Environmental problems are social problems

For the first essay, you are asked to write an analytical essay to explain why many environmental problems are, in fact, “social" problems. First, based on a few concrete examples, describe what aspects of our consumption and/or use of technology have contributed to the growing environmental problems in the U.S. Second, explain the extent to which the patterns of consumption and/or technology use reflect social inequalities between categories of social class, race/ethnicity, and/or gender. The key concepts introduced in the texts such as sustainability, environmental justice (or racism), and externality must be incorporated in your explanation. You must cite relevant theoretical concepts, examples, and empirical evidence introduced in the textbooks and other required readings. All in-text citations (approx. 5-10) must be done using double quotation marks such as “… directly cited statement…” (Gould & Lewis 2014:10).