Environmental Racism
Communities of color breathe in 40 percent more polluted air than White communities across the US.
They also disproportionately live in higher risk areas and lack resources to cope with the effects of climate change. In 2005, more than 30 percent of black New Orleans residents didn’t own cars when Hurricane Katrina hit — making it almost impossible for them to evacuate.
There is no conversation around sustainability without a conversation about climate justice and environmental racism. As our nation continues to rally around the #blacklivesmatter movement, it’s important to discuss how racism intersects with gender issues, climate issues, LGBTQIA+ issues, socioeconomic issues, and so much more.
There are no accidents in our history - much of this was done intentionally so that those with privilege and power can keep their privilege and power. If we are truly seeking to change things, we must change all things - our entire system needs a complete overhaul.
In this week’s episode of Do What You Can For The People, Sahara James and I get down and dirty on this intersectionality. Join us for a passionate and lively discussion about how we need a total system overhaul on all fronts to create a truly sustainable and equitable world for all.
THINGS MENTIONED
Black Lives Matter HQ: https://blacklivesmatter.com/
Ahmaud Arbery case: https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/17/us/ga-ahmaud-arbery-death-mcmichael-bryan-plead-not-guilty/index.html
Defund the Police: https://www.aclu.org/news/criminal-law-reform/defunding-the-police-will-actually-make-us-safer/
Environmental Racism: http://greenaction.org/what-is-environmental-justice/
Intersectionality: https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/5/20/18542843/intersectionality-conservatism-law-race-gender-discrimination
Integrated bottom line: https://sustainabilitydictionary.com/2006/03/06/integrated-reporting/
Urban Heat Island: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/urban-heat-island/
Doom Scrolling: https://www.wired.com/story/stop-doomscrolling/
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Interview with Elizabeth Yeampierre, co-chair of the Climate Justice Alliance : https://e360.yale.edu/features/unequal-impact-the-deep-links-between-inequality-and-climate-change
Black women and the environmental justice movement: https://www.essence.com/news/black-women-are-leading-the-way-in-environmental-justice/
Climate Analytics article: https://climateanalytics.org/blog/2020/black-lives-matter-the-link-between-climate-change-and-racial-justice/
GET IN TOUCH WITH SAHARA
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahara-james-926a00a3/
Instagram: @cozysahara
Twitter: @SaharaKamali
Email: saharakj.1@gmail.com
BE MY GUEST!
If you or someone you know would like to be featured on the show, please get in touch!