A Cross‐Cutting Approach for Relating Anthropocene, Environmental Injustice and Sacrifice Zones
Abstract The Anthropocene is an uneven phenomenon. Accelerated shifts in the functioning of the Earth System are mainly driven by the production and consumption of wealthy economies. Social, environmental and health costs of such industrialization, however, bear on low‐income communities inhabiting...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2022-04-01
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| Series: | Earth's Future |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2021EF002217 |
| _version_ | 1818175263176916992 |
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| author | Eugenia M. Gayo Ariel A. Muñoz Antonio Maldonado Céline Lavergne Jean Pierre Francois Delia Rodríguez Karin Klock‐Barría Paul R. Sheppard Isabella Aguilera‐Betti Carlos Alonso‐Hernández Marcelo Mena‐Carrasco Anahí Urquiza Laura Gallardo |
| author_facet | Eugenia M. Gayo Ariel A. Muñoz Antonio Maldonado Céline Lavergne Jean Pierre Francois Delia Rodríguez Karin Klock‐Barría Paul R. Sheppard Isabella Aguilera‐Betti Carlos Alonso‐Hernández Marcelo Mena‐Carrasco Anahí Urquiza Laura Gallardo |
| author_sort | Eugenia M. Gayo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The Anthropocene is an uneven phenomenon. Accelerated shifts in the functioning of the Earth System are mainly driven by the production and consumption of wealthy economies. Social, environmental and health costs of such industrialization, however, bear on low‐income communities inhabiting severely degraded territories by polluting activities (i.e., sacrifice zones). How global, national and local socio‐economic and governance processes have interacted in perpetuating socio‐environmental inequalities in these territories has been rarely explored. Here, we develop an historical quantitative approach integrating a novel chemostratigraphic record, data on policy making, and socio‐economic trends to evaluate the feedback relationship between environmental injustice and Anthropocene in sacrifice zones. We specifically outline a case study for the Puchuncaví valley ‐one of the most emblematic sacrifice zones from Chile‐. We verify an ever‐growing burden of heavy metals and metalloids over the past five decades paced by the staggering expansion of local industrial activities, which has ultimately been spurred by national and transnational market forces. Local poverty levels have declined concomitantly, but this path toward social equality is marginal as costs of pollution have grown through time. Indeed, national and international pollution control actions appear insufficient in mitigating the cumulative impact brought by highly toxic elements. Thus, our sub‐decadal reconstruction for pollution trends over the past 136 years from a sediment record, emerges as a science‐based tool for informing the discussion on Anthropocene governance. Furthermore, it helps to advance in the assessment of environmental inequality in societal models that prioritize economic growth to the detriment of socio‐environmental security. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T19:57:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1c6590332ff84cbfbc40117afbaf8b79 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2328-4277 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T19:57:31Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Earth's Future |
| spelling | doaj.art-1c6590332ff84cbfbc40117afbaf8b792022-12-22T00:52:35ZengWileyEarth's Future2328-42772022-04-01104n/an/a10.1029/2021EF002217A Cross‐Cutting Approach for Relating Anthropocene, Environmental Injustice and Sacrifice ZonesEugenia M. Gayo0Ariel A. Muñoz1Antonio Maldonado2Céline Lavergne3Jean Pierre Francois4Delia Rodríguez5Karin Klock‐Barría6Paul R. Sheppard7Isabella Aguilera‐Betti8Carlos Alonso‐Hernández9Marcelo Mena‐Carrasco10Anahí Urquiza11Laura Gallardo12Center for Climate and Resilience Research (CR)2 Santiago ChileCenter for Climate and Resilience Research (CR)2 Santiago ChileNúcleo Milenio UPWELL Concepción ChileHUB AMBIENTAL UPLA Universidad de Playa Ancha Valparaíso ChileHUB AMBIENTAL UPLA Universidad de Playa Ancha Valparaíso ChileCentro de Investigación en Tecnología para La Sociedad (C+) Universidad del Desarrollo Santiago ChileInstituto de Geografía Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso Valparaíso ChileLaboratory of Tree‐Ring Research University of Arizona Tucson AZ USAInstituto de Geografía Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso Valparaíso ChileInternational Atomic Energy Agency—Marine Environment Laboratories (IAEA‐EL) Principality of Monaco Monte Carlo MonacoCenter for Climate Action Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso Valparaíso ChileCenter for Climate and Resilience Research (CR)2 Santiago ChileCenter for Climate and Resilience Research (CR)2 Santiago ChileAbstract The Anthropocene is an uneven phenomenon. Accelerated shifts in the functioning of the Earth System are mainly driven by the production and consumption of wealthy economies. Social, environmental and health costs of such industrialization, however, bear on low‐income communities inhabiting severely degraded territories by polluting activities (i.e., sacrifice zones). How global, national and local socio‐economic and governance processes have interacted in perpetuating socio‐environmental inequalities in these territories has been rarely explored. Here, we develop an historical quantitative approach integrating a novel chemostratigraphic record, data on policy making, and socio‐economic trends to evaluate the feedback relationship between environmental injustice and Anthropocene in sacrifice zones. We specifically outline a case study for the Puchuncaví valley ‐one of the most emblematic sacrifice zones from Chile‐. We verify an ever‐growing burden of heavy metals and metalloids over the past five decades paced by the staggering expansion of local industrial activities, which has ultimately been spurred by national and transnational market forces. Local poverty levels have declined concomitantly, but this path toward social equality is marginal as costs of pollution have grown through time. Indeed, national and international pollution control actions appear insufficient in mitigating the cumulative impact brought by highly toxic elements. Thus, our sub‐decadal reconstruction for pollution trends over the past 136 years from a sediment record, emerges as a science‐based tool for informing the discussion on Anthropocene governance. Furthermore, it helps to advance in the assessment of environmental inequality in societal models that prioritize economic growth to the detriment of socio‐environmental security.https://doi.org/10.1029/2021EF002217socio‐economic trendsAnthropocene risksPuchuncavísocio‐environmental inequalitiespaleopollution recordstrace elements |
| spellingShingle | Eugenia M. Gayo Ariel A. Muñoz Antonio Maldonado Céline Lavergne Jean Pierre Francois Delia Rodríguez Karin Klock‐Barría Paul R. Sheppard Isabella Aguilera‐Betti Carlos Alonso‐Hernández Marcelo Mena‐Carrasco Anahí Urquiza Laura Gallardo A Cross‐Cutting Approach for Relating Anthropocene, Environmental Injustice and Sacrifice Zones Earth's Future socio‐economic trends Anthropocene risks Puchuncaví socio‐environmental inequalities paleopollution records trace elements |
| title | A Cross‐Cutting Approach for Relating Anthropocene, Environmental Injustice and Sacrifice Zones |
| title_full | A Cross‐Cutting Approach for Relating Anthropocene, Environmental Injustice and Sacrifice Zones |
| title_fullStr | A Cross‐Cutting Approach for Relating Anthropocene, Environmental Injustice and Sacrifice Zones |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Cross‐Cutting Approach for Relating Anthropocene, Environmental Injustice and Sacrifice Zones |
| title_short | A Cross‐Cutting Approach for Relating Anthropocene, Environmental Injustice and Sacrifice Zones |
| title_sort | cross cutting approach for relating anthropocene environmental injustice and sacrifice zones |
| topic | socio‐economic trends Anthropocene risks Puchuncaví socio‐environmental inequalities paleopollution records trace elements |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2021EF002217 |
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