The Relationship between Environmental Conflict and Socioeconomic Status

One of the most prevalent legal issues today is that of environmental justice. Environmental justice is defined by the U.S. Environmental Justice Act of 2008 as “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all races, cultures, and incomes with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies.” [1] This means that no race can be discriminated against when it comes to important environmental decisions, such as where to dispose of toxic waste, industrial site placement and other politically-charged environmental dilemmas. Although this law is in place, there has been an incredible amount of data showing the relationship between low-income, minority communities and degraded environmental quality. The issue became so prevalent that Bill Clinton issued executive order 12898 in 1994 demanding that the Environmental Protection Agency addresses racial and minority inequality. However, despite the fact that this executive order was issued twenty years ago, many environmental justice issues remain the same.

In 2005, a study conducted by the EPA revealed that there is a correlation between minority status and exposure to dangerous levels of air pollution and other environmental hazards. Additionally, more EPA research proved that African Americans are 79% more likely than whites to live in areas with poor air quality.[2] Unfortunately, the growing body of research suggests that this is more than a coincidence.  I would like to expand this scenario to encompass developing nations around the world.  Just as environmental issues disproportionately affect minority and low-income communities in the United States, the consequences of environmental degradation will adversely affect poor, disadvantaged populations worldwide.

            A prime example of the exigent nature of global warming is seen in the Maldives. The Maldives is the world’s most low-lying country, a 1000kn-long nation made up of a series of 1,200 islands. Even more interesting, the archipelago is not made up of sand or rock, but of coral reefs. The nation has built itself on top of the world’s most endangered ecosystem, and the effects of human activity are already beginning to become evident. Ocean acidification and rising sea levels are starting to kill the coral reefs. The nation’s main industry is tourism, but it is an industry that is having even more devastating environmental impacts. “The inevitable tension between raising incomes in a relatively poor nation and over-exploiting the natural source of the wealth is creating a paradox in paradise.”[3] Little global action has been taken to support the Maldives; little is even known about the plight of the drowning nation.

            The World Health Organization has acknowledged that environmental degradation will disproportionately affect developing nations. “The resulting impacts [of climate change] are estimated to cause about 25% of death and disease globally, reaching nearly 35% in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa.”[4] The report goes on to attribute much of the imminent environmental issues to a few key sources such as poor water quality, availability, sanitation, vector-borne diseases, poor ambient and indoor air quality, toxic substances and global environmental change. Additionally, the WHO predicts that over “the next 30 years, most of the world’s population growth will occur in the urban areas of poor countries.” The burgeoning population in conjunction with unsustainable urban development will lead to significant environmental quality degradation and health hazards.

            The Environmental Protection Agency has also acknowledged that climate change is threatening the livelihood of several “indigenous groups in various regions – such as Latin and South America, Europe and Africa…”[5] The agency also notes that women in these developing nations are especially vulnerable, as “the ratio o women (to the total population) affected or killed by climate-related disasters is already higher in some developing countries than in developed countries.” The EPA has acknowledged that Africa is “one of the most vulnerable continents to climate variablility” due to existing stressors such as poverty, political conflicts and ecosystem degradation. They predict that “by 2050, between 350 million and 600 million people are projected to experience increased water stress due to climate change”. Sea level rise will adversely affect coastal populations, and vector-borne diseases will become much more prevalent.

            Although many communities in North America and Western Europe have yet to experience the consequences of global warming, it is already poised to negatively impact the developing world. These repercussions will be serious, and will disproportionately affect impoverished communities. Climate change is an injustice to all disadvantaged populations worldwide.

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[1] Senate, Committee on Environment and Public Works. (2008). Environmental justice act of 2008 (110 S. 642). Retrieved from website: http://congressional.proquest.com/congressional/result/congressional/pqpdocumentview?accountid=14696&groupid=95582&pgId=a3a4e224-3f19-4672-87d9-803f189b892f&rsId=1448FD4A624

[2] 11 facts about environmental racism. DoSomething. Retrieved from https://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-environmental-racism

[3] Carrington, D. (2013, September 26). The Maldives is the extreme test case for climate change action. Retrieved November 11, 2014, from http://www.theguardian.com/environment/damian-carrington-blog/2013/sep/26/maldives-test-case-climate-change-action

[4] Environment and health in developing countries. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2014, from http://www.who.int/heli/risks/ehindevcoun/en/

[5] International Impacts & Adaptation. (2013, September 9). Retrieved November 11, 2014.