I am hear to discuss with you, the topic of environmental racism.
Environmental Racism is a term that many have never even heard, but nonetheless it is an issue with grave and severe impacts. Environmental racism is a social justice movement that describes the inequality of the placement of environmental hazards, and is a term a that is that connects that the negative effects that the environmental hazards can have on someone to the color of one’s skin.
Environmental racism shows up in society in a number of ways. The effects including: loopholes being left for companies to pollute more in impoverished and racially diverse areas, workers being forced to choose between having a job where none of the environmental standards are being met or not having a job at all, companies are deliberately placing their facilities in areas a with a specific racial group or type of community, which leads to more pollution in their homes and environment, lack of access to environmental services such as trash removal, little to no placement or maintenance of local parks and state owned environmental experiences, and minorities receiving most of the dirty and hazardous jobs. Environmental racism affects minorities in both where they live and work, as the two are normally correlated to the amount of income you have.
The consequences of environmental racism are often related to a decline in health that comes with being exposed to environmental hazards. Your health is the most valuable thing a person can have, for without it your life is at risk. Environmental racism has already affected the health of millions Americans, and will affect millions more if we do not change this system of oppression.
In Flint, Michigan, there was water crisis, where led tainted water was used as the drinking water for the residents of the city. Flint being a city with 42% of its population below the poverty line, and 57.% the population being African- American. The residents of Flint suffered from the effects of lead exposure, which include: cognitive impairment, behavioral disorders, and problems with your heart, kidneys and nerves.Some might say Flint is not necessarily an example of environmental racism, but the city’s crisis clearly exemplifies this issue. In order to prove this I ask you to think this would have happened if the population of Flint was mostly white? The answer most likely being no.
In Louisiana there is a part of the state, called cancer alley, because the rates of obtaining cancer are so high. The abundance of factories in the area have been polluting causing this spike in cancer rates. This case is a of environmental racism because more than half of the population is black.
In a study done by the U.S. General Accounting Office and United Church of Christ it was proven that there is a correlation of the amount of exposure to environmental hazards to the color of one’s skin, since people of color often live closer to these environmental hazards.
The issues of environmental racism stems from the lack of legal protection for minorities. Laws to protect minorities from environmental hazards don’t exist, and when they do they do not adequately protect the interest and well being of the people. Most of the groups who advocate to the government about the environment, don’t included environmental racism as in issue that needs to be focused on. According to non profits and government agencies the “effects stem from many factors, including… inadequate health care, low-quality housing, high-hazard workplace environments, limited access to environmental information, and simple lack of sufficient political power”.
Environmental racism became recognized in the 1980’s, as a term to describe the inequity of the placement of pollution in areas where impoverished black people live, but the movement truly began in 1982 in the town of Warren in North Carolina. A city, whose population was more than 50 % black, was chosen to be the home to a hazardous landfill. A landfill that not only affected the inhabitants near it, but those all around the city as when the trucks drove on the streets they left polychlorinated biphenyl-laden oil.
There has not been much change in the movement, as the movement has not received much support from organizations, the government, or people. This issue is often just seen as conspiracy or coincidence, but it is not and it is time that we recognize this. If we want change in this issue, than we have to start advocating to end environmental racism.
Scholars see two prominent ways to rectify the movement the first being through distributive justice, which allows for repairs to made through money, and the second being through corrective justice which calls upon society to create a change in the way minorities are treated and viewed. If we want society to change, then we must change the rules that they abide by, as government practically has a direct impact on how society operates.
What we must advocate for is that everyone, no matter the color of their skin, lives in similar and safe environmental conditions. To do this we need to understand (1) what an acceptable level of pollution is and (2) what legal policies would best aid in reducing the amount of pollution in areas where environmental racism exist. Consistent exposure to environmental hazards and is not an acceptable amount of pollution, and this is what needs to change.
To create these laws, the government needs to become involved. In order to insure that government takes a stand against environmental racism, we, as a people, must fight to have to this issue legitimized and changed. An example of the type of change required would be putting a tax on companies that pollute to make them more environmentally friendly, and then taking the tax to use it to help families that have suffered through the impacts of this issue and insure that they get the care they deserve.
Some have said that we should just move the factories, to areas where no residents would live, but moving the factories would not invoke the change required to reduce pollution, in fact it would only cause more pollution The old area would still have remaining toxins, and the so would the new hallway. Even if the old environment was cleaned, the clean environment would now have an increase in the cost of real estate, forcing the inhabitants to move the newly contaminated area. This plan defeats its own purpose and causes more harm than good. That is why creating laws to prevent the mistreatment of people of color in regards unfair access to a clean and safe environment, is the best and most effective reason.
The desired result is to end environmental racism, by creating as much equality as possible.
