Class Notes | Environmental Racism

CLASS NOTES

Apr 17

⤏ WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY DALIA RAMIREZ AND NILE BROWN OF SANTULAN CREATIVE
⤏ EDITED BY GISSELLE PERNETT

Class Notes is a recurring series exploring topics that we find hard to understand (purposefully or otherwise!). Started as Instagram infographics, Class Notes has shifted into a monthly Jr Hi the Magazine feature which you can read here!

⤏ Santulan is a kinetic creative agency + print publication based in Los Angeles and New York City. Santulan is a community of artists, creators, & strategists heralding from diverse backgrounds & and abilities (especially of lower equity), driven to well create dope a*s projects.

TERMS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Colonialism: The practice of domination of a people and their land by an imperial nation for economic exploitation.

Environmental justice: A social movement to address environmental racism and injustice through studies showing the unequal distribution of environmental harm and decisions that give marginalized communities agencies over their environments.

Hazardous waste: An umbrella term for discarded chemicals and other wastes from commercial, industrial and institutional activities that harm human health or the environment.

Sacrifice zones: Populated areas where residents are exposed to disproportionately high levels of toxic contamination in the air, water, and soil.

Systemic racism: The oppression of a racial group to the advantage of another, perpetuated by inequity within interconnected systems such as political, economic, and social systems.

White supremacy: The belief that white people constitute a superior race and should therefore dominate society, typically to the exclusion or detriment of other racial and ethnic groups.

Inflation Reduction Act: A legislative package, passed by the Biden administration on August 16, 2022, aims to reduce inflation by making the largest investment in combating climate change in U.S. history, lower prescription drug costs, and raise taxes on corporations. It includes healthcare reforms, tax code adjustments, and funding for clean energy infrastructure.

What does environmental racism actually mean?

The term environmental racism was first coined by civil rights leader, Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. to describe the purposeful placement of waste facilities in communities of color. This has since expanded to include any practice disproportionately affecting individuals or groups based on race, including vulnerability to climate harm.

Environmental racism —an example of systemic racism— stems from the policies that prioritize the health and comfort of white, affluent groups over low-income and nonwhite communities. This form of racism has increased health problems in the affected groups due to the exposure of hazardous waste leading to higher rates of cancer, asthma and other illnesses. It has also heavily disrupted the land-based traditions and economies that have tied humans to their environments for as long as we’ve existed, threatening the sustainability of life on Earth as we know it.

Hazardous waste exposure isn’t the only sign of environmental racism, though some of the most striking examples —such as the Flint water crisis and the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline— tend to involve exposure to pollutants. Environmental racism also stems from land appropriation and resource extraction — you can trace its origins all the way back to the beginning of colonial dynamics (*cough the US existing on stolen land and the Indian Removal Act cough*) But are we surprised? Though you may be more familiar with environmental racism in the United States, the structures that create it operate on a global scale, from the toxin exposure of fast fashion workers to the export of hazardous waste to the Global South.

Environmental racism is all around us and it’s a key part of the climate crisis we are now facing. Understanding how we got here and what these practices look like is essential in the fight for environmental justice, Indigenous land rights and our collective right to health.

High-profile examples of environmental racism

dakota access pipeline

The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) is nearly 1,200 miles long running underground across four states, beginning in North Dakota and ending in Illinois. Despite its path not crossing indigenous lands, the Standing Rock Sioux and the Cheyenne River Sioux tribes vehemently opposed the pipeline, igniting a fierce battle for environmental justice. A crossing of the Missouri River in North Dakota, just north of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation and the last portion to be completed, became the nexus for protest. Indigenous leaders argued that the project risked contamination of their only water supply and that the U.S. government did not follow proper consultation laws regarding the route of DAPL.

In the spring of 2016, protests erupted near the crossing, rallying indigenous peoples from across North America alongside a multitude of supporters. This historic gathering marked the largest assembly of Indigenous Americans in a century, uniting voices in a powerful display of solidarity against environmental injustice. Ultimately, the Trump administration overturned the Obama administration's decision to reroute the pipeline. The Trump administration approved plans by Energy Transfer Partners —the pipeline company— to proceed with drilling under the Missouri River, thereby completing the final section of the pipeline.

Flint, Michigan

Flint —a city plagued with financial issues as its population dwindled— decided to save money in April of 2014 by switching its water source from Detroit to the local Flint River, a former dumping ground for industrial waste. You read that right! Money is way more important than the reproductive, respiratory, and neurological side effects from being exposed to industrial waste IN YOUR DRINKING WATER! Foul-smelling, off-tasting, and murky water flowed into residents’ homes causing skin rashes, hair loss, and itchy skin. The highly corrosive Flint River water was untreated and lead leached out from aging pipes into thousands of homes.

Water samples from 252 homes in Flint showed alarming lead spikes: nearly 17% exceeded the federal action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb) and over 40% measured above 5 ppb. According to research by the National Institutes of Health, no amount of exposure to lead is safe. Furthermore, they found that the effects of lead neurotoxicity are probably permanent and are linked to a heightened risk of criminal behavior, particularly to violent crimes.

