Journal Article

A Cross‐Cutting Approach for Relating Anthropocene, Environmental Injustice and Sacrifice Zones

Sheppard, Paul R., Alonso‐Hernández, Carlos, Gallardo, Laura, Rodríguez, Delia, Gayo, Eugenia M., Maldonado, Antonio, Muñoz, Ariel A., Mena‐Carrasco, Marcelo, Klock‐Barría, Karin, Urquiza, Anahí, Aguilera‐Betti, Isabella, Francois, Jean Pierre, Lavergne, Céline

2022

Overview

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. Plain Language Summary Costs of the sustained industrialization growth typically bear on low‐income communities (i.e., sacrifice zones). In this work, we designed a case study for the Puchuncaví sacrifice zone (Chile) to understand how socio‐economic and policymaking processes interact in perpetuating environmental inequality in these territories. Specifically, we integrate data obtained from a new sediment archive for historical pollution, socio‐economic trends and environmental policies to evaluate the relationship between environmental injustice and Anthropocene. We observe an ever‐growing load of heavy metals and metalloids over the past five decades paced by the staggering growth of local industrial activities, which has ultimately been spurred by national and transnational industrial and economic demands. Poverty levels in local communities declined concomitantly, but such reduction in social inequality is marginal and deceiving as effects of pollution have grown through time. Pollution control actions appear insufficient in mitigating cumulative and emergent impacts of highly toxic elements. Thus, our 136‐year reconstruction of the local pollution trajectory serves as a science‐based tool for informing the discussion on governance in the Anthropocene. Particularly, it helps to advance in the assessment of environmental inequality in societal models that prioritize economic growth to the detriment of the ecosystem and social security. Key Points Geochemical data provide a science‐based tool to inform the discussion on Anthropocene governance in severely degraded territories In our case study, socio‐environmental inequalities are linked to economic and governance processes operating from local to global scales Policies embracing local environmental rehabilitation are required as a just transition is not granted under a decarbonization scenario

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc,Wiley
• Subject: Anthropocene / Anthropocene risks / Coal-fired power plants / Community / Costs / Economic development / Economic growth / Economic models / Economic trends / Economics / Environmental assessment / Environmental justice / Environmental security / GDP / Gross Domestic Product / Heavy metals / Industrial areas / Inequality / Injustice / Interdisciplinary aspects / Metalloids / Metallurgy / paleopollution records / Pollution / Pollution control / Poverty / Puchuncaví / socio‐economic trends / socio‐environmental inequalities / trace elements / Trends