I am hear to discuss with you, the topic of environmental racism.
Environmental Racism is a term that many have never even heard, but nonetheless it is an issue with grave and severe impacts. Environmental racism is a social justice movement that describes the inequality of the placement of environmental hazards, and is a term a that is that connects that the negative effects that the environmental hazards can have on someone to the color of one’s skin.
Environmental racism shows up in society in a number of ways. The effects including: loopholes being left for companies to pollute more in impoverished and racially diverse areas, workers being forced to choose between having a job where none of the environmental standards are being met or not having a job at all, companies are deliberately placing their facilities in areas a with a specific racial group or type of community, which leads to more pollution in their homes and environment, lack of access to environmental services such as trash removal, little to no placement or maintenance of local parks and state owned environmental experiences, and minorities receiving most of the dirty and hazardous jobs. Environmental racism affects minorities in both where they live and work, as the two are normally correlated to the amount of income you have.
The consequences of environmental racism are often related to a decline in health that comes with being exposed to environmental hazards. Your health is the most valuable thing a person can have, for without it your life is at risk. Environmental racism has already affected the health of millions Americans, and will affect millions more if we do not change this system of oppression.
In Flint, Michigan, there was water crisis, where led tainted water was used as the drinking water for the residents of the city. Flint being a city with 42% of its population below the poverty line, and 57.% the population being African- American. The residents of Flint suffered from the effects of lead exposure, which include: cognitive impairment, behavioral disorders, and problems with your heart, kidneys and nerves.Some might say Flint is not necessarily an example of environmental racism, but the city’s crisis clearly exemplifies this issue. In order to prove this I ask you to think this would have happened if the population of Flint was mostly white? The answer most likely being no.
In Louisiana there is a part of the state, called cancer alley, because the rates of obtaining cancer are so high. The abundance of factories in the area have been polluting causing this spike in cancer rates. This case is a of environmental racism because more than half of the population is black.
In a study done by the U.S. General Accounting Office and United Church of Christ it was proven that there is a correlation of the amount of exposure to environmental hazards to the color of one’s skin, since people of color often live closer to these environmental hazards.
The issues of environmental racism stems from the lack of legal protection for minorities. Laws to protect minorities from environmental hazards don’t exist, and when they do they do not adequately protect the interest and well being of the people. Most of the groups who advocate to the government about the environment, don’t included environmental racism as in issue that needs to be focused on. According to non profits and government agencies the “effects stem from many factors, including… inadequate health care, low-quality housing, high-hazard workplace environments, limited access to environmental information, and simple lack of sufficient political power”.
Environmental racism became recognized in the 1980’s, as a term to describe the inequity of the placement of pollution in areas where impoverished black people live, but the movement truly began in 1982 in the town of Warren in North Carolina. A city, whose population was more than 50 % black, was chosen to be the home to a hazardous landfill. A landfill that not only affected the inhabitants near it, but those all around the city as when the trucks drove on the streets they left polychlorinated biphenyl-laden oil.
There has not been much change in the movement, as the movement has not received much support from organizations, the government, or people. This issue is often just seen as conspiracy or coincidence, but it is not and it is time that we recognize this. If we want change in this issue, than we have to start advocating to end environmental racism.
Scholars see two prominent ways to rectify the movement the first being through distributive justice, which allows for repairs to made through money, and the second being through corrective justice which calls upon society to create a change in the way minorities are treated and viewed. If we want society to change, then we must change the rules that they abide by, as government practically has a direct impact on how society operates.
What we must advocate for is that everyone, no matter the color of their skin, lives in similar and safe environmental conditions. To do this we need to understand (1) what an acceptable level of pollution is and (2) what legal policies would best aid in reducing the amount of pollution in areas where environmental racism exist. Consistent exposure to environmental hazards and is not an acceptable amount of pollution, and this is what needs to change.
To create these laws, the government needs to become involved. In order to insure that government takes a stand against environmental racism, we, as a people, must fight to have to this issue legitimized and changed. An example of the type of change required would be putting a tax on companies that pollute to make them more environmentally friendly, and then taking the tax to use it to help families that have suffered through the impacts of this issue and insure that they get the care they deserve.
Some have said that we should just move the factories, to areas where no residents would live, but moving the factories would not invoke the change required to reduce pollution, in fact it would only cause more pollution The old area would still have remaining toxins, and the so would the new hallway. Even if the old environment was cleaned, the clean environment would now have an increase in the cost of real estate, forcing the inhabitants to move the newly contaminated area. This plan defeats its own purpose and causes more harm than good. That is why creating laws to prevent the mistreatment of people of color in regards unfair access to a clean and safe environment, is the best and most effective reason.
The desired result is to end environmental racism, by creating as much equality as possible.