The 2010 U.S. Census found that 56.09% of Flint’s residents were Black and about 45% of its residents lived below the poverty line. In 2016, The New York Times wrote, “Environmental decisions are often related to political power. In some cities, garbage incinerators have been built in African-American neighborhoods that do not have the political clout to block them. In Michigan, where blacks are 14 percent of the population and the state government is dominated by Republicans, Flint has little political power.”

Residents complained for months, and the city made the switch back to the Detroit water system in October of 2015. Accountability by the governor of Michigan didn’t come until January of 2016, but thousands of Flint residents are still getting their water from lead pipes.

Hurricane katrina

During a nationally televised benefit concert, the antagonizer now known as Ye declared, “You see a black family, it says, 'They're looting.' You see a white family, it says, 'They're looking for food.' And, you know, it's been five days [waiting for federal help] because most of the people are black.” He said this about the government’s response (or lack thereof) to the suffering and loss of life resulting from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

On Monday, August 29th, the category 5 storm slammed into New Orleans breaking levees and flooding 80% of the city leaving residents without power and drinking water. Conditions were appalling —many were stranded on rooftops, in unsanitary circumstances, and looting was widespread often to get basic needs. On Wednesday, police stopped rescue operations to combat looting and violence. By Friday, the National Guard arrived restoring order and providing necessities. On the following Monday, the Army Corps of Engineers plugged major failures in the levee system and the waters rescinded.

A decade after the storm, approximately 80% of white New Orleans residents believed Louisiana had "mostly recovered," contrasting sharply with nearly 60% of Black residents who felt the opposite. This divergence in perception stemmed from glaring disparities in recovery efforts: less than half of the city's Black residents could return home within a year compared to 70% of white residents.

As author and activist Brandi Collins-Dexter pointed out, “Racial and economic inequality, political corruption, and corporate greed work together to exacerbate environmental calamities.” Put simply, white supremacy enables systemic racism and environmental racism. As the climate worsens, those in power will continue to cause and allow cases of environmental racism to flourish – thus leading Ye to conclude that, “George Bush doesn't care about black people.”

Environmental racism on a global scale:

We may be more familiar with environmental racism closer to home, but the systems that result in unequal exposure to harm are global, and trace back to well before the United States existed.

The father: colonialism

Environmental racism (and a lot of other things) can’t be fully addressed without understanding the first horseman of the apocalypse: colonialism. This practice —domination of a people and their land by an imperial nation for economic exploitation— has shaped the world as we know it. Settler colonialism replaces an existing population with a settler population, typically through forced migration and genocide.

This violently disrupts a people’s relationship with their land, breaking the connections between humans, plants and animals. Countries in the Global South are still heavily affected by centuries of colonialism, and are the most likely to suffer from the long-term consequences of destruction and industrial development, including global warming and extreme weather events.

the son: extraction

A key function of colonialism is the extraction of natural resources and resulting changes in land use. The appropriation of land that had been in sustainable use for thousands of years for agriculture, mining, land drilling and more quickly leads to displacement, poverty and often increased violence.

These extractive industries change the landscape of the lands they occupy, contaminating water sources, destroying natural ecosystems and introducing new toxins to the communities whose labor they exploit.

the holy spirit: export waste

Export waste is the practice of developed countries sending their waste, usually plastic waste deemed “recyclable,” to developing countries that don’t have the infrastructure to process and properly dispose of it. An estimated 250,000 million tons of plastic waste was transported in this way between 1988 and 2021, leaching toxins into the land and water of already-exploited nations.

The practice of global export waste can be seen as a larger-scale version of the policies in the U.S. that place waste facilities and landfills in low-income communities of color. Removing white Western consumers from the impacts of their consumption requires the displacement of waste, often into the communities whose labor is exploited to create those very products.

From factory farming to fast fashion, the cycle of extraction, exploitation and export keeps specific populations poor, sick and disconnected from traditional practices that keep them —and their land— alive.

A Tale of Two Cities: Environmental racism today

The reality of environmental racism is so ingrained in our society that it can sometimes be hard to spot. Those of us living in “progressive,” coastal cities may be even further removed from its impact. But systemic racism is everywhere if you know where to look.

Los angeles:

Los Angeles’ car-centric nature mirrors its most visible cause of environmental racism in the area —black gold aka oil. America's largest urban oil field is Los Angeles, where 580,000 residents reside within a quarter-mile radius of a well. Oil wells dot the landscape, however, the city’s biggest extraction and refining centers disproportionately impact low-income communities and communities of color. Research has connected residential drilling to a range of adverse health outcomes, such as preterm birth, asthma, cancer, and heart issues.

In South Los Angeles, residents are constantly exposed to multiple sources of air pollution due to heavy traffic, manufacturing facilities, active oil wells, and low-flying planes on their way to LAX. This has led to higher rates of asthma and other health issues among the predominantly low-income, Black, and Brown residents.

