Alina Hadzovic
Freshman Composition
Professor Wood
19 November 2022
Environmental Racism in the United States
As humans, we involuntarily blink, inhale, and exhale without thinking too much. However, after inhaling, we breathe out carbon dioxide. This molecule is also released into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels, which are materials formed naturally within the Earth from natural materials. Since carbon makes up every living material, the extraction, and burning of these materials bond with the oxygen in the world to produce carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, a main driver of the Greenhouse Gas effect. The Greenhouse Gas effect, simply put, is the process of greenhouse gasses blocking the ozone layer with a blanket-like film, sealing the planet from allowing the sun’s heat from escaping. About 30% of the sun’s radiation is reflected and does not warm the Earth (“The Sun’s Impact on the Earth”). The idea of the Greenhouse Gas effect is rejecting this reflection and keeping some of this 30% in the atmosphere.
The burning of these fossil fuels- coal, natural gas, and petroleum- can cause a multitude of adverse health, social, and environmental effects over an extended period. This pollution can infiltrate waterways that are used for farming and ecosystems for different species of fish and other aquatic animals. The animals or plants that have been exposed to these toxins can transfer illnesses and other bodily issues if eaten. These pollutants are also released into the air in the form of air pollution. If inhaled in its concentrated form close to the burning facilities, living organisms are more at risk for cancers, asthma, and stunted development (“Sacrifice Zones 101”). Communities that live nearest these facilities have the highest risk of health problems, and the federal government recognizes this. Thus, land and homes near industrial plants tend to be cheaper so that people who make less money in this society can still afford a place to stay. White people in the United States carry the majority of higher-paying jobs compared to Black and Latino workers. According to Kaitlin Mulhere, editor and writer for Money, a site for educating the public on personal finance strategies, a report from the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce found that White workers held 77% of all family-supporting jobs in the country, despite only making up 69% of the workforce. Black workers and Latino workers, contrarily, were underrepresented in higher paying jobs: Black workers held 10% of good jobs, and 13% of all jobs, while Latino workers held 13% of good jobs and 18% of jobs overall (Mulhere). These facts force people of color in our society to settle and raise families in neighborhoods that suffer most from the effects of climate change and fossil fuel emissions. In a way, society “sacrifices” these communities to save wealthier and healthier areas for richer White people.
Sacrifice zones can be best described as places where residents – usually low-income families and people of color – live in proximity to polluting industries and plants that expose them to all kinds of dangerous chemicals and other environmental threats. Predominately Black communities are more likely to reap the health effects of climate change because their lack of political voice and social unanimity robs them of their right to be heard. To put things into perspective, Black people have higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease than other groups, and Black children have a 500% higher death rate from asthma compared with White children (Williams and Norman). Frankly, sacrifice zones are found around the country, and little has been done to stop them until quite recently in modern history.
An example of a sacrifice zone in our nation is Cancer Alley, a regional nickname given to Jacob’s Drive, Louisiana. Also considered Death Alley, this is a town along the Mississippi River, containing over 150 petrochemical plants and refineries. One of these plants is the Denka plant, which produces chloroplene. 93% of the demographic that lives within a mile of this harmful pollutant-releasing factory are Black, something that has been systematically traced since the Reconstruction era in the late 19th century (Song). Residents report the air having an odor comparable to that of rotten eggs or nail polish remover. A ProPublica article written by Younes, Lulla, et al. mentions that Hazel Schexnayder, a primary account of the severe air pollution in Louisiana, lives just one mile away from the world’s largest manufacturer of polystyrene (styrofoam) run by Total Petrochemicals & Refining USA. Hazel is a resident of Cancer Alley and a witness to the changing environment in her town, so there is less room for biases and is more accurate since it is so objective. She recounts the dying neighbors, the rotten smell of the air, and the increasingly hapless fortune of her town. One community in Cancer Alley has a risk of cancer 50 times the national average, the highest in the country (Lartey et al.). While studies and information about how dangerous this pollution is have been available for years, more and more facilities continue to open in the area. The manufacturing of polystyrene results in the release of two hydrocarbons called styrene and benzene. When these are released into the air, they react with nitrogen oxides and produce ground-level ozone, often correlated with impaired lung function and respiratory illness (“FAQs: STYROFOAM”). This piece also mentions the Shintech ethylene plant and Union Carbide plant which both emit concerning amounts of ethylene. Ethylene oxide is produced when oxygen and ethylene react. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, exposure to ethylene oxide increases the risk of cancer and respiratory disease. Lastly, this article discusses the Denka neoprene plant which emits chloroprene (“Ethylene Oxide”). Chloroprene is classified as a likely carcinogen to humans and animals (“HAZARD SUMMARY IDENTIFICATION REASON FOR CITATION HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE BEING EXPOSED WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS WAYS OF RE”). Styrene, benzene, ethylene, and chloroprene are all persistent organic pollutants because they are all emitted as a result of industrial processes. All of these pollutants are considered secondary pollutants because they form in the atmosphere. The difference here between secondary pollutants and primary pollutants is that a primary pollutant is an air pollutant emitted directly from a source, like carbon and nitrogen oxides. A secondary pollutant is not directly emitted from a location, but forms when other pollutants react in the atmosphere.
