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Environmental Privilege
Environmental privilege (EP) is a concept in environmental sociology, referring to the ability of privileged groups to keep environmental amenities for themselves and deny them to less privileged groups. More broadly, it refers to the ability of privileged groups to keep an exclusive grip on the advantages of "social place," including non-ecological amenities. It has been characterized as "the other side of the coin" from environmental racism. Like other forms of racial privilege, it does not depend on personal racism, but rather structural racism. EP is a consequence of both class and racial privilege with respect to access to the overall environment, influencing the social and economic realm. EP stems from the exercise of cultural, economic and political power.​​ It enables certain groups exclusive access to environmental facilities such as elite neighborhoods, rivers, parks and open lands. In addition, these groups tend to partake in sustainable initiatives and have exclusive amenities during the COVID-19 pandemic (Argüelles, 2021).

Background
The concept of environmental privilege first developed from the historical scholarship of Dorceta Taylor, who led the shift in scholarship on environmental racism away from consideration of environmental disadvantage in isolation, and toward a more holistic approach that accounted for the discriminatory effects of restrictive zoning. (ELABORATE)

The conservation movement in the United States began in the middle of the nineteenth century by white American elites. Their chief aim was to preserve the wilderness, reserve the serene landscapes for themselves, displacing Indigenous communities in the West (Taylor, 2016). Preservation of the wilderness, in turn, preserved white America. Today’s national parks were once home to many Native American Tribes who were removed by American elites. ( ELABORATE). The conservation movement was involved in racism, sterilization, and eugenics, and ultimately resulted in the exclusivity of nature for white male recreation (Taylor, 2016). Today, the environmental movement is maintained predominantly by wealthy whites, therefore reflecting the white perspective and culture (Argüelles, 2021). The movement is heavily involved in “green consumerism”, purchasing good and services that are “better” for the environment, but come with a higher price. ***** Should I talk about green capitalism here?

There are powerful connections between nature and wealthy Americans. Preservation of the environment is a tool used by the affluent  to increase their earnings and establish exclusive pockets of land in the United States for themselves, often masking their influence as environmental philanthropy. In Aspen, Colorado, American elites indulge in the picturesque scenery of surrounding nature and indulge in luxurious amenities provided by migrant employees (Park and Pellow, 2011). It is the lower class who create the lifestyles of the wealthy possible and continue to live in poverty. (NEED MORE- perhaps discuss ‘accolades’ for being eco-friendly, like LEED certs/ also the belief they have the power to solve environmental problems—).

'''Affluent communities benefit from environmental projects and sustainable development. Some of the  advantages given through Environmental Privilege include eco-friendly lifestyles and “green living”. Examples include access to  pesticide-free and organic foods, neighborhoods have more green space and healthier air quality, and buildings that are energy-efficient. In addition, there is access to alternative markets to purchase specific clothes and food while overall reproducing traditional designs for exclusion (Argüelles, 2021). All of which are most expensive than their conventional counterparts. In contrast to healthy, organic food, food deserts continue to exist in low-income, primarily minority populated neighborhoods''' ( this needs to be revised- too similar to the article; can be flagged for plagiarism )(CITE). Organic food exists to serve the affluent elites. In addition, the urban poor tend to live close to varying sources of pollution. This includes waste sites, airports, industrial complexes, and superfund sites. Environmental privilege is often used in critiques of "green gentrification", where environmental amenities such as urban agriculture cater largely to white or otherwise privileged urban groups. It has proven particularly illuminating in understanding the correlation between whiteness participation in farmer's markets. Research shows that  low to middle-class African Americans are less likely to involve themselves in farmer’s markets or other methods of alternative food institutions as opposed to conventional food resources (Guthman, Cultivating food justice). Alternative food institutions are often held in primarily white, affluent communities, thereby creating the exclusivity of healthy, organic food to wealthy individuals. Affluent individuals oftentimes pollute the most via greenhouse gas emissions, waste, and over consumption. Low income communities tend to endure their negative externalities.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, affluent individuals had better access to resources, medical treatment, and housing. Wealthy communities were able to leave the dense cities and travel to more rural areas, second homes, or vacation spots (Argüelles, 2021). Infection-rates studied in Sweden revealed that low-income communities were six-times more likely to catch the virus than affluent communities. In another analysis, African Americans and LatinX communities in the U.S. contracted COVID-19 more so than white communities because many blue-collar jobs are considered “essential workers”. Unsafe interactions with other people in dense cities and neighborhoods created a higher probability of contracting the virus. Many wealthy whites, on the other hand, were able to work from home, go on vacation, or minimize the hours worked (Argüelles, 2021).

*we need to replace all citations with links


 * we need to break up background into another sub-section

Case studies

 * 1) Teton, Wyoming
 * 2) Aspen, Colorado