In 2010, South LA experienced one of the highest rates of asthma-related emergency visits and hospitalizations in the county, while the wealthier and predominantly white Westside boasted the lowest rates for such occurrences. The Inglewood Oil Field sits adjacent to several Black communities, including Baldwin Hills, Ladera Heights, and View Park. For over a decade, concerned residents have expressed worries about the field's potential impact on their health and the local environment. They've reported foul odors emanating from the wells and observed oil seeping through sidewalk cracks in their neighborhoods. The city’s planning and zoning practices have often placed these communities near sources of pollution, such as freeways and industrial sites, leading many to call South LA a sacrifice zone.

Val Verdes, an unincorporated area north of LA, could also be labeled a sacrifice zone. With a small population of 3,261, it is the closest community to the Chiquita Canyon Landfill with Castaic a little farther out. Since May of 2022, garbage has been burning underground caused by a chemical reaction deep within a sealed section of the landfill. Increasing heat and pressure have created volcano-like conditions, triggering eruptions of benzene-contaminated water (a cancer-causing chemical!) and the release of noxious gasses.

In the past year, residents living near the facility have filed over 7,000 complaints regarding foul odors and in February the EPA stated that it poses an imminent danger to nearby communities. 60.6% of Val Verdes' population is Hispanic.

New york city:

Environmental racism in NYC shows up most often as air pollution, lead poisoning and lack of green space. The South Bronx and Southeast Queens are most heavily affected as primarily Black and Brown communities are purposely targeted for placement of pollution sources like major highways, power plants and wastewater treatment facilities. Mott Haven, a neighborhood in the South Bronx, has even been nicknamed “Asthma Alley” because of its high air pollution levels.

The most recent data shows that asthma-related emergency room visits for children in NYC were over six times higher in high-poverty neighborhoods, likely caused by proximity to highways, diesel emissions and other pollutants. Lead exposure is also a clear example; in 2019, 82% of children under the age of six with elevated blood lead levels were Black, Latine or Asian. Lead exposure can delay development and cause seizures, heart damage and other health conditions.

And though New York City is well known for its public parks, their distribution is also unequal. In southeast Queens, only 40% of people live walking distance from a park, compared to over 90% of Manhattan residents. These practices contributed to respiratory conditions that have made Black and Latine residents more vulnerable to the Covid-19 pandemic; the Bronx was an early pandemic epicenter, revealing a pattern of inequitable health burden that can be seen throughout the U.S. and the world.

now what?

climate reparations

Climate reparations are a proposed method to address environmental racism and climate inequality. It stems from the understanding that the communities that are the most vulnerable to climate impacts are the least responsible for it, and calls for countries and corporations (often the descendants of colonial rule) to be held financially accountable.

This process can’t just be symbolic; it would need to involve material investment in impacted communities and new policies to begin to repair centuries of harm. Payments for specific climate disasters doesn’t address the full scale of environmental racism — climate reparations are meant to target both historical and ongoing inequality.

Activism

In September of 2021, Los Angeles County supervisors voted unanimously to phase out oil and gas drilling and to ban new drill sites in unincorporated areas. Sites like the Inglewood Oil Field will shut down —however, a timeline for the supervisors’ plan has yet to be announced. Nevertheless, this shows the importance of voting to elect leaders who represent your beliefs because they can determine your health and well-being.

We need more regulatory action on climate like the Inflation Reduction Act (President Biden signed the landmark $391 billion climate solutions bill in 2022). It’s time to get involved in government and with organizations fighting for environmental justice.

And if you want to take it one step further, look into Andreas Malm, author of How to Blow Up a Pipeline and a professor of human ecology. In his 2021 book —later adapted into a film— Malm contends that sabotage and property damage represent legitimate strategies for addressing fossil fuel consumption, advocating for an intensification of such tactics. Climate change activists have hurled soup at the protective glass in front of the world-famous "Mona Lisa," dyed the water of Rome’s Trevi Fountain black, and have disrupted rush-hour commutes around the world. Climate radicalism is a dire plea by demonstrators that can’t be ignored by those in power.

In the words of Greta Thunberg, “We can no longer save the world by playing by the rules because the rules have to be changed. Everything needs to change, and it has to start today. So, everyone out there, it is now time for civil disobedience. It is time to rebel.”

SOURCES AND ADDITIONAL READING

Learn the Basics of Hazardous Waste from United States Environmental Protection Agency

What is Environmental Racism from NRDC

Disproportionate Exposures in Environmental Justice and Other Populations: The Importance of Outliers from American Journal of Public Health (AJPH)

The Truth Behind Trash from the Environmental Investigation Agency

How Colonialism Spawned and Continues to Exacerbate the Climate Crisis by Anuradha Varanasi for the Columbia Climate School

Colonialism Facts and Information from National Geographic

Export Waste: How it Exacerbates Global Inequalities and is Counterintuitive to the Fight for Climate Action by Naomi for UNICEF

Environmental Justice is Health Equity for Many Children by Jenny Veloz & Julie Kronick for Citizens’ Committee for Children

An ‘urgent’ crisis: City’s study of environmental inequities gains new momentum amid Covid by Danielle Muoio Dunn For Politico

The Bronx Is an Epicenter for Coronavirus and Environmental Injustice by J. Mijin Cha, Marcela Mulholland, and Julian Brave NoiseCat

How radical should you be when you’re trying to save the planet? by Avishay Artsy for Vox