(C) Common Dreams
This story was originally published by Common Dreams and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .



Racial Disparities and Climate Change — PSCI [1]

[]

Date: 2020-08-15

2. How are people of color disproportionately affected?

Air Quality

Annually, the United States Oil and Gas Industry releases about 9 million tons of methane gas and other toxic chemicals into the atmosphere. African American and low-income communities are disproportionately affected by air pollution in the United States. For example, more than one million African Americans live within a half-mile of natural gas facilities, over one million African Americans face a “cancer risk above EPA’s level of concern” due to unclean air, and more than 6.7 million African Americans live in the 91 US counties with oil refineries. In total, African Americans are 75% more likely than White people to live in “fence-line” communities (areas near commercial facilities that produce noise, odor, traffic, or emissions that directly affect the population). Additionally, exposure to poor air quality can cause numerous health problems such as asthma. Approximately 13.4% of African American children suffer from asthma as compared to only 7.3% of White children.

Government response to concerns over air quality is also vastly different between communities of different races and ethnicities. From October 2015 to February 2016, the affluent, suburban Los Angeles neighborhood of Porter Ranch experienced the worst reported methane leak in the United States.” Porter Ranch is a predominantly White neighborhood with house prices in the $400,000 range and above. Shortly after the leak, a state of emergency was declared and over 4,000 homes were evacuated. Additionally, the city of Los Angeles ordered the gas company to provide temporary housing for the evacuated individuals. On the other hand, Jefferson Park, a neighborhood in south Los Angeles, is located near an oil drilling site and contains a population that is over 90% African American or Latinx. “The AllenCo drilling site in Jefferson Park...was finally closed in 2013” after EPA officials became sick after investigating the site. However, since the site's opening in 2010 up until its closing, 251 complaints have been filed to the South Coast Air Quality Management by community members. In response, only 15 citations were filed by the agency against AllenCo.

Ocean Acidification

Ocean acidification occurs when the natural pH of ocean water is lowered due to increased CO2 levels. The ocean absorbs about 30% of CO2 released into the atmosphere. These molecules then undergo a series of chemical reactions that release a surplus of hydrogen ions, which lowers the pH of the water. Ocean acidification affects natural plant and animal life which can negatively impact humans who rely on the ocean for food, economic, and other purposes. For example, oysters, clams, and scallops accounted for nearly $400 million in the United States, and an increase in ocean acidification can cost the industry nearly $480 million.

These risks are amplified in communities such as coastal Native American tribes, whose diet and economy rely on seafood. For example, the Quinault tribe of Washington own the Quinault Pride Seafood, Land, and Timber Enterprises. The tribe has detailed accounts of an increased number of dead fish washing ashore due to low oxygen levels in the rivers.

Additionally, tourism and hunting in the Arctic are large contributors to the economy and greatly help indigenous communities. The sportfishing industry is affected by ocean acidification, which causes a decline in revenue for indigenous populations.

Natural Disasters

One of the most noticeable effects of climate change is the occurrence of natural disasters. As global temperatures rise, more water vapor is stored in the atmosphere, resulting in more rain and powerful storms. Warmer air, another factor of rising temperatures, also causes faster wind speeds during tropical storms. After a natural disaster hits a community, government aid is typically sent to the area to rebuild infrastructure and restore the city. However, the dispersal of aid is one way in which minorities and low-income communities are hurt by natural disasters.

In a study done by Rice University and the University of Pittsburgh, it was found that white counties saw an increase in average wealth after natural disasters while predominantly minority counties saw a wealth decrease. The study notes that white communities saw higher levels of reinvestment in their communities after natural disasters in comparison to their minority counterparts.

Additionally, it was found that white families in communities with significant damage from natural disasters saw an increase in wealth due to generous reinvestment initiatives. However, minority families in communities with similar damage from natural disasters saw a smaller increase in wealth or they actually saw a decrease in wealth. White families living in areas with about $100,000 in damage saw a wealth increase of about $26,000. White families living in areas with about $10 billion in damages saw a wealth increase of nearly $126,000. Conversely, black families living in areas with about $100,000 in damages saw a wealth increase of $19,000. Black families living in areas with about $10 billion saw a wealth decrease of about $27,000.

Furthermore, low-income Americans are more likely to suffer from the consequences of tropical storms due to inadequate infrastructure and lack of proper insurance. Low-income and minority populations are also more likely to live near industrial facilities and are therefore at a higher risk for chemical spills and toxic leaks resulting from tropical storms. For example, 60% of African Americans in Baltimore live within one mile of a Toxic Release Industry, and 70% percent of African Americans live within two to four miles of one.

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://psci.princeton.edu/tips/2020/8/15/racial-disparities-and-climate-change

Published and (C) by Common Dreams
Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 3.0..

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/commondreams/

You are viewing proxied material from magical.fish. The copyright of proxied material belongs to its original authors. Any comments or complaints in relation to proxied material should be directed to the original authors of the content concerned. Please see the disclaimer for more details.