Project Incubation: Building Capacity for Ethical Communication Between Vulnerable Fenceline Communities, Industry, and Environmental Agencies

该孵化项目旨在发展密歇根州社区、机构和行业之间的新合作，并建设在地球和从事资源开采、环境咨询和环境监管工作的环境科学家中形成环境伦理的能力。特别是，我们关注地球和环境影响以及有色人种社区的交集。之所以采取这一重点，是因为环境危害对低收入和小型化社区的影响不成比例，这些社区生活在与影响土壤、水和空气的安全和生存能力的危险区域相邻的“栅栏”上。为了建立对地球和环境科学伦理的需求和潜力的共同理解，该项目将加强现有的关系，并在密歇根州立大学、渥太华印第安人小河带和密歇根拉美裔委员会之间建立新的关系。我们期待对环境不公正的根本伦理原因以及增加社区在决策中的权力的潜在机制有更深入的了解。我们还预计，在资源开采、环境咨询或环境监管方面工作的地球和环境科学家将加深对非人类中心环境伦理的理解。通过加深了解，我们预计这些科学家参与工作和与公众沟通的方式将发生变化，包括脆弱的栅栏社区。为此，该项目将解决三个目标：(1)在伙伴关系和社区内建立对不同利益的理解和尊重；(2)发展合作伙伴之间的相互信任；(3)赋予社区成为研究的充分参与者的能力。这些目标和相关活动的基础是以社区为基础的参与性研究方法。所有伙伴组织都将合作，确保与参与者建立信任和沟通。活动将包括集思广益、与关键利益相关者一对一会议、德尔福调查、小型地区性会议和协作会议。通过这些努力，项目团队将对“伦理研究”的不同文化和社区规范有深刻的理解。最终，这项工作将为一项标准拨款奠定基础，以允许开发、实施和评估地球和环境科学家的伦理培训。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Incubation Project is intended to develop new collaborations between communities, agencies, and industries in Michigan and to build capacity for the formation of environmental ethics among earth and environmental scientists working in resource extraction, environmental consulting, and environmental regulation. In particular, we focus on the intersection of earth and environmental impacts and communities of color. This focus is undertaken because environmental harms disproportionately impact low-income and minoritized communities who live on the “fenceline” adjacent to hazardous areas that impact the safety and viability of soil, water, and air. To build common understanding of the need and potential for ethical earth and environmental science, this project will strengthen existing relationships and build new relationships between Michigan State University, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, and the Hispanic Latino Commission of Michigan. We anticipate gaining deeper understanding of underlying ethical causes for environmental injustice as well as potential mechanisms for increasing community power in decision making. We also anticipate earth and environmental scientists working in resource extraction, environmental consulting, or environmental regulation will build deeper understanding of non-anthropocentric environmental ethics. Through this increased understanding, we anticipate changes in how these scientists engage in their work and communicate with the general public, including vulnerable fenceline communities.To this point, this project will address three goals: (1) Build an understanding of and respect for divergent interests within partnerships and communities; (2) Develop mutual trust between partners; (3) Empower communities to become full participants in research. These goals and related activities are grounded in community-based participatory research approaches. All partner organizations will collaborate to ensure trust building and communication to participants. Activities will include brainstorming, one-on-one meetings with key stakeholders, Delphi surveys, small regional meetings, and collaborative meetings. Through these efforts the project team will develop deep understanding of differing cultural and community norms for “ethical research”. Ultimately, this work will set the foundation for a standard grant to allow development, implementation, and evaluation of ethics training for earth and environmental scientists.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.