Connections Between Environmental Justice, Popular Ecologism and Eco-citizenship

Citizen movements connected to socio-ecological issues are increasing around the world : In the global North and South, people and communities are struggling against mining projects, against mega-projects, for the development of responsible and urban agriculture, against the inequities engendered by climate change, etc. This article examines historic and contemporary citizen movements linked to socio-ecological issues and underscores the evolution in their claims : Initially, environmental justice was exclusively reactive and focused on local cases of disproportional exposure to environmental problems ; today, it is also proactive, increasingly transnational and, in some cases, holistic. I also address the current of popular environmentalism and its links with environmental justice. Then, I probe environmental justice theoretical discourses and identify a framework that is relevant in light of contemporary struggles. Last, I present the concept of ecocitizenship, as well as a typology pertaining to this term, based on an exhaustive review of the scientific literature and on the study of ecocitizenships developed by young community gardeners. It appears that the ecocitizenship that is both critical and participative is of particular interest for environmental justice.