Environmental Injustices and Solutions

    Environmental Justice is when everybody, no matter what race, color, or gender, is included in environmental laws and policies. The Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) was started around 1992 and helps communities and societies with any environmental issues and brings benefits to those communities. In around 1993-1995 they went more national. Also in 1994, the Environmental Justice Small Grants Program was established. This stuck out to me because it shows that the OEJ was able to build small branches away from their main program and broadcast more of their program all around the world. There are instances where environmental justice is happening around the world - there is even an example in Massachusetts that determines what an Environmental Justice Community is. 

    “In Massachusetts, a community is identified as an Environmental Justice community if any of the            following are true, Block group whose annual median household income is equal to or less than 65         percent of the statewide median ($62,072 in 2010); or 25% or more of the residents identify as a             race other than white, or 25% or more of households have no one over the age of 14 who speaks             English only or very well - English Isolation” 

    This is one example of how environmental justice happens around the world. Environmental justice in Massachusetts depends on the annual income of a community to make things fair among races and status. Unfortunately, there are places in Boston that aren't up to par monetarily in comparison to other places around Massachusetts. There is an environmental injustice that is hurting minorities due to the environmental waste that is put in these communities. However, although there is an environmental injustice in these communities we can still come together and assist with these issues. We should start cleaning up the harbor and taking care of any trash/waste along our beaches and waters. Doing this at a constant rate can help the poorer communities, and assist with the environmental issues we face today.    

    The reason why this matters to our community is that we're in an age where environmental racism and injustice shouldn’t be a thing. We should all live as equals and assist one another with issues we see today. This prolonging fight for equality should not be a thing in 2020 and should be eliminated in any way shape or form.

    ~Kamal T.

Have a Whale of a time!

My time at Carson Beach!

As humans, we have to understand that we are better than Environmental Injustice/Racism

Citation: 

 Environmental Justice Communities in Massachusetts. (n.d.). Retrieved August 02, 2020, from https://www.mass.gov/info-details/environmental-justice-communities-in-massachusetts