Research shows that there are higher-than-normal amounts of lung, stomach, and kidney cancer among certain populations living in Cancer Alley. Anecdotally, residents say there are troubling clusters of several other cancers, including rare ones like neuroblastoma (cancer of the nerve cells) and rhabdomyosarcoma (cancer of the skeletal muscle). The NATA, National Association of Testing Authorities, found that the top five census tracts (subdivisions of a county) with the highest estimated cancer risks in the country were in Louisiana (“National Air Toxics Assessment”). It is not a coincidence that this town out of the countless ones in the state of Louisiana has this affliction. The hardships of this town is blatantly an effect of the government avoiding voices and concerns of burdened community members; society assumes that sacrifices must be made in order to progress, but that does not include the sacrificing of faultless lives that compose the communities of our “free” country.
Another example of a well-known sacrifice zone is Flint, Michigan. Different from the air pollution in Cancer Alley, Flint’s instances of environmental racism take flight in the form of water pollution. Flint’s demographic proves this case of racial injustice with 54.04% of its community being Black (“Flint, Michigan Population 2022”). The Flint River in Michigan has been used as an unofficial garbage disposal site for both processed and untreated waste for the numerous local companies that have arisen along its shores, including carriage and automobile manufacturing, meatpacking facilities, timber and paper mills, and more. Additionally, agricultural and urban runoff, sewage from the city’s waste treatment facility, and pollutants from landfills have all entered the canal (Denchak). Residents of Flint experienced several serious water quality and health problems as a result of the inadequate treatment and testing of the water; these problems were repeatedly ignored, overlooked, and discounted by government officials as a result of systematic racism. This issue has stretched out its arms and embraced the town with skin rashes, hair loss, and itchy skin for the 18 months that the fetid water was running in the taps of Flint. Unfortunately, the city’s remedial action of raising chlorine levels without addressing other root causes led to the emergence of a new issue: high levels of total trihalomethanes, carcinogens produced as byproducts of chlorinating the water (Denchak). This chemical byproduct can cause bladder and colon cancers, as well as reproductive issues and birth defects if prolonged exposure ensues, which is exactly the case for Flint’s inhabitants (“TRIHALOMETHANES”). Thus, the rejection of funding proper filtration devices for this water has led to direct harm upon the residents of Flint.
What it comes down to is putting people over polluter profits. There is no need to be sacrificing human health and countless lives in order build new petrochemical or power plants that will only continue to harm the planet and its communities. Around the United States and world, many living in sacrifice zones live with high pollution levels and environmental degradation. However, hope and progress come in the form of many incredible local activists from these sacrifice zones, using their personal experiences to bring attention to this critical issue and advocate for leaders to act. Groups like Black Millennials for Flint, RISE St. James, and CIDA Inc. bring light to the environmental injustice happening in their communities by organizing protests, posting on social media, and speaking to representatives and legislators (“Let’s Talk about Sacrifice Zones”).
Environmental justice means that all people, regardless of race, color, national origin or income, are treated fairly and participate meaningfully in the formulation, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. No group should be disproportionately burdened with the negative environmental impacts that arise from industrial, governmental, and commercial activities or processes. People have the opportunity to participate in decisions about activities that may affect their environment and health. Public opinion may influence regulatory decisions. Community concerns are considered in the decision-making process, and decision-makers seek and facilitate the involvement of those who may be affected. The issue with the implementation of environmental justice is that there is no safe platform for prejudiced communities to speak up. Voices are silenced on a federal level when in communities like Flint, complaints and genuine concerns are not given the attention they deserve.
