Results for: environmental racism

Elevated benzene levels from INEOS Styrolution’s chemical plant have negatively impacted members of the Aamjiwnaang First Nation, prompting Councillor Janelle Nahmabin to call for the inclusion of Indigenous voices in ongoing global negotiations for a plastics treaty. The First Nation has faced environmental racism and pollution for over a century, with 40% of Canada’s petrochemicals originating from their homelands. As Aamjiwnaang representatives join forces with environmental advocates, they demand active participation in the design and implementation of the treaty, especially in areas of hazardous substance exposure prevention. The temporary shutdown of the chemical plant for maintenance has brought a sense of relief, but concerns remain about communication breakdowns and accountability.

Environmental experts emphasized the need for an equitable transition to clean energy, acknowledging that communities disproportionately affected by pollution should benefit from the transition. The Inflation Reduction Act has allocated funds for equitable transition, and international cooperation is crucial for supporting countries vulnerable to climate change impacts.

Climate change, environmental racism, and economic inequality are pressing issues facing communities across the United States. From shrimpers in the Gulf of Mexico to wildland firefighters in Colorado to residents of Africatown in Alabama, communities are grappling with the impacts of these challenges on their lives and livelihoods.

Climate change and environmental injustices are threatening communities across the United States. From the struggling shrimping industry in Louisiana to the underpaid and overworked wildland firefighters in the West, the impacts are widespread. In Africatown, Alabama, residents face the legacy of slavery and the ongoing reality of environmental racism, while on Sapelo Island, Georgia, slave descendant families struggle to hold onto their ancestral land.