Everyone is going to be affected in some way by big, global issues like climate change (or coronavirus for that matter). But some folks are going to feel the hurt more than others. In some cases, it’s because they happen to live in harder-hit areas, like where a hurricane makes landfall or a wildfire rages. In others, it’s because people have access to fewer resources that would help them recover from such an event. Many people in that second category belong to demographic and economic sub-groups that make them especially vulnerable if disaster strikes. Some of those demographic factors, like age, race, and gender, aren’t under people’s control. And studying the history of a certain community or group can reveal that they have suffered unfair treatment that is often rooted in biased policies or attitudes. For example, we know that poorer areas and communities of color are likely to suffer the worst consequences of climate change, even though they tend to be responsible for emitting fewer greenhouse gases than wealthier and less-diverse populations. And it’s often not just the consequences that affect these communities. They also are much more likely to live around the sources of pollution responsible for warming, like highways, refineries, and other industrial sites. How do we make things more equitable when it comes to issues like pollution? That question is at the heart of what’s known as “the environmental justice movement.” To view the full article visit Grist.
