Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA.
Department of Biology, Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont, USA.
mSystems. 2022 Jun 28;7(3):e0146221. doi: 10.1128/msystems.01462-21. Epub 2022 Jun 1.
Generations of colonialism, industrialization, intensive agriculture, and anthropogenic climate change have radically altered global ecosystems and by extension, their environmental microbiomes. The environmental consequences of global change disproportionately burden racialized communities, those with lower socioeconomic status, and other systematically underserved populations. Environmental justice seeks to balance the relationships between environmental burden, beneficial ecosystem functions, and local communities. Given their direct links to human and ecosystem health, microbes are embedded within social and environmental justice. Considering scientific and technological advances is becoming an important step in developing actionable solutions to global equity challenges. Here we identify areas where inclusion of microbial knowledge and research can support planetary health goals. We offer guidelines for strengthening a reciprocal integration of environmental justice into environmental microbiology research. Microbes form intimate relationships with the environment and society, thus microbiologists have numerous and unique opportunities to incorporate equity into their research, teaching, and community engagement.
几代人的殖民主义、工业化、集约化农业和人为气候变化已经彻底改变了全球生态系统，并由此延伸改变了它们的环境微生物组。全球变化的环境后果不成比例地给种族化社区、社会经济地位较低的社区以及其他系统上服务不足的人群带来了负担。环境正义旨在平衡环境负担、有益的生态系统功能和当地社区之间的关系。鉴于微生物与人类和生态系统健康有着直接的联系，因此它们被嵌入到社会和环境正义中。考虑到科学和技术的进步，这正在成为制定可行的全球公平挑战解决方案的重要步骤。在这里，我们确定了在哪些领域纳入微生物知识和研究可以支持行星健康目标。我们提供了加强环境正义与环境微生物学研究相互融合的指导方针。微生物与环境和社会形成了密切的关系，因此微生物学家有许多独特的机会将公平纳入他们的研究、教学和社区参与中。
