Folks --- We ALL are facing environmental issues as inhabitants of this planet: air pollution, water contamination, soil degradation, climate change, etc. However, not EVERYONE experiences environmental injustice. We know from (bubblews/news/877147-consumption-kills) that over-consumption IS a human right issue. &We know from (bubblews/news/911185-environmental-racism-consumption-kills-part-3) that certain people are targeted to maximize industry profits. So, let me remind you who these people are. The Latino, Asian and people of color communities (that are historically urban and less affluent) or less developed countries pay the ultimate price so our industrialized nation does not have to burden the environmental costs of contamination. WE bear the most environmental risks of destruction of our land through desertification, contamination of air, water and soil, etc. WE are being subjected to these environmental burdens. WE are paying the costs of our health and community pride by forced exposure to coal plants, waste facilities, fossil fuel extraction, landfills & other means of waste disposal and so on. WE are underrepresented, We are the directly impacted and marginalized community. So why am I once again reminding us all of the social-environ impacts of overconsumption? Environmental racism is not a thing of the past, it is in the NOW. A more formal definition would be "persons subject to any government, institutional, or industry action, or failure to act, that has a negative environmental impact which disproportionately harms individuals, groups, or communities based on race or color." There is an URGENCY to be informed on the social and environmental injustices of our system so that WE can be EMPOWERED to make just and educated decisions (and organized actions) - TOGETHER!
Posted on: Mon, 30 Sep 2013 04:40:11 +0000