Can we solve the climate crisis without confronting global inequities?
A recent study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA found that white residents in the USA produce more climate pollution than black or hispanic residents, but black and hispanic people are exposed to more air pollution.
And that is just the USA! Think about the global inequities in the "haves" and the "have nots".
And how are we going to lift people out of poverty without making the climate crisis even worse?
If you are a resident in a wealthy country, is it your responsibility to address both problems at once? And what would that look like in terms of national and international policy?
Environmental Justice >
Why do we need environmental justice?
First, what exactly is environmental justice? According to the Massachusetts State Government, environmental justice is “based on the principle that all people have a right to be protected from environmental pollution, and to live in and enjoy a clean and healthful environment.” In other words, environmental justice would be achieved in a society in which everybody had access to clean water, healthy air, and healthy food. However, in today’s society we are very far away from this ideal world. Take this example. Stationed along the Mississippi River, there is a so-called “Cancer Alley” full of fossil fuel-burning, and, more importantly, fumes creating power plants. The residents of these areas are predominantly Black and Hispanic. The cancer rate in “Cancer Alley” is 50% higher than the national average. This pattern holds true across the United States. In various military camps, poorer communities, and communities that are predominantly made up of Black, Hispanic, and Native American people, there are much higher cancer and asthma cases and deaths.
Another aspect of environmental justice is representation of the communities that pollution affects the most. For example, in this year’s meeting of the G20, many island nations that are feeling the effects of climate change appealed for changes in global policy. However, the leading powers in these conventions and groups are oftentimes the largest polluters on the planet, who have an economic incentive to keep doing so. In the United States, according to the New York Times, “climate advocacy groups, which are overwhelmingly white, continue to overlook the impact of pollution on communities of color.” This results in these issues being swept under the rug by federal and state governments.
So, why does this all matter? Today, there is more attention on the climate crisis than ever before. However, a vast majority of this attention is on ways to curb the damage down the line, instead of working to mitigate the damage being done now. It is the unfortunate truth that some sacrifices must be made, if we are going to achieve environmental sustainability, and one of the most glaring sacrifices is to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Then, and only then, will we be able to secure an equitable and safe future for everybody.
Works Cited:
New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/17/clim … stice.html
Mass.gov.
https://www.mass.gov/service-details/ob … al-justice
Insider.
https://www.insider.com/environmental-r … tes-2020-8
Tulane University.
https://law.tulane.edu/news/tulane-stud … -each-year