<< Chapter < Page Chapter >> Page >

Why does environmental racism exist? The reason is simple. Those with resources can raise awareness, money, and public attention to ensure that their communities are unsullied. This has led to an inequitable distribution of environmental burdens. Another method of keeping this inequity alive is NIMBY protests. Chemical plants, airports, landfills, and other municipal or corporate projects are often the subject of NIMBY demonstrations. And equally often, the NIMBYists win, and the objectionable project is moved closer to those who have fewer resources to fight it.

Summary

The area of environmental sociology is growing as extreme weather patterns and concerns over climate change increase. Human activity leads to pollution of soil, water, and air, compromising the health of the entire food chain. While everyone is at risk, poor and disadvantaged neighborhoods and nations bear a greater burden of the planet’s pollution, a dynamic known as environmental racism.

Short answer

After reading this section, will you change the way you treat your household waste? Explain.

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

How do you think the issue of e-waste should be dealt with? Should the responsibility fall to the companies that make the products or the consumer who buys them? Would your buying habits be different if you had to pay to recycle old electronics?

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

Can you think of a modern example of the tragedy of the commons, where public use without accountability has created a negative outcome?

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

NIMBY protests occur when concerned citizens band together to speak up against something that will impact them negatively. Is this a positive or negative trend? Give an example of a NIMBY protest and whether you support it or not.

Got questions? Get instant answers now!

Further research

Visit the Cleanups in My Community web site: (External Link) to see where environmental hazards have been identified in your backyard, and what is being done about them.

What is your carbon footprint? Find out using the carbon footprint calculator at (External Link)

Find out more about greening the electronics process by looking at Greenpeace’s guide: (External Link)

References

American Indian Cultural Support. 2006. “Short History of Big Mountain—Black Mesa.” Retrieved January 22, 2012 ( (External Link) ).

Bertolucci, Jeff. 2009. “How Green Is Your Apple?” Macworld , April 22. Retrieved December 14, 2011 ( (External Link) ).

Blanchard, Ben. 2007. “Coke Vows to Reduce Water Used in Drink Production.” Reuters , June 5. Retrieved December 14, 2011 ( (External Link) ).

Bullard, Robert D., Paul Mohai, Robin Saha, and Beverly Wright. 2007. Toxic Wastes and Race at Twenty: 1987–2007 . United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice. Retrieved January 22, 2012 ( (External Link) ).

Bureau of Indian Affairs. 2012. “FAQs.” Retrieved January 22, 2012 ( (External Link) ).

DeKok, David. 1986. Unseen Danger: A Tragedy of People, Government, and the Centralia Mine Fire . Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Environmental Justice Case Studies. 2004. University of Michigan. Retrieved January 22, 2012 ( (External Link) ).

Frosch, Dan. 2009. “Uranium Contamination Haunts Navajo Country.” New York Times , July 27. Retrieved January 22, 2012 ( (External Link) ).

Greenpeace. 2011. “Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics.” November. Retrieved December 13, 2011 ( (External Link) ).

Greepeace. 2012. "Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics." November. Retrieved December 17, 2014 ( (External Link) ).

Hardin, Garrett. 1968. “The Tragedy of the Commons,” Science 162(3859):1243–1248. Retrieved December 10, 2011 ( (External Link) ).

Kamps, Kevin. 2001. “Environmental Racism, Tribal Sovereignty and Nuclear Waste.” Nuclear Information and Resource Service. Retrieved January 22, 2012 ( (External Link) ).

NASA. 2014. “NASA Finds 2013 Sustained Long-Term Climate Warming Trend.” NASA, January 21. Retrieved October 27, 2014(http://www.giss.nasa.gov/research/news/20140121/).

Ogunseitanl, Oladele, Julie M. Stoning, Jean-Daniel M. Sapphires, and Andrew A. Shapiro. 2009. “The Electronics Revolution: From E-Wonderland to E-Wasteland.” Science 326(5953):670–671. Retrieved December 14, 2011 ( (External Link) ).

Papenfuss, Mary. 2011. “Cynical Chinese Taking Own Smog Readings.” Newser , December 8. Retrieved January 23, 2012 ( (External Link) ).

Troilo, Pete. 2012. "Yes, We Can? Obama's Global Climate Change Initiative." International Development . Devex, January 30. Retrieved October 27, 2014 (https://www.devex.com/news/yes-we-can-obama-s-global-climate-change-initiative-77363).

Turneffe Atoll Trust. 2008. “Improper Development: Recommendations of the Turneffe Atoll Coastal Advisory Committee.” Retrieved December 14, 2011 ( (External Link) ).

United States. 2011. “Chemicals Used in Hydraulic Fracturing.” Washington, D.C: U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Energy and Commerce. Retrieved October 29, 2014 (http://democrats.energycommerce.house.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Hydraulic%20Fracturing%20Report%204.18.11.pdf).

Questions & Answers

how to study physic and understand
Ewa Reply
what is conservative force with examples
Moses
what is work
Fredrick Reply
the transfer of energy by a force that causes an object to be displaced; the product of the component of the force in the direction of the displacement and the magnitude of the displacement
AI-Robot
why is it from light to gravity
Esther Reply
difference between model and theory
Esther
Is the ship moving at a constant velocity?
Kamogelo Reply
The full note of modern physics
aluet Reply
introduction to applications of nuclear physics
aluet Reply
the explanation is not in full details
Moses Reply
I need more explanation or all about kinematics
Moses
yes
zephaniah
I need more explanation or all about nuclear physics
aluet
Show that the equal masses particles emarge from collision at right angle by making explicit used of fact that momentum is a vector quantity
Muhammad Reply
yh
Isaac
A wave is described by the function D(x,t)=(1.6cm) sin[(1.2cm^-1(x+6.8cm/st] what are:a.Amplitude b. wavelength c. wave number d. frequency e. period f. velocity of speed.
Majok Reply
what is frontier of physics
Somto Reply
A body is projected upward at an angle 45° 18minutes with the horizontal with an initial speed of 40km per second. In hoe many seconds will the body reach the ground then how far from the point of projection will it strike. At what angle will the horizontal will strike
Gufraan Reply
Suppose hydrogen and oxygen are diffusing through air. A small amount of each is released simultaneously. How much time passes before the hydrogen is 1.00 s ahead of the oxygen? Such differences in arrival times are used as an analytical tool in gas chromatography.
Ezekiel Reply
please explain
Samuel
what's the definition of physics
Mobolaji Reply
what is physics
Nangun Reply
the science concerned with describing the interactions of energy, matter, space, and time; it is especially interested in what fundamental mechanisms underlie every phenomenon
AI-Robot
what is isotopes
Nangun Reply
nuclei having the same Z and different N s
AI-Robot
Got questions? Join the online conversation and get instant answers!
Jobilize.com Reply

Get Jobilize Job Search Mobile App in your pocket Now!

Get it on Google Play Download on the App Store Now




Source:  OpenStax, Introduction to sociology 2e. OpenStax CNX. Jan 20, 2016 Download for free at http://legacy.cnx.org/content/col11762/1.6
Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc.

Notification Switch

Would you like to follow the 'Introduction to sociology 2e' conversation and receive update notifications?

Ask