster and Environmental Injustice

The Catch-22s of Disaster and Environmental Injustice examines the engrained, deep-rooted issues regarding disaster preparedness, mitigation and response for underserved African American and Latino communities. The volume addresses the issue through the lens of conflict theory, social economic status, laissez-faire philosophy, and other social science theories and frameworks. Half of the book is grounded in disaster management challenges for underserved communities and the other half speaks to environmental justice encounters of the Black and Brown population. In Part One, the authors introduce the subject matter, sets the tone for the book, and frame the narrative for the issues conferred in parts two and three. Part Two examines questions such as ‘why don’t minorities evacuate?’ and explores the misuse of public policy and law that drive disaster management. Part Three looks at the challenges for Black and Brown people as they relate to environmental risk assessment, environmental injustice, gentrification, and the resulting environmental impact. Part Four provides a concise summary of the ways in which communities facing catastrophic disaster remain underserved and forced to live in environmentally compromised conditions daily. Drawing on case studies from disasters including flooding, fracking, toxic sewage and hurricanes, this volume will be of great interest to students and scholars of disaster and emergency management, environmental justice, environmental sociology and public policy and environmental politics.