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—and what is not—an “environmental” issue. Lewis’s 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 “environmental” issues differently and asserts that recognizing these differences can help inform policymaking.

References and recommendations:

“What counts as an ‘environmental’ issue? Differences in issue conceptualization by race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status” 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

“Palaces for the People” by Eric Klinenberg; https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/557044/palaces-for-the-people-by-eric-klinenberg/

“Rediscovery of Abandoned Wells in the World’s First Oil Field” StoryMap from the National Energy Technology Laboratory; https://www.netl.doe.gov/node/9367