10.7b Environmental Inequality and Justice

The fact that nations who have contributed the least to climate change are disproportionately negatively impacted by climate change is one example of environmental inequality. Environmental inequality emphasizes how groups marginalized by race, class, and other factors face higher risk of harm due to environmental factors (Ryder et al., 2024).

Multiple studies, for example, have found a correlation between exposure to air pollution, race, and class. Exposure to air pollution is associated with respiratory and pulmonary conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (Environmental Protection Agency, 2024a). Black people are the most exposed to air pollution, followed by Latinx and Asian people, as are people in lower-income neighborhoods (Chowkwanyun, 2023). One study focused on exposure to several types of air pollution (agriculture, industrial, heavy-duty vehicles, and so on) and found that people of color were disproportionately exposed to all forms of air pollution (Tessum et al., 2023). Among people of color, Black people were exposed at higher rates (Tessum et al., 2023). Moreover, having more income did not reduce exposure for people of color as it does for White people. Research suggests that polluting industries are more likely to operate near disadvantaged communities (American Lung Association, 2023). As a result, the percentage of people with asthma is higher for Black non-Hispanic people (10.9%) compared to White people (7.6%) (Centers for Disease Control, 2023).

Photo 10.23

Asthma Rates, Race, and Exposure to Air Pollution are Correlated

People of color are also more likely to live near superfund sites, in flood-prone neighborhoods, and in urban heat islands compared to White people (Bullard, 2021). Superfund sites are places with environmental contamination that is so dangerous that people cannot live there. Urban heat islands are hotter areas in urban settings because of the pavement and other surfaces that absorb heat, as well as limited natural areas like trees that provide shade to counteract the heat.

The environmental justice movement involves social movement activists and academics working to address the unequal environmental risks people experience because of racism, classism, and other forms of inequality (Chowkwanyun, 2023). The environmental justice movement began with local grassroots efforts by people of color and low-income people experiencing ecological harm (Bullard, 2021). Environmental justice activists have used the courts to achieve environmental justice goals with mixed results. While they can show unequal health outcomes related to race, class, and exposure to environmental risk, they are typically unable to prove intention on the part of the polluter (Chowkwanyun, 2023).