people planet
The Human Health and Environment chapter gives background about some of the topics that Kesha Ram spoke about. How are the decision we make affecting people as well as the planet? When only certain communities have access to fresh drinking water, public green spaces, fresh fruit and vegetables, and other communities have more than their fair share of pollution and industrial waste - it's environmental injustice. Have you encountered any examples of this in your life? What thoughts did Kesha's talk stir in you?
posted by UVM Eco-Reps Program Coordinator @ 12:15 PM
19 Comments:
Listening to what Kesha had to say in regards to the environment really made me think about how important it is for people to at least be aware of how what they do effects the environment. It is important to realize that it is impossible for everyone to put the environment at their highest priority but it is possible for everyone to at least be aware. Being aware is the first step towards doing something. Even if you cannot afford to buy green products and organic foods everyone is able to recycle and not litter. It is the small steps that will help make our planet healthier.
Alyssa Iveson
Environmental injustice seems like a difficult issue to solve, from an economic standpoint. Land with environmental hazards already in place (such as proximity to factories and other pollutants)tend to be devalued, and thus individuals lower on the socioeconimic scale can afford to live there. Until non-degraded land becomes affordable to the impoverished, some of them have little choice but to live on environmentally hazardous sites.
On the other side, factories, power plants, etc tend to favor purchasing cheap land for the same reasons: affordability. And it so happens that cheap land is frequently inhabited by economically poor residents. How do you solve an injustice problem that is almost inherent to capitalism?
I think the only two solutions are rather radical: do away with capitalism in favor of a system which equalizes people on an economic scale, or solve all our environmental problems in such a way that we do not use hazardous pesticides, have 100% clean safe energy, and ample water for everyone. But how do we accomplish such lofty goals? Are they accomplishable? And will anything less be enough?
It is at least a step in the right direction to acknowledge the fact that environmental issues are inextricable from socioeconomic issues. Only 20 years ago, most people liked to keep "environment" and entirely different argument from "economics" or "social issues," or any other issue. Now we are coming to realize that the environment is inescapable to anyone living on the planet Earth, and thus ties in to any other issue one can think of.
I have been privileged enough not to experience environmental injustice yet. And, I have yet to see, first hand, environmental injustice. But, Kesha Ram's talk and the course I took this fall (NR-06) really opened my eyes to what environmental justice is, how big a problem it is, and how very little is being done to fix it. Even though I have many other interests in the environmental field, whenever I hear people like Kesha Ram speak or Majora Carter speak, I always get inspired to do something about environmental injustice. It just seems to too few people are working on this huge issue and it is so important that it would be more than worth while to work in the environmental justice field.
I also haven't seen environmental injustice first hand. It is extremely unfair that some people have to live with such horrible conditions just because they cannot afford to move or they cannot get enough political power or attention to help them. One of the important aspects of environmental injustice that others have already talked about is awareness. In one of my classes we had to take a test online that asked us certain questions pertaining to lifestyle, eating habits, traveling, etc. Based on answers the test will tell you how many planets are needed to sustain your lifestyle. Taking that test made me realize that my actions and decisions about the environment affect not only me but everyone on the planet.
Environmental injustice has been an increasingly well-known issue nowadays. And yet, attempts for a solution seem to be minuscule. I find it most heartbreaking to hear personal friends and family members to be equally ignorant of conducting small acts such as simply recycling a plastic bottle rather than arrogantly contributing to landfills.
Also, after reading the Human Health and Environment chapter, the section about cigarette smoking and the non-biodegradable materials of the product irritates me most. It truly is a shame how cigarette smokers inevitably contribute to secondhand smoking, but they also contribute to harming Mother Nature.
The fact that it is a common practice to simply litter the ground with butts is beyond me. How is that possibly acceptable?! I have encountered far too many experiences in my life of seeing such selfish acts of conveniently trashing the streets of New York to the grass fields of campus in Vermont of cigarette butts.
Luckily, public ashtrays have been noticeably appeared nowadays outside bars, restaurants, around campus, etc. Now, the small act of simply discarding cigarette butts properly is at stake.
- Anne Chan.
I really enjoyed Kesha's talk about environmental justice. She really made me question what I value in my life and made me realize that people are in need just as much as the trees. I have seen environmental injustice when I travelled to Zimbabwe. People are in need of basic necessities that we take for granted. Kesha inspired me to look at what is valuable in my life and to work towards change so that injustice can end.
Natalie
Unfortunately I wasn't able to be at the meeting that Kesha spoke at, however I was at an Amnesty International meeting where a professor and a group of students spoke about environmental injustice. The main comment that I took away from it was that we, as a society, are very good at not seeing the damage and waste we produce. Those that suffer directly from our destructive ways are in poverty-stricken neighborhoods and countries. Perhaps if we were forced to see the waste we produce every day we would change.
