22 Protec ting Natural Resources for All
Inequality: Cause and Effect of
Environmental Health Problems
Many environmental health problems relate to:
• scarcity (not enough) of essential things we need for
a healthy life, such as clean air and water, healthy
soil and forests, safe and comfortable shelter, and safe
working conditions.
• excess (too much) of harmful things we do not need,
such as trash, toxic chemicals, pollution, and junk food.
In the story from Ecuador (see Chapter 1), health problems were caused by the
scarcity of basic necessities such as clean water, toilets, and trees. In a story
from Bhopal, India (see Chapter 4), health problems were caused by an excess
of toxic chemicals.
In each story, improving environmental health depended on people preventing
the conditions that caused both a scarcity of essential resources for life and an
excess of pollution. By protecting our communities and our natural resources, we
are protecting the future for our children, and our children’s children.
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012