Whether you like it or not, climate change is connected to almost every aspect of society and life. It is greater than polar bears on shrinking glaciers or even rising surface temperatures. Peoples’ lives are being affected in ways we know, but rarely acknowledge.
This past month, the horrific murder of George Floyd — an unarmed black man — by the hands of Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, has caused massive protests and demonstrations across the nation. However, these murderous actions by Minneapolis cops are far from unique. For hundreds of years, people of color and other minorities have been oppressed, and it is clear that the criminal justice system works against them. African Americans are imprisoned at more than 5 times than their white counterparts. This is no coincidence. The beast of white privilege and supremacy is very much alive today, is far-reaching, and it plays a particularly devastating role in climate issues.
All aspects of the fossil fuel production chain have adverse effects on our health, especially in those communities surrounding the industries’ power-plants, mines, plants, and toxic waste sites. These places are disproportionately near low-income and colored communities, meaning they are being affected by the pollution the most. Indigenous peoples are also being threatened by oil and natural gas pipelines that interrupt nature and pose the threat of dangerous leaks.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People performed a study that showed that about 68 percent of all African Americans live within 30 miles of a coal plant, the effects of which can cause asthma, heart attacks, and many other health problems. Another harmful greenhouse gas, nitrogen dioxide, was found to be 38 percent higher in non-white communities. The gas enters the air from fossil fuel emissions and the exhaust of vehicles. Exposure to nitrogen dioxide can worsen respiratory illnesses and in the long term can contribute to the development of asthma.
For decades, society has known that these fuels have negative effects on health, so the placement of these toxic sites further proves the depth of systemic racism in this country against BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and other minorities. Furthermore, while these communities are hit the hardest with pollution, African Americans only have about 1 percent of energy-related jobs and gain only .01% of the revenue from energy-related industries.
The CDC also states that low-income communities, often of color, around the world are more vulnerable to natural disasters, which are exacerbated by climate change. These same communities are also at high risk of damages from rising sea levels.
These statistics are just the surface. Society’s conscious and unconscious racism has poisoned BIPOC communities and will continue to do so until there is major change. George Floyd’s murder, along with too many others, has laid bare the blatant racism that flows throughout this country, from the police force to the homes of every single citizen, whether we will admit it or not. As Mountain Lakes is a mostly white community, it is imperative that we acknowledge our privilege and strive to be anti-racist. Just because most of us here do not feel or see the injustices of the police and the prison system towards people of color, it does not mean it does not exist or that we can ignore it. To learn more, you can go to one of these resources. Here are some ways you can help and take action!
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