By Devyansh Atharv

ABSTRACT  

This article discusses the phenomenon of environmental racism, the relevance of which has been surging in conversation over the past few years. It discusses the ingrained nature of this racism in public policy and governance, and also looks at how the activism around it has developed. The Flint water crisis is the primary case study I have looked into – an apt example of how segregationist policies play out in the real world. Through the lens of Critical Race Theory (CRT), I have drawn connections between historical segregationist practices and contemporary environmental injustices, underscoring the urgent need for structural reform to ensure equitable access to clean and safe environments for all communities.

INTRODUCTION

The word environment often evokes an unbiased, expansive and all-encompassing notion, because something that exists all around us, should naturally affect all of us equally. This is, however, far from the truth. Even in the most developed countries, communities that face differential treatment, exploitation, and racism in sectors of education, employment, and several other fields we’re aware of, also bear the brunt of environmental hazards. These problems also come through policies and practices that intentionally expose people of colour or people of low socioeconomic status to the vulnerable and disease-ridden quality of life that accompanies environmental pollution. This article delves into how systemic racial and economic inequalities dictate and exacerbate the exposure of communities to environmental hazards, and also analyses the Flint water crisis as a case study to understand how these dynamics manifest in even the most developed countries. 

CONTEXT

Benjamin Chavis was an African American civil rights leader who had first coined the term ‘environmental racism’ in 1982, referring to the systematic and bureaucratic racism in policy making which exposes disadvantaged communities to toxic waste and pollutants, and also suppresses any outcry for justice from these groups. Analyzing demographic charts clearly brings to light how the very geographical distribution of different communities already places them in close vicinity to environmental hazards and pollutants. For instance, the US General Accounting Office published a report in 1982, where they found that three-fourth of the communities living close to toxic landfills were predominantly black. In another instance, the US Public Health Service undertook a massive human medical experiment from 1951-1971 which was grossly unethical, where they allowed 4,000 Navajo uranium miners to work without informing them of the impairing and fatal effects of the radiation. Although the USA is abound with examples of environmental racism, this is a phenomenon that is global and affects all of us. In 2017, 44 million tonnes of e-waste were produced globally, and nearly 80% of it was transported to Asia – and this is a recurrent pattern that happens every year for all sorts of waste. The immediate reason for this is the lower recycling and labour costs in third-world countries, the consequent injustices which go unseen because of weak enforcement of international laws, global power dynamics, and the sheer economic vulnerability of developing and underdeveloped nations.
The activism around environmental racism sprang up around several areas of the USA, but it only took shape on a national-level with the Warren County, North Carolina protests of 1982. Residents took to the streets to protest against their community being chosen as the site to construct a waste landfill that would store soil that was contaminated with PCB (Polychlorinated Biphenyls) – a carcinogenic compound that can hamper the immune, reproductive and nervous systems. Their concerns were accommodated into broader civil rights movements pioneered by veterans including Dr. Chavis, and several nonviolent protests and marches of considerable magnitude were conducted for the next few weeks. Although the protests were ultimately unsuccessful, they set the stage for environmental racism being recognized as a problem within civil rights, labour rights, indigenous rights, and more. It also resulted in scholars researching about the disproportionate health hazards faced by communities of colour, and the landmark report titled Toxic Wastes and Race in the United States was published in 1987 by the United Church of Christ’s Commission for Racial Justice, which brought to light the gaping injustices of environmental racism.

THE FLINT WATER CRISIS: A CASE STUDY

Since 2014, the city of Flint, in Michigan has grappled with a public health disaster in the form of its water crisis, and it is a stark illustration of how environmental racism continues to shape the lives of marginalised communities even in the most developed nations. Flint’s problems started when the city officials, in a move to save $200 million in the subsequent quarter-decade, decided to switch the water supply from the Detroit Water and Sewage Department, to the Flint river’s waters. At this stage, the state attempted to quell initial concerns about the quality of water by publishing numerous statements, which ‘dispelled’ the myth regarding the safety of the water and ensured to all residents that the water has been through numerous tests and studies, and is fit for use. However, they could not turn away from the problem anymore once Flint residents started to complain about the foul smell and colour of the water, as well as rashes and hair loss after coming in contact with it. This sounded the alarm for independent researchers at Virginia Tech to test the water, and found glaring water lead levels which far exceeded state-permitted limits. Amongst various other impacted citizens, this also led to the 9,000 children in Flint being exposed to lead contaminated water. Lead is a potent neurotoxin and its effects are exacerbated in children, leading to life-long harm on intelligence, behaviour and biological processes. Other harms, including some which were a side-effect of the city’s misdirected disinfecting measures, led to several more cases of poisoning, pneumonia, sickness and even death. 

