Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 5-8-2026
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Public Policy Leadership
First Advisor
Zachary Vereb
Second Advisor
Shaila Wadhwani-Greenhalgh
Third Advisor
Marcos Mendoza
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
This thesis argues that human contributions to Louisiana’s coastal land loss constitute a form of environmental injustice that cannot be adequately addressed through frameworks focused solely on aggregate welfare or distributive fairness. While utilitarian and Rawlsian approaches offer important insights, both are limited in capturing the full scope of harm caused by environmental degradation. In coastal Louisiana, land loss undermines not only economic resources and physical security but also the substantive freedoms required for individuals and communities to live meaningful and culturally rooted lives, while disrupting ecological systems and non-human flourishing. To address these limitations, the thesis develops the Capabilities Approach, as articulated by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum, as a more comprehensive normative framework. It demonstrates how coastal erosion produces systematic capability deprivation, particularly among vulnerable populations, including Indigenous nations, subsistence fishers, and coastal residents, as well as non-human animals. The thesis analyzes the ethical, environmental, and socio-cultural dimensions of Louisiana’s coastal crisis and advances policy recommendations grounded in the protection of core human capabilities.
Recommended Citation
Plaisance, Owen M., "What Do We Owe A Drowning Coast? Examining Louisiana's Coastal Crisis Through the Lens of Environmental Justice" (2026). Honors Theses. 3577.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3577
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