Environmental Justice
2016 was a year filled with a variety of environmental justice issues that were highlighted on a national platform during the presidential race. The environmental justice movement is tied to the social determinants of health concept. The environment that we live in greatly affects our health outcomes. The water we drink, the air we breath, and the house we call home can make us sick, as well as our future generations. In fact, 60% of low socioeconomic status (SES) African Americans live in areas that are situated in close proximity to toxic waste sites. Exposure to such chemicals not only affects their physical health, but also affects their mental health, IQ status, and susceptibility to commit crime. These outcomes are costly to individuals and families, further widening the financial divide between the haves and have nots. This environmental racism perpetuates a cycle that is meant to disempower those of minority backgrounds. Notably, African Americans, regardless of their educational/occupational achievement or SES, will have higher mortality rates than their counterparts of different races.
This is a moral and ethical issue that should be addressed. African Americans in the US have responded to police brutality and continued racism through the "Black Lives Matter" (BLM) movement. According the the BLM website, the movement is "working for the validity of Black life" and is "a call to action and a response to the virulent anti-Black racism that permeates society." The BLM movement and environmental justice movement are tied because they are fighting for the rights of Black lives, especially those who are disadvantaged. However, environmental justice will not be occur until we as a collective community learn to live cleaner, waste-free lives.
Hi Elena,
ReplyDeleteI think the issue of environmental justice is really good to think about for health care professionals and students like us. There are people who don't have a choice to avoid bad environment, which directly impacts on their health. As I mentioned in your "Vulnerable population", I really want to find out deeply what health care professionals can do for this problems. What have they done so far to reduce the problem?
Hello elena,
ReplyDeleteI agree that there is an inextricable tie between environmental and social justice. This is very relevant to the plight of African Americans in the United States. Often times, African American, regardless of their social status, live within environments which have greater risk for exposure to adverse chemicals and toxins. The Black Lives Matter movement, to me, is a sign of a greater issue which encompasses several levels of our society. Tackling racial disparities in environment and health issues is arguably one of the most difficult problems of our time.