The extent of the damage begs the question – why was nothing done about it for so long? The painful answer to this is systemic racism. Flint has a majority Black or African American population, and over a third of its citizens are below the poverty line. Low-income neighbourhoods of colour were obviously easier to suppress and give excuses to, when they protested against the visible toxicity of the water. In fact, a government spokesman even tried to shift the blame on the citizens’ usage of lead pipes in their home. Leaders in the area who had risen to power by giving false assurances of accountability to the community were all too comfortable dismissing the public’s concerns. The lack of political power possessed by local African-Americans was also palpable as they had virtually no way of bringing their problems to light. Geographer Laura Pulido describes Flint’s problems as an intersection of environmental racism and racial capitalism, which effectively makes the people so devalued, that they are subordinate and are collateral to the state’s inhuman neoliberal practices. This concept of a “surplus” population – a majority non white demographic that is deemed incapable of contributing to society – is used to minimise resources spent on the well-being of these people and exposes them to disasters like these. For all these reasons it is probably more fitting to use the word ‘poisoning’ instead of ‘contamination’ to refer to Flint’s water crisis.

THE CRITICAL RACE THEORY – AND ITS EXTENSION TO ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM

The series of disasters in Flint is undeniable evidence of how racism intertwined with reckless capitalism often puts minority communities at risk of harm from environmental hazards. The systemic racism in handling the issue was also evident, and it is better explained if we look at the Critical Race Theory (CRT). CRT, which has come under fire by conservatives, is a way of understanding how American racism has shaped public policy. It is all the more relevant for this article to shape our understanding of the several racial barriers that prevented the helpless residents of Flint from getting any form of assistance. It essentially talks about how racism is more than just individual bias, and it is in fact deeply ingrained in state policies, law and culture. Extending its claims to the phenomenon of environmental racism gives us the very issue that was painfully evident throughout the Flint water crisis – communities of low-income with coloured populations are purposely exposed to polluted landscapes and are stripped of any recourse to justice. Even historically, zoning regulations and redlining practices are instruments of racism disguised as public policies which strategically place African-American and Latino communities in areas with higher levels of pollution. For instance, cities like Los Angeles have regulations which restrict several strips of neighbourhoods to only single-family houses. While this does not explicitly prevent people of colour from buying these houses, it is much harder for them because they lack the generational wealth to do so, in contrast to the white population. This pushes them into areas that are affordable, but are often in close vicinity to factories, or are at a greater risk of damage arising from natural disasters. There are further disparities in infrastructure and insurance mechanisms that these minorities can avail, which further pushes them into a place of permanent disadvantage. Being uncritical of the role that race plays in social context makes us blind to the systemic racism that pervades all forms of policy making which increases the burden faced by socioeconomic minorities.

Conclusion

The theme is painfully common – progress is for all but the problems that come with it, are to be borne by the disadvantaged few. It has only become common in the recent few decades, as disadvantaged communities have started to notice how they are denied their right to representation, and thereby being voiceless when they face the worst effects of environmental disasters. Although the phenomenon of environmental racism is illustrated well by the crisis in Flint, it does not do justice to this study to limit ourselves to just one instance. Cancer Alley in Louisiana, Navajo uranium mining, Bhopal gas tragedy in India – the list goes on and will probably include several more disasters, as investigation will likely expose lapses in policy-making and disaster management which disproportionately harm weaker sections of society. States are far too comfortable prioritising cost-saving measures over the health and welfare of their minorities, and active resistance to this form of systemic racism has only started developing.

While solutions of increasing representation are as important as they are obvious, it is also important to firstly acknowledge the subtle discrimination that has crept into policymaking and administration, and that it is a very real phenomenon which brings about very real problems for the minority stakeholders. Strengthening accountability mechanisms from local bodies all the way to government ministries and institutions is a non-negotiable change, so that people are not robbed of their right to voice their complaints. The lessons from the Flint crisis serve as agonising reminders of how disenfranchising certain weaker sections of society exposes them to genuine physical and medical risks, arising from environmental disasters, toxic pollution and so on. It is only after confronting the existence of this evil, that we can work towards minimising it and consequently produce a habitat that is safe, sustainable and equitable for all its citizens, irrespective of their position in society.

About the Author

Devyansh Atharv is a second-year law student at Jindal Global Law School, pursuing his B.A. LL.B. (Hons) degree. His area of academic interest revolves around environmental law, legal frameworks to mitigate social inequality, and international relations.

Source:https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/07/what-is-environmental-racism-pollution-covid-systemic/