Alayna Howard
I think one important thing to remember is that we really all have witnessed environmental injustice. We may not have seen the impact of something like our toxic wastes being exported to a poorer country, but we all can be more aware of the environmental differences in this country. Poorer neighborhoods often are closer to highways, factories, and other places of higher pollution. It can be easy to tell the difference between streets, parks, and beaches in a more affluent neighborhoods compared those in less wealthy communities by the amount of litter -those living in poorer communities in the US are exposed to more pollution than those of higher socioeconomic standing. Kesha talked about how just living in LA exposed her and other people to high levels of air pollution.
These issues are really difficult since they do have to do with money and what is affordable. The right to a healthy environment should be affordable to everyone in the US, and hopefully more can be done about making that attainable for everyone.
-Laura D.
I think that those of us looking to live off-campus in the coming years will definitely be exposed to environmental injustice in the form of lead contamination. So many of the buildings in the city are old, and I know people who have actually signed waivers saying that they know that there is lead in the building but if they get sick the landlord won't be at fault. Something that really bothers me on the social/environmental justice issue is the fact that the people who make up a good percentage of our population - the "poor"- are so frequently taken advantage of. The government has the Food Stamps/EBT program, but a family will buy empty calories and processed foods with them rather than something nutrient-rich and filling due to the cost differences. In my mind it's a tragedy that the nation's poor are not only ignored-for the most part-in public policy, they are also falling victim to diet-related diseases, they have higher body burdens of toxic chemicals because they will live where others would not, and they are, and they don't have access to the health services that could help them get better and restore them to health. Everything piles up in this vicious cycle, and I hope that more people like Kesha come together to work to right some of the wrongs in our world.
I am really glad that we have begun to incorporate a more global outlook into the eco-reps program because environmental degradation and human injustices are so inextricably linked. It is simply outrageous how people in developing countries are subjugated by wealthier, western nations (that's not to say that there aren't many impoverished people in our own country). I of course am not free of blame in perpetuating this problem. While addressing this dire situation may seem futile, the Human Health and Environment chapter gives some tips on how remediate such environmental injustices, albeit in small ways.
As Anne was saying, the thing that struck me the most in the segment was the section on cigarette smoking. I've always been against smoking because of health concerns and financial issues, but for some reason I never really considered its impact on the environment until now. It's so crazy that about 1/3 of the world population over 15 smokes! Because of this, 600 million trees are destroyed annually. Regions such as Africa bear the brunt of this: 5% of all deforestation is due to tobacco, and in Malawi, 20%. Furthermore, tobacco cultivation requires lots of chemicals, which in addition to being detrimental to users, can contaminate water sources that are already scarce in many areas of the world. Tobacco is also bad for the soil because it absorbs up to six times as much potassium as other crops, making the soil unusable for life-sustaining food and cash crops. Believe it or not, these are only a few of the reasons why cigarette smoking is so bad for the environment.
I understand that quitting smoking is probably one of the harder things to do, but I believe that at least cutting down on it and being more conscious of where cigarette butts are deposited would make a huge difference. So would spreading awareness of environmental hazards as well as health hazards (for those who say they plan on dying young anyway--well what about the rest of the world who doesn't want to?). There is so much to say about this issue and I really hope that it will become much more important in the future in places such as universities, politics, etc.
Listening to what Kesha said reminded me of the math of social justice class I took last fall. It was a great class and throughout the semester we worked with the vermont food shelf to tabulate data on hunger and food insecurity in vermont. just like environmental justice, social justice can be combated through the public's assistance and general recognition that something needs to change. I think that it would be great for Eco Reps to get involved with some of the work Kesha deals with concerning environmental injustice. If we were to get more involved in the community more people would recognize the issues faces a large percentage of Vermonters as well as people throughout the world.
the most interesting aspect of environmental injustice that Kesha spoke about related to how close to home a lot of these issues are. A lot of the time we think of the injustices that are present in "other" places, a lot of the time developing countries. But when Kesha brought attention to the matter of the lead content in some older Burlington homes and the health impact this has on African immigrants who already have a higher concentration of lead...I just felt so grounded...like I realized I don't even have to leave town to witness a dangerous injustice imposed by human impacts on the environment. It was really an awakening revelation that put me in perspective with my community and put my community in perspective with the rest of the world. I was lucky to get a chance to further discuss such matters with Kesha at her apartment for an interview that I used for a project in an ENVS class.
All decisions we make regarding consumption impact the planet. The use of nuclear energy, treating water, diverting streams to get enough flow to power a hydroelectric dam, etc. When we don't stop to think about the environment, though, we are neglecting to think about people. To date, every human being permanently resides on the earth. When we change the earth, we change mankind's habitat. If we don't consider the world as a communal entity and resource, then we tend to disproportionately affect people through that inconsiderateness.
