By: Kennedy Weathers
Caused by humanity’s simple existence and technological advancements of humanity, the climate change crisis has intensified throughout the years.[i] The earth has seen intensified weather events such as drought, extreme heat, stronger hurricanes, and the rise of the ocean.[ii] In order to combat the climate change crisis and its impacts, a number of several organizations have appeared throughout the world globally geared toward environmental justice and reversing the crisis.[iii] However, in the United States, while these organizations are working to fix the overall issues caused by the crisis, they have long ignored environmental racism and the its ramifications that it has on the Black community due to the climate change crisis.[ALM1] [iv]
How does one explain this? Well, a report was done by Green 2.0, a group that supports and encourages diversity in environmental organizations, “found that 40 of the top environmental justice organizations in the United States and worldwide” are predominantly white.[v] While some environmental non-profit organizations have made efforts have to increase diversity within their organizations, a sample study found that an average of 6 employees of color were hired between 2017 and 2020.[vi]
Why is this important? Currently, many organizations refuse to address environmental racism in a country where the impacts of climate change are making blaring environmental racism issues even louder.[vii] What are some of these issues? One prominent issue faced by the black community in is water insecurity.[viii] The residents of Flint, Michigan, are a prime example of this water insecurity.[ix] First, it is essential to know that Flint is a city where Black people make up a majority of the population at 54.1%.[x] Their experience with environmental racism began in 2014 when the city government switched its water system to the Flint River from the Detroit water system.[xi] This change accompanied by subpar poor treatment and testing, discolored water, ill tasting water, lead seeping in from outdated pipes caused a variety of various ailments within the community, including skin rashes.[xii] Despite several state of emergencies being declared, an outbreak of Legionnaires, and multiple deaths, the city did not get clean, drinkable water until 2019.[xiii] However, in all of this environmental organizations were not at the forefront of this issue in all of this.[xiv] Nor were government entities who are geared towards environmental protection, like the EPA (who actually dismissed an action brought to them by the people), step in to help.[xv] It took the citizens of Flint in conjunction with the ACLU, and a local group of Pastors were able to make a change.[xvi]
Another issue that the Black community faces due to climate change and environmental racism is extreme heat.[xvii] There is greater susceptibility to extreme heat in Black communities and neighborhoods due to residential segregation.[xviii] Studies have found that low-income neighborhoods, where people of color are the primary residents, are “substantially less likely to have trees.”[xix] These neighborhoods are more likely to experience more extreme heat waves and have their own urban heat islands.[xx] However, similar to the issue in Flint, the people taking on the challenge to rectify this issue are local residents and companies that are no’t centered on environmental justice.[xxi] In fact, Tazo Tea Company, in partnership with a non-profit dedicated to trees, hasve taken on the task of planting trees in lower- income neighborhoods.[xxii]
What does all this mean? Black communities cannot receive environmental justice if the top organizations dedicated to achieving it and reversing the effects of the climate change crisis, are not unwilling to recognize environmental racism or have people within their organizations to address these issues and create a plan to combat it. Mitigating the impacts of climate change can only happen if these organizations are willing to work to aid communities that do no’t just look like their workplace.
[i] See The Causes of Climate Change, Nat’l Aeronautics & Space Admin. , https://climate.nasa.gov/causes (last visited June 20, 2021)/.
[ii] See Climate Change Impacts, Nat’l Oceanic & Atmospheric Admin., (Feb. 1, 2019) https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/climate/climate-change-impacts.
[iii][iii] Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, The White House (Jan. 27, 2021), https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/27/executive-order-on-tackling-the-climate-crisis-at-home-and-abroad/.
[iv] Renee Cho, Why Climate Change is an Environmental Justice Issue, State of the Planet (Sept. 22, 2020), https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2020/09/22/climate-change-environmental-justice/.
[v] Scottie Andrew, The world’s top environmental organizations are still predominantly White, a new report finds, Cable News NetworkCNN (Jan. 19, 2021, 10:33 AM), https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/15/us/environmental-groups-mostly-white-trnd/index.html.
[vi] Id.
[vii] See Id.
[viii] Coty Montag, WATER/COLOR AStudy of Race and the Water Affordability Crisis in America’s Cities, Nat’l Ass’n for the Advancement of Colored People Legal Defense and Educational Funds, Inc. (LDF) https://www.naacpldf.org/wp-content/uploads/Water_Report_FULL_5_31_19_FINAL_OPT.pdf (last visited June 20, 2021).
[ix] Andrew Buncombe, Flint water crisis: Race ‘was factor’ in authorities’ slow and misleading response, says city’s black mayor, INDEPENDENT (May 28, 2018 6:27 PM), https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/flint-water-crisis-michigan-racism-city-mayor-karen-weaver-police-a8369981.html
[x] QuickFacts, United States .S. Census Bureau, (July 1, 2019), https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/flintcitymichigan.
[xi] Melissa Denchak, Flint Water Crisis: Everything You Need to Know, Natural Resources Def. ense Council (Nov. 8, 2018), https://www.nrdc.org/stories/flint-water-crisis-everything-you-need-know.
[xii] Id.
[xiii] Derek Robertson, Flint Has Clean Water Now. Why Won’t People Drink It?, Politico (Dec. 23, 2020, 10:20 AM), https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/12/23/flint-water-crisis-2020-post-coronavirus-america-445459.
[xiv] Denchak, supra note xi.
[xv] Id.Melissa Denchak, Flint Water Crisis: Everything You Need to Know, Natural Resources Defense Council (Nov. 8, 2018), https://www.nrdc.org/stories/flint-water-crisis-everything-you-need-know.
[xvi] Id.
[xvii] Aneesh Patnaik, Jiiahn Son, Alice Feng, Crystal Ade, ACIAL DISPARITIES AND CLIMATE CHANGE, Psci (Aug 15, 2020), https://psci.princeton.edu/tips/2020/8/15/racial-disparities-and-climate-change.
[xviii] See, Rueanna Haynes and & Adelle Thomas, Black Lives Matter: the link between climate change and racial justice, Climate Analytics (June 22, 2020), https://climateanalytics.org/blog/2020/black-lives-matter-the-link-between-climate-change-and-racial-justice/.
[xix] Emily Badger, The Inequality of Urban Tree Cover, Bloomberg: CityLab (May 15, 2013), https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2013-05-15/the-inequality-of-urban-tree-cover.
[xx] Id.
[xxi] Zoé Hamstead, HowWe Can Use Climate Action Planning to Beat the Heat, WE ACT https://www.weact.org/2016/09/climate-action-beat-heat/ (last visited June 20, 2021).
[xxii] Adele Peters, This new tree corps will hire people to plant trees in low-income neighborhoods, Fast Company (Feb. 17, 2021), https://www.fastcompany.com/90603859/this-new-tree-corps-will-hire-people-to-plant-trees-in-low-income-neighborhoods.