Environmental Injustice

Group picture on the Roseway

 Environmental justice is providing all backgrounds and groups of people with equal environmental laws and regulations. It’s providing everyone with an equal quality of space. The thing that stood out to me the most that the OEJ did was that  “EPA issued the Policy on Environmental Justice for Working with Federally Recognized Tribes and Indigenous Peoples”. Indigenous people highly value their land and taking good care of it. To indigenous people their land is everything, so this is a huge act. The flint Michigan water crisis is a great example of environmental injustice. People had been reporting that the water in flint was causing people to become sick, but the reports were being dismissed. It wasn't until residents began doing their own investigation that officials began to get involved. In 2014 flint switched its water supply to the flint river in order to save money. Tests had been performed that indicated that the water was not a good source but because the state was saving money the evidence was ignored. The health of the public was put at risk in order to save money. That's what environmental injustice is all about sacrificing the majority in order to save the minority a few bucks.

Me hugging a tree before work because nature keeps us alive

Take a walk through Roxbury, then take a walk through South Boston. What do you find in South Boston that you don't see much of in Roxbury? Clean streets? Plenty of trash cans? Expensive restaurants? Nicely paved streets? Beautiful parks and places to sit? All of it. In general, South Boston is much nicer than Roxbury. Why is that? Well Roxbury is primarily lower to middle class Latin and Black families. South Boston is primarily rich in whites. It's the sad truth of the world we live in. The rich are taken care of and they are provided with the best water systems, streets, housing, and neighborhoods. The lower class is given whatever is left over, which isn't much. The best I can do to bring awareness is educate others on the topic, but more importantly educate myself. Join nonprofit organizations that are working towards creating change. Find ways to get involved, don't just turn a blind eye. You may be asking why should you care? Why does this matter? Well this is your home and the home of your grandchildren, your children, and your great grandchildren.  People constantly talk about how the older generations have set us up for failure, have lived life selfishly and left us to deal with the consequences. Don't be a hypocrite. Why live selfishly, with blind eyes. Don't let the future generation have to pay for our, make a difference while it's not too late. 

catch you on the flip side,

Vanessa

https://www.nrdc.org/stories/flint-water-crisis-everything-you-need-know