Climate change is one of the most defining social issues of our time. It is frankly undeniable that humans are changing Earth’s climate. The atmosphere and oceans have warmed, sea levels have risen, Arctic sea ice is melting, and more biochemical changes influencing lives. The impacts of climate change on people and nature are increasingly evident: flooding, heat waves, and wildfires have cost billions in damages. For instance, California suffers from aggressive wildfires that have killed many species and forced homeowners to flee their towns and leave behind many precious items (Cart). Habitats are undergoing rapid shifts in response to changing temperatures and precipitation patterns. Aside from these biological changes that need to stop, the societal changes that come from disregarding racial minorities must, as well.
The disproportionate hostility towards people in this country that are not White forced adverse health effects on communities that do not deserve it. Systematically, people of color are oppressed, and now the government is further pushing a racist agenda in the context of industrialization. Environmental racism is a term not often used or understood; by researching the causes and effects of it, more people can stand up for communities that are not so listened to. There is strength in numbers, but as of contemporary times, minimal support in this field has forced racial minorities in America to suffer. Reflecting on the way federal and district leaders go about modernizing the general public can lead to an immediate conclusion in regards to the anguish, grief, and harms put mercillesly on communities of color. Silence is no longer an option, and understanding the hard truths is quickly becoming the only way to save repressed individuals.
Works Cited
Cart, Julie. “California California Wildfires.” CalMatters, 1 December 2022, https://calmatters.org/category/environment/california-wildfires/. Accessed 11 December 2022.
Denchak, Melissa. “Flint Water Crisis: Everything You Need to Know.” NRDC, 8 November 2018, https://www.nrdc.org/stories/flint-water-crisis-everything-you-need-know. Accessed 10 December 2022.
“”Ethylene Oxide.”” EPA, December 2018, https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-09/documents/ethylene-oxide.pdf. Accessed 9 December 2022.
“FAQs: STYROFOAM.” Children’s Environmental Health Network, https://cehn.org/our-work/eco-healthy-child-care/ehcc-faqs/faqs-styrofoam/. Accessed 9 December 2022.
“Flint, Michigan Population 2022.” World Population Review, https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/flint-mi-population. Accessed 10 December 2022.
“HAZARD SUMMARY IDENTIFICATION REASON FOR CITATION HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE BEING EXPOSED WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS WAYS OF RE.” HAZARD SUMMARY IDENTIFICATION REASON FOR CITATION HOW TO DETERMINE IF YOU ARE BEING EXPOSED WORKPLACE EXPOSURE LIMITS WAYS OF RE, October 1994, https://nj.gov/health/eoh/rtkweb/documents/fs/0407.pdf. Accessed 10 December 2022.
Lartey, Jamiles, et al. “’Almost every household has someone that has died from cancer.’” The Guardian, 6 May 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2019/may/06/cancertown-louisana-reserve-special-report. Accessed 9 December 2022.
“Let’s Talk about Sacrifice Zones.” Climate Reality Project, 13 May 2021, https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/lets-talk-about-sacrifice-zones. Accessed 10 December 2022.
Mulhere, Kaitlin. “White Workers Have a Disproportionate Share of Good Jobs in the Labor Market.” Money, 17 October 2019, https://money.com/job-market-white-workers-black-workers/. Accessed 10 December 2022.
“National Air Toxics Assessment.” EPA, 4 March 2022, https://www.epa.gov/national-air-toxics-assessment/2014-nata-assessment-results. Accessed 10 December 2022.
“Sacrifice Zones 101.” Climate Reality Project, https://www.climaterealityproject.org/sacrifice-zones. Accessed 9 December 2022.
Song, Lisa. “EPA Cites Environmental Racism in Louisiana’s Cancer Alley.” Undark Magazine, 25 October 2022, https://undark.org/2022/10/25/epa-cites-environmental-racism-in-louisianas-cancer-alley/. Accessed 11 December 2022.
“The Sun’s impact on the Earth.” World Meteorological Organization, https://public.wmo.int/en/sun%E2%80%99s-impact-earth. Accessed 9 December 2022.
“TRIHALOMETHANES.” Delaware Health and Social Services, January 2015, https://dhss.delaware.gov/dph/files/trihalomfaq.pdf. Accessed 11 December 2022.
Williams, David, and Florence Sprague Norman. “Health disparities between blacks and whites run deep.” Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 15 April 2016, https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/health-disparities-between-blacks-and-whites-run-deep/. Accessed 10 December 2022.
Younes, Lylla, et al. “Welcome to “Cancer Alley,” Where Toxic Air Is About to Get Worse.” ProPublica, 30 October 2019, https://www.propublica.org/article/welcome-to-cancer-alley-where-toxic-air-is-about-to-get-worse. Accessed 9 December 2022.
