What Counts as an Environmental Issue?, with Neil Lewis Jr.

Published: Jan. 2, 2021, midnight

This week, host Daniel Raimi talks with Neil Lewis Jr., an assistant professor of communication and social behavior at Cornell University, about how different socioeconomic groups define what is\u2014and what is not\u2014an \u201cenvironmental\u201d issue. Lewis\u2019s research touches on a variety of policy issues, from industrial pollution and housing policy to climate change and unemployment. In this episode, Lewis describes how individuals define \u201cenvironmental\u201d issues differently and asserts that recognizing these differences can help inform policymaking.\n\nReferences and recommendations:\n\n\u201cWhat counts as an \u2018environmental\u2019 issue? Differences in issue conceptualization by race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status\u201d by Hwanseok Song, Neil A. Lewis Jr., Matthew T. Ballew, Mario Bravo, Julie Davydova, H. Oliver Gao, Robert J. Garcia, Sofia Hiltner, Sarah M. Naiman, Adam R. Pearson, Rainer Romero-Canyas, and Jonathan P. Schuldt; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272494419304220\n\n\u201cPalaces for the People\u201d by Eric Klinenberg; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/557044/palaces-for-the-people-by-eric-klinenberg/\n\n\u201cRediscovery of Abandoned Wells in the World\u2019s First Oil Field\u201d StoryMap from the National Energy Technology Laboratory; https://www.netl.doe.gov/node/9367