Justice issues with EIS

[Frijol]

Justice is central to EDGI values, and has been a particular point of discussion on this project. EA/EIS/etc. has a shaky-at-best relationship to Indigenous nations. I'm making this issue as a collector of relevant links/articles/etc. around justice issues with EIS, with the intent that we can use our consciousness of the context when designing this project in order to build just tools.

Here are some resources:

• Indigenous Data Sovereignty: Toward an Agenda (2016, PDF)
• Indigenous Statistics: A Quantitative Research Methodology (2013, book)
• Environmental Impact Assessment and Resource Management, A Haida Case Study: Implications for Native People of the North (PDF)

[shapironick]

In terms of design, I wonder how we might be able to flag the unjust practices and policies that go into the production EISs. How can we both better design for people like Jessica to access them while also flagging them as often fundamentally illegitimate documents?

Gonzalo Urbina (a Peruvian researcher) has spoke about how EIAs are pseudoscience, meaning that actual science (citizen, or non-profit / civic society funded professionals) done in response actually legitimates an illegitimate document. (just uploaded a pdf and i'm scared its going to show every slide...) Conflict as EIA Failure.pptx

Maybe a statement just below the search bar noting the limitations of these documents and pointing them towards BIPOC researchers that have been leading the way on understanding the detriments of these process? Is that a feeble way of moving forward? If we like that idea as a first step forward we could ask her what she thinks about that and maybe even contract her to write it (i'm not sure how much money we have).

[Mr0grog]

Other links from EDGI folks:

• Unpacking Government: What Good Are Environmental Impact Statements?
• The Sioux Lost a Key Battle in Their Struggle Against the DAPL
• Dakota Access Pipe Line’s (DAPL’s) Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) -Understanding and Action
• Standing Rock: Understanding the EIS Process
• Citizens Guide to NEPA
• Interrupting Industrial and Academic Extraction on Native Land — Cultural Anthropology
• The Oil and Gas Industry’s Exclusions and Exemptions to Major Environmental Statutes
• Extracting knowledge: Social science, environmental impact assessment, and Indigenous consultation in the oil sands of Alberta, Canada

[Frijol]

I like the idea of a design element that flags concerns about legitimacy (puts me in mind of a Wikipedia "needs citation" type of flag), but it does seem like a pretty minimal intervention– if you're using the tool, is this now just an annoying layer on the UI? Is it likely to cause behavior change, or does it end up coming across as lip service? Or is it more like the presence of a Code of Conduct on a tech event– not a guarantee or complete solution, but at least a signal of inclusion/thoughtfulness to people who check for that signal? Would need to do user research with various stakeholders to get answers to those questions.

I've been imagining that we could make this tool subversive primarily by designing it for(/with) & providing it to folks who are traditionally disenfranchised by EIS's + the people who support them. Imagining also that part of this work is to enable stronger critique of some of the breakdowns of EIS's (particularly lack of accountability) outlined in Jessica's white paper (namely, that people creating EIS's know that they won't in general be reviewed at a later date & therefore don't write them as though they will be reviewed at a later date/outcomes checked against reality).

Lots of thoughts here ^, no concrete suggestions (and I think you have a lot more specialty on this than I do). I'd like us to pursue user-oriented collaborative design with our stakeholders including inquiry that is both UX- and justice-based before undertaking further significant technical work.

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