ABSTRACT
There have been various calls to examine the demographic and cultural factors that underpin differential environmental behaviour between ethnic groups, and especially variations with respect to household waste management. Significant differences between ethnic groups may imply that attempts to develop inclusive policies towards environmental management will be difficult to achieve in the face of strong variation in attitudes. An additional element to consider is the creation of ‘environmental injustice’ whereby certain ethnic and low-income groups can bear a disproportionate share of problems associated with the location of noxious and problematic facilities, such as landfill sites, incinerators and power stations.
This chapter draws upon a major survey of households in an outer London borough in the United Kingdom to investigate these issues of ethnicity, environmental justice and attitudes to the environment. Drawing on analysis of over 1,500 household surveys, affective connections and behaviours of various ethnic groups are examined, revealing some clear differentiations within the community. The analysis focuses on differences between the majority white British population and the rest of the community, and also differences between a South Asian group and other households. Prospects for further research are examined by arguing that focus on a single variable, ethnicity overlooks the existence of recognizable differentiated ‘segments’ or ‘clusters’ within society, which can be distinguished by analysis of lifestyles and changes in attitude associated with people’s life course.
The discussion also considers initial findings from a small number of in-depth interviews with selected householders in the borough. This focuses on notions of environmental justice and householders’ attitudes to proximity to noxious waste processing facilities. While there may be some evidence of environmental injustice concerning the propensity of some ethnic groups to be located near certain facilities, there may be advantages to such proximity for certain types of facility. Some policy considerations are discussed as part of this investigation.
