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Health As Dignity Risks, Health And Mobilizations For Environmental Justice

This presentation by Marcelo Firpo discusses the intricate relationship between health and environmental justice within the context of risk management. It explores the limitations of traditional biomedical approaches and epidemiological studies while emphasizing the importance of local knowledge and participatory engagement in decision-making processes. Through case studies such as the Shell oil extraction scenario, it highlights health risks stemming from pollution and calls for collaborative strategies with affected communities. The session advocates for empowering marginalized voices in addressing environmental inequalities.

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Health As Dignity Risks, Health And Mobilizations For Environmental Justice

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  1. Health As DignityRisks, Health And Mobilizations For Environmental Justice Marcelo Firpo ENSP/FIOCRUZ marcelo.firpo@ensp.fiocruz.br

  2. Health: conceptsand tools • Biomedicalview: preventablediseasesanddeaths • Classicalscientific tool: epidemilogicalstudiesand causal nexus • Limitsof ‘normal science’ andepidemiologicalstudies • Some alternatives • Independentstudiesandcounter-expertise • Popular epidemiology • LA: Criticalepidemiologyand Environmental Clinic

  3. Risk: Conceptsand Tools • Applications: Environmental licencing, management, preventionemergencymeasuresandmitigation. • Limits: Who decides? Underwhatcriteria? Howthemostaffectedgroupsparticipate in thedecisions? • In general doesn’t take into consideration local non-specialized knowledge • Obscures the connection between scientific and political values • Alternatives: • Counter-expertise: deconstructing hegemonic and false arguments that “risks are under control”; • Combat double standards by multinational companies • Incorporation of situated and local knowledge of workers and populations (for example CBPR) • Vulnerability studies and issues on environmental inequalities and EJ

  4. The Shell Case: mainrisksofoilextractionandproduction • High risk in allactivities (offshore & onshore): survey; drillingandexploration;production in refinaries; storage; transportationbytanksetc • Innumeroushazardouschemicals: crudeoil, metals, benzene, Nox, Sox, CO ... • Accidentsanddisasters: spills, fires... • Double standards andlackofinfrastructuremaintenance.

  5. The Shell Case: Health problems • UNEP Report: Groundwatercontamination; Air pollution; Fish; Crops... • Associationbetweencontaminationderivedfromoilspillsorairpollutionandincreasedprevalenceofdiarrhea, eyeirritation, itchyskin, occupationaldiseases, severekidneyfailure, skindiseases, conjunctivitis, esophagitisandchemical pneumonia • Expected increase of infertility, hemotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, and carcinogenesis. • Lack of epidemiological studies • Very poor health data systems • Violence

  6. Shell case: vulnerabilitiesandalternatives VULNERABILITIES • State/ Federal Goverment: concentrationofpower, use ofviolencetoprotectoilexploration • Institutionalvulnerability: regulation, preventionandmitigation; Health System • Politicaldesestabilization, interethnicrivalries • Hugerevuesofcompaniesversus non investmentsoninstitutionsandpopulationneeds ALTERNATIVES & CHALLENGES • Local mobilizations linked with various local international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); publicitationof the Ogoni struggle • Financing risk and health assessments and clean up operations BUT in cooperation with local population/local knowledge. E.g. popular epidemiology, CBPR etc. • Building up more independent regulatory and technical institutions; cooperation EC with universities and NGOs • Issues on democracy and participation: considering the needs and aspirations of the minorities of the Niger Delta.

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