Environmental justice, or EJ, is a movement that started in the United States in the 1980s, based on studies that showed environmental hazards disproportionately impacted poor and minority neighborhoods. For example, factories and landfills were shown to be more likely to be built in a low-income community. Federal legislation requires government agencies to enforce protections for all communities against these environmental hazards and help create and maintain a healthy environment to live and work. Careers in this field include non-profit groups who work to clean up affected areas and provide clean water and green space for residents, attorneys who litigate EJ cases, lobbyists who push for new EJ legislation or enforcement of current law, and teaching positions in post-secondary institutions and other environmental organizations.