I first learned about this term in my AP Environmental Science class just this year. With the disproportionate effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the renewed momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement, pollution burden has become a lot more prevalent of a subject that still not many people seem to know about.
What is pollution burden and why is it a problem?
Pollution burden is when an individual or group experiences the effects of more pollution than they produce. The opposite of this is known as pollution advantage, where less pollution is experienced than is produced. According to an article from NPR, “whites experience about 17 percent less air pollution than they produce, through consumption, while blacks [sic] and Hispanics bear 56 and 63 percent more air pollution”.
Therefore, most white individuals have the pollution advantage whereas most Black and Hispanic individuals have the pollution burden.
The effects of air pollution cause many health problems including asthma, heart disease, lung cancer, and other illnesses. With the spread of COVID-19 and worsening climate, the people with pollution burden are at a greater risk of these related illnesses and death.
Why are the effects of air pollution so disproportionate?
The main reason is housing discrimination. Lower-income households face more exposure to various pollutants, and many of the residents of these households are Black or Hispanic. This is likely due to redlining, an act of discrimination which prevented many families from receiving mortgages or loans for houses simply based on their race. Although redlining is banned today, its effects are still present in many forms, including pollution burden.
So what can we do to stop pollution burden?
One thing to do is to reduce the amount of pollution we produce, which can be done in many ways suggested by this website https://courses.lumenlearning.com/sanjac-earthscience/chapter/reducing-air-pollution/ , such as using public transportation and improving energy efficiency of household appliances.
Another action to take is to speak out against racial discrimination by attending protests, talking to local government officials, signing petitions, and donating to organizations that support the cause. Here are some organizations to donate to relating to housing and/or discrimination: https://www.greenamerica.org/climate-justice-all/black-lives-matter-changing-climate https://www.brightfunds.org/funds/fighting-racism-and-discrimination-fund https://nlihc.org/donate
Sources: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/03/11/702348935/study-finds-racial-gap-between-who-causes-air-pollution-and-who-breathes-it https://www.who.int/airpollution/ambient/health-impacts/en/
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.calhealthreport.org/2019/02/08/people-of-color-and-the-po or-disproportionately-exposed-to-air-pollution-study-finds/amp/ https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/redlining-what-is-history-mike-blo omberg-comments/ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_pollution
Comments