The Sustainability Imperative - Sustainable Design: The Science of Sustainability and Green Engineering - page 234

but also have toxicity profiles very different from those of neurotoxic metals such
as lead. For example, benzene is a potent carcinogen, having been linked to
leukemia and lymphatic tumors as well as to severe types of anemia. They also
have very different exposure profiles. For example, lead exposure often takes place
in the home and yard, whereas benzene exposures often result from breathing
air near a source (e.g., at work or near an industry, such as an oil refinery or
pesticide manufacturer). The Institute's findings point to the need for improved
approaches for characterizing human exposures to toxicants in EJ communities.
Numerous communities have experienced uneven, and arguably unjust, dispar-
ities in environmental protection. However, there is little consensus as to what
defines an environmental injustice and whether, in fact, an injustice has occurred
in many of these communities.
Environmental Impact Statements and the Complaint Paradigm
In most modern settings, environmental response is often precipitated first by
a complaint. This is problematic in that its underlying assumption of fairness is
that everyone not only has a voice in the process, but that that voice is loud
enough to be heard. If a certain group of people has had little or no voice in the
past, they are likely to feel, and to be, disenfranchised. Although there have been
recent examples to the contrary, African-American communities have had little
success in voicing concerns about environmentally unacceptable conditions in
their neighborhoods. Hispanic-Americans may have even less voice in environ-
mental matters since their perception of government, the final arbiter in many
environmental disagreements, is one of skepticism and outright fear of reprisal
in the form of being deported or being “profiled.” Many of the most adversely
affected communities are not likely to complain.
Sidebar: Applying the Synthovation/Regenerative Model:
Environmental Management Systems
Complaints are a poor metric for ensuring a design's success. By the time
the client and the public share their displeasure, mistakes have already been
made. Unfortunately, many of the tools for environmental assessment have
been post hoc. The transitional design process has embraced proactive tools,
such as the environmental audit and managements systems. Environmental
management systems (EMSs) help enterprises plan and organize interactions
with the environment, especially in regard to human health, resource use, and
environmental contamination. The most recognizable EMS is the international
standard, ISO 14001, which is being applied with some regularity in many