Even in rural Vermont, I have personally seen instances of environmental injustice. In Richford, Vermont, for example, there is an inactive landfill. While there is no formal program to put waste in it anymore, the waste that was put in there before it was closed is still there. This waste certainly leaches chemicals into the soil, because you just can't stop everything from getting through. People near that area in Richford (which is a relatively bad area (though the town itself is a relatively bad area for Vermont)) have to live next to years-old waste. They would presumably like to move, but haven't. While any number of reasons could account for this, one that is probably most controlling is economic in nature.
Kesha's talk made me think more about environmental justice than I previously had. In fact, I rarely considered it. Throughout her presentation and long afterward, though, I considered the impact man has on the planet. Not just in the academical impact on earth considered alone, but our impact on all of the people living on earth (i.e. all the people. Period.).
Environmental justice is definitely a very serious issues, and as easy as it is to say, it is infinitely more difficult to deal with.
Luckily, my life has not been effected severely from environmental injustice. However, because of that fact, it is an extremely difficult topic to talk and learn about since it effects so many people in so many different ways. Hearing Kesha speak was very interesting, hearing her thoughts on growing up in LA and then studying in Burlington; also hearing about the environmental injustice that she was trying to fix in the North End of Burlington, with there being a high amount of lead paint being used in homes occupied by Sudanese refugees.
Environmental injustice is affected by a seeming infinate number of factors which makes it an overwhelming topic. However, the best thing that we can do is starting with small little things, such as utilizing the techno trash bins and spreading awareness. It can be difficult to avoid all problems that will lead to environmental justice down the road, but by making the best of what we are able to, I hope that a difference can be made.
To reiterate what someone posted earlier, I luckily have never had to suffer environmental injustice first-hand. However, I have seen it everywhere. What first comes to mind is a friend I had in high school, who lived in an unimaginable situation. One of her parents was abusive, and both suffered from delusions of different kinds. They had very little money, and lived in a tiny apartment one of the oldest buildings in my town. My friend didn't find it safe to drink the tap water. The apartment was a short walk from some natural areas. But the family of three was always working when possible, and rarely had time to visit these places. Their meal options were very limited to only the cheapest conventional products.
Going back to Kesha Ram's talk, I remember finding her incredibly inspiring. She's an extreme example of how one can make a difference. The problem of environmental injustice covers a broad range of social issues, and that is why it's so important to address these problems. Raising awareness is the first and most important step.
I thought Kesha's talk was made especially interesting by her own reflections- her stories from growing up in LA and trying to convince others to care about the polar bears. How do you get someone to care about something that you feel is so essential and important when they've got such different values and priorities? I often wonder.
When I hear about Environmental Justice (or Injustice) I can't help but think how interconnected all of these issues are. An environmental problem is not only an ecological one, but it is a social, political, and economic one. I think this is an important one to stress, for many people don't see the connection between this issues, and don't realize that we can't fix one problem without thinking of another. I can't think of a particular experience I've had related to this topic, but it's been one that we've discussed in many of my Environmental Studies classes-as well as this semester in my health seminar. I think it's also important never to forget the privilege and ease with which some people can be environmentalists. It's something that we have the means and resources to prioritize, while many people are scraping by to feed their families. It's essential that the environmental movement become more comprehensive and accessible to the population as a whole.
-Anya Gedrath-Smith
Combined with my knowledge from Kesha's talk as well as my study of environmental justice and injustice in my environmental policy class this semester, it's clear that something needs to be done via government to control the spread of this type of racism.
It is clearly not good to put any type of incinerator or landfill anywhere, so maybe the question should be towards the systems in tact. If there is no "safe" place to put nuclear waste, then why do we have it at all?
I think the biggest uprisings come from people of various sectors coming together to fight instances of environmental injustice. By compiling the powers of those work in the surrounding fields paired with the presence of the land owners are all crucial in offsetting these issues with a strong opposing force.
-Livy Bulger
Growing up, I took a lot of what I had for granted. Clean water always came out of the tap and I could walk down the street and play in the park whenever I wanted. Now that I’m studying the effects of environmental injustice, I’m seeing everything in a new light. It’s sad to know that lower class citizens often get the short end of the stick when it comes to pollution, dumping, and poor land management. The term ”Not In My Back Yard” fits very well with the theme of environmental injustice. Most people rally against the building of landfills and toxic waste dumps near their homes. However, its poorer people that often don’t have the funds or education to prevent these injustices. Sometimes they often get paid to allow the pollution in their environment. It’s sad because most just need the money and are willing to deal with the pollution. The most important topic I think that Kesha Ram spoke about was that these citizens don’t have a voice for themselves. It’s our job, in the situation we’re in, to be their defending voice.
-Cassie McG
This was very interesting because I just watched the movie FRESH. one story was about this man who set up a urban farm in Milwaukee Wisconsin and brings in tour groups and people from the inner city to see the farm and teach them about eating local and healthy and not going to McDonalds. Alot of the people were deeply effected after visiting the farm and wanted to start growing their own food even if it could only be in pots outside their apartments. I am working in an urban farm this summer in philadelphia and this movie really inspired me!
Zoe Hoffman
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