Roudavski, S; Gordon, B
(American Society for Environmental History, 2022 Conference, 2022)
In this study we build on recent scholarship which links injustice and vulnerability and extend these framings to the nonhuman world. We examine the environmental history of the lower Mississippi River Delta in relation to the life history of a central nonhuman character – the bald cypress tree (Taxodium distichum). Through this history we identify instances of injustice against bald cypress trees and highlight overlapping injustices with human communities. Our work shows connections between these injustices and link them to the impact on coastal vulnerability. These findings support a design framing which operates from the premise that diminishing justice leads to diminishing resilience. Consequently, we suggest that approaches to design for coastal resilience must seek to ensure just outcomes for humans and nonhumans.