Here is a link to the 17 Principles: http://www.ejnet.org/ej/principles.html
The 17 Principles of Environmental Justice was created to maintain Mother Earth, which includes preserving the ecosystem and the interdependence of all species. It guides us to always consider the danger and safety of our environment and to be accountable for our own action in producing pollutants, paying the costs and keeping the world clean. It opposes war, and exploitation of lands, peoples, cultures, and any life forms. This was created by the people of color to prevent oppression and colonization from exploiting lands, peoples, and cultures, and prohibiting political, economic and cultural liberation. It also protects from the genocide and extinction of species or group of people.
In this globalization era, open trade or capitalism was meant for specialization and the ability to obtain the optimum amount, which is profit maximization. However, many multi-billionaire corporations and private owners from America have exploited foreign and home lands, peoples and cultures for their profit and create toxins, chemical wastes, and many pollutants in our air, water, and food. From class, the movie Blue Vinyl was a great example, showing how multi-billionaire corporations can get away with it and how consumers should find alternatives. The reason why multi-billionaires corporations have so much power and control is consumers kept buying from them instead of finding better and safer alternatives. Americans are apolitical and materialistic but mostly because our government failed to fix negative externalities and help the poor and unemployed so that they do not buy cheap PVC products. And most of the poor population are minorities.
The connection of these principles of environmental protection to Blue Vinyl is undeniable, but could it even be said that it connects to the article about the lawn people? It seems that, similar to having a freshly trimmed, pristine front lawn, people seek identity and status through the material from which their house is surfaced. As with the lawn people, who knew how dangerous the chemicals they used to maintain their lawns were for the environment, people who use vinyl on their houses are becoming increasingly aware of how toxic it is for the environment. In some instances it could be a matter of affordability, due to the costs of lumber and the maintenance that ensues, versus the more reasonable, one time cost of using vinyl instead.
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