Alexandra Bily

Sociology 101
Environmental Racism

In the United States today many would be familiar with the on going
environmental issues in the world and many would be familiar with the on going issue
of racism, but not many would be familiar with both of those issues together.
Environmental racism is the issue of poorly maintained or polluted areas of the
environment that is in or surrounded by highly populated areas of minorities. A large
percent of minorities live in polluted environments or unkempt urban cities that are
neglected for upkeep due to the fact that they are not treated equally. The effects of
having both issues coincide result in hazardous living spaces for families and
communities and also impede the process of improving the environment.
The examples of environmental racism can be largely observed during times of
natural disasters such as hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, and tornados. A very good
example would be the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when the natural disaster
ended the shambled remains of Louisiana was left. People observed that much of the
states areas that housed blacks had been completely wiped out due to the old and run
down levies that help control flooded waters. Compared to the white people populated
neighborhoods, whose government had provided maintenance for the levies, black
communities had virtually no community to return back to and were given slow
responses to help rebuild what had not been destroyed (Hardisty). Another example of
whites being given extra attention compared to minorities is the response to the
earthquake in Northridge California. In Northridge where the majority of the population is
white, the rebuilding of the city was done so to best prevent future damage if another

earthquake were to hit again. This kind of precaution and effort was not seen in New
Orleans where the rebuilding of the communities structures were kept in the same
fashion it had been built before, giving the appearance that the city would not be ready
to next time a natural disaster had hit again (Pastor).
A big issue with environmental racism is not only is there prevalent segregation
occurring but peoples health is also being compromised. Much of the current
environmental racism is taken place in the outskirts of densely populated areas such as
New York, Chicago, and New Orleans. The Southern Bronx borough in New York,
surrounded by the most green land around reports of having the highest rate of lung
related issues around. This poverty stricken borough battles the mayor head on by
protesting against the construction of a new online food distributing company
FreshDirect to be built near their community alongside already polluting companies
such as the Organic Fertilization Complex and Browning Ferris Industries Medical
Waste Incinerator. Waste produced from the many shipping trucks and diesel engines
have contaminate the air surrounding this community and has resulted in dozens of
cases of asthma and lung cancers. Parents are fearful that the contamination of the air
harms their families to such a degree that is causes defects in learning (Sultana). In
North Carolina an industrialized pig farm causes health issues to low income families of
color when contaminated sources of water said to contain nitrates cause symptoms of
blue baby syndrome. Blue baby syndrome is the decreased or cessation of production
of hemoglobin in the blood, resulting in low oxygen levels that often turns the babies
blue before their death (Environment).

Not only do humans in the community suffer from this segregation in the
environment, but so does the actual air, water, soil, and animal life suffer from all the
negligence in pollution. It should not come as a surprise that the leading element on
Earth that is being affected by pollution is the air. Air is constantly being bombarded with
contaminants from automobiles, factories, mines, farms, and common household items
such as lighters, cigarettes, and hairspray. These harmful chemicals being released into
the air become apart of the urban environments and cause infections in peoples
respiratory systems. The chemicals in the air such as methane and chlorofluorocarbons
also break down our precious ozone layer and leaves us to be subject to vicious and
harmful UV rays from the Sun (Air Pollution). While the cries of our community member
can be heard, the voices of plants and animals more often than not falls on deaf ears.
Contamination with the soil through harmful pesticides or even industrial waste
disposed the wrong way changes the ph balance of the soil content causing plants to
either not grow or grow with a certain genes mutated altering the way it may be
digested. These mutated plants when ingested can cause harmful effects many leading
to various cancers. Marine life can be the best example of the effects of pollution.
Thousands of birds and fish are found washed up on the shores with bands of plastic or
metal wires around their bodies. An example of environmental negligence are the
constant dumping of waste into the seas from cruise ships where more than 250,000
gallons of harmful acids and waste products are dumped into the oceans yearly (Greer).
Through the paradigm of a Functionalist perspective, environmental racism
would be something that would be inhibiting the progress and the stability of the whole.
In sociology a functionalist views society as almost a machine that functions together

as one, with each cog equal in importance and offers as much effort to support other
parts of the machine as each does. In environmental racism there is no example of
each part working together equally to each obtain the same goal but rather you see one
group suppressing another group. Through a functionalists perspective they would
comment on the very struggles that low income people of color must go through in order
to have a voice and suggest that they very struggle this person is emitting is adding to
the need of comradery. In a society where people challenge each others struggles, a
functionalist would see those challenges as the pieces of society trying to find a balance
between each member, to share equal work in providing a safe and stable environment.
Environmental racism has not gone unnoticed and has begun making steps to
change what our society calls normal. When it comes to getting people more aware,
recently over the last few year that President Obama has been in office, the government
has turned to the Environmental Justice (EJ) services for action. Since then the EJ has
been able to establish the Clean Power Plan (CPP) to help eliminate environmental
racism and bring relief to those communities already being affected by pollution and
neglect. The CPPs main focus is to provide cleaner air to the communities and to see
the decline of respiratory related issues occur in children (White-Newsome). Also with
the advancement of technology there are more and more alternative ways of
transportation, animal habitats are slowly being able to increase in populations.
Programs in school and on media are now bringing awareness to the importance of
remaining green and environmentally conscious to help maintain the balance on earth
of the plant and animal life.

Environmental racism is said to have been created as a result of poverty and

segregation, though years have passed since the abolishment of slavery and Jim Crow
laws it seems that subordination still is a consistent issue. There be a huge effort to
prevent the continuation of polluting the earth, but by co existing with each other and
living equally will there finally be a breakthrough in society.

Work cited page

"Air Pollution Facts, Air Pollution Effects, Air Pollution Solutions, Air Pollution Causes - National
Geographic." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Aug. 2016.
"Environmental Racism." Food Empowerment Project. N.p., 2016. Web. 06 Aug. 2016.

Greer, Abigail. "5 Ways Water Pollution Is Killing Animals." 5 Ways Water Pollution Is Killing Animals.
N.p., 3 Apr. 2014. Web. 07 Aug. 2016.
Hardisty, Jean. "Hurricane Katrina and Structural Racism: A Letter to White People." Jean Hardisty.
N.p., Oct. 2005. Web. 06 Aug. 2016
Pastor, Manual, Robert Bullard, James K. Boyce, and Alice Fothergill. "Environment, Disaster, and
Race After Katrina." Reimagine. Movements Making Media, 2006. Web.
Sultana, Sabrina. "It's Harder to Breathe with White Privilege in the Air." The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, 2 June 2016. Web. 06 Aug. 2016.
White-Newsome, Jalonne L. "Heres How Environmental Justice Advocates Improved Obamas
Clean Power Plan." Grist. N.p., 13 Aug. 2015. Web. 6 Aug. 2016.