Environmental injustice or racism refers to institutional, government, and/or corporate regulations or policies that result in certain communities being disproportionately exposed to environmental hazards. Environmental injustice is caused by factors such as neglect, the necessity of an area for pollutants in urban areas, and low land values of people of color. Black and low-income communities are disproportionately impacted by polluting industries—specifically hazardous waste facilities—through the negligent regulation of said industries.
Environmental injustice is commonly exhibited in flooding situations. A study published in the journal Nature Climate Change found that flood risk in the United States will likely increase by about 25% within the next three decades and that black communities in the South will be disproportionately affected by this. Currently, floods disproportionately affect communities in Appalachia and the Northeast, where there aren’t many black residents. However, in future decades, the areas with the highest flood risk will shift to areas like Texas, the Gulf Coast, and the Southeast. The study estimates that in areas where at least 20% of the community is black, there will be a 40% increase in flood risk.
In flooding situations more local to Stevens’ area, a different study led researchers to expect that by 2050, more than 25,000 affordable housing units will see coastal flooding once a year, which is up from 7,700 around 20 years ago. The research also found that New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts are expected to have the largest number of at-risk housing.
The study also expects that about half of New Jersey’s “large stock of exposed affordable housing units could flood at least four times per year” by 2050. Atlantic City, Camden, Penns Grove, and Salem are of particular concern for this issue, and are among the poorest areas in the country, with average median household incomes of under $29,000 per year. This is likely because both private and public affordable housing is typically constructed in floodplains where property is cheap and considered to be unsuitable for other development.
Eric Klinenberg, a professor of sociology at NYU and author who writes on climate change and inequality, stated that “class has always determined who lives and who dies in disasters. It was true when the Titanic sank, drowning passengers in steerage while the affluent floated off on safety boats. It’s true in the climate crisis too.”
Flash floods in New York City have also demonstrated environmental injustice, where the effects of Hurricane Ida killed 12 people. Of those lost, 11 died in basement apartments. “In New York City, thousands of poor families live below ground, packed into so-called ‘garden’ apartments that are actually basements, where they are always vulnerable to inundation — and a host of other problems too,” Klinenberg said.
According to a study done by the Pratt Center for Community Development, at least 114,000 New Yorkers live in these ‘garden’ apartments, which are most common in neighborhoods with high immigrant populations.
Though the situation of environmental racism is bleak, there are suggestions and practices on how to combat environmental racism. Reza Marsooli, an engineer and assistant professor who studies flood risk at Stevens, said there should be “more public awareness of climate change and its connection to flooding,” especially in communities that are projected to face disproportionate increases in flood risk.
Environmental justice refers to “cultural norms and values, rules, regulations, behaviors, policies, and decisions to support sustainability, where all people can hold with confidence that their community and natural environment is safe and productive.” Environmental justice is meant to combat the effects of environmental racism through the Environmental Justice Movement.
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