Health and Environmental Justice

Creating healthy, vibrant communities for all

Health equity and environmental justice research at SRES looks at the impacts of environmental hazards on the health of particular groups, such as children, indigenous peoples, people living in poverty, and non-human species and communities.

With United Nations declarations on issues of justice, we cannot assume everyone is coming into a situation at a position of equality. To achieve justice, we need equity. Traditional research in this area has tended to stop at identifying injustices. The research we carry out at SRES moves beyond identification to action and positive change.

Translating knowledge into action

As a graduate student, you can make a real difference by engaging stakeholders for their perspectives, helping communities make better decisions and influencing policy. Here are just a few examples of the many research projects you could be involved in:

• mapping community priorities to see where differences are happening and how to address them
• quantifying air pollution from the Alberta oil sands on indigenous land
• investigating the health of marginalized communities near toxic industries in Nova Scotia
• supporting aboriginal children with asthma—and their parents
• planning for aboriginal hospice palliative care in rural and remote British Columbia
  

Find out what our researchers are working on:

	Karen Beazley Dr. Beazley focuses on environmental ethics and justice issues, particularly as they relate to the health of the land, natural communities and environmental racism. She has taught courses in environmental ethics for several years.
	Tony Walker Dr. Walker focuses on environmental pollution arising from industrial facilities adjacent to communities, including minority groups. Recent research has focused on atmospheric and effluent emissions from a kraft pulp and paper mill located near a First Nations community in Nova Scotia.