Environmental Racism

Hi everyone! I'm here today to bring light to and inform you about an aspect of racism often unknown: environmental racism. In this blog post, I will explain what environmental racism is, examples of it in society, and what we, as individuals, can do to stop it. 

What is environmental racism? 
Environmental racism is the disproportional impact of environmental hazards on people of color. Environmental racism is caused by several factors, including intentional neglect, the alleged need for a vessel of pollutants in an urban area, and a lack of institutional power and low land values of people of color. 

Environmental racism is inseparable from racial segregation. The government and corporations perpetuate environmental racism through the placement of forever chemical plants, contaminated water, and other harmful pollutants at a higher rate than white, affluent communities. 

For example, polluting facilities along the Mississippi River are primarily concentrated in areas like St. James Parish, Louisiana. This area is known as "Cancer Alley" where the risk of developing cancer is 700 times the national average. 

Below is an infographic giving more insight into how contaminated resources disproportionately affect people of color. 

Chicago's environmental racism: 
According to a study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Black and Hispanic residents of Chicago breathe in far more deadly air pollution than they are responsible for making. Researchers found that on average, non-hispanic caucasians experience a pollution advantage, meaning that they experience 17 percent less air pollution exposure than is caused by their consumption. However, Black and Hispanic populations have a "pollution burden". On average, Black residents are exposed to about 56% more pollution than is caused by their consumption, and for Hispanic residents, it is about 63%. 

The most polluted ZIP code in Michigan (48217): 
Detroit's 48217 ZIP code, which is over 80% Black, is home to a massive oil refinery and is the most polluted ZIP code in all of Michigan. The community is overwhelmed with a toxic stew of chemicals coming from steel mills, coal-fired power plants, gas flares, wastewater treatment plant, and one of the nation's largest oil refineries. These facilities all loom over schools, neighborhoods, parks, senior centers, and a recreation center. 

The Dakota Access Pipeline: 
The original proposed route for the 1,172 mile long Dakota Access pipeline runs through Bismarck, North Dakota. The pipeline currently runs along the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation despite a long-held Standing Rock-led protest movement opposing its construction. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has been in a 4-year long battle over the pipeline. 

EPA Environmental Racism Proof: 
In 2018, Trump administration's Environmental Protection Agency concluded in a report that Black and Indigenous people of color are much more likely to live near polluters and breathe polluted air. Specifically, studies have found that people in poverty are exposed to more fine particulate matter than those not living in poverty. The study's authors stated that "results at national, state, and county scales all indicate that non-whites tend to be burdened disproportionately to whites". 

Reminder: Flint, Michigan still does not have clean water. It has been six years. The water crisis in Flint, Michigan is one of the most horrific examples of environmental racism in US history. Thousands of adults and children were exposed to lead, including 9,000 children younger than six years old. 

What can people do within their communities to fight for environmental justice?
There is so much we can do within our communities to fight for environmental justice through voting, organizing, holding elected officials accountable, running for office, and demanding for better environmental protections. We cannot just shrug our shoulders and assume that this is the way things will always be. It cannot be just a certain group of people having access to clean water. We have to be the change. 

Resources used: 















Comments

Post a Comment