Towards just uncertainties: A mixed method study of environmental crises

While crises can spark change, scholars note the underlying urgency may undermine justice, prompting political ecologists to push for critical investigations of crises. In this dissertation, I draw on mixed methods to probe diverse crisis case studies and identify where and why injustices manifest. First, I find that urgency, together with the precautionary principle, can foster an environment wherein public critiques of invasive species discourse/efforts are dismissed. Second, I demonstrate that federal efforts to preempt institutional risk of corruption in Puerto Rico significantly slowed hazard mitigation efforts, ultimately transforming local hazard mitigation plans into fantasy documents. Lastly, I identify opportunities to empower community participation in disaster waste management. These findings elucidate how uncertainty is mobilized by decision-makers at the expense of the greater public. Ultimately, this work builds on interdisciplinary crisis scholarship and identifies key tension points where change is needed to facilitate just outcomes.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Natural Res & Env Sciences

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2024

Author dc:creator

• Gonzalez Cruz, Jesann

Contributors dc:contributor

• Johnson, McKenzie F
• Larson, Eric R
• Jones, Jamie
• Cisneros, Josue D

• Crisis
• Justice
• Uncertainty
• Disaster
• Invasive Species Denialism

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2024 Jesann Gonzalez Cruz

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/127466

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F127466