Racism is the belief the certain members of certain races do poses abilities or characteristics that are specific to that race especially to distinguish them as superior or inferior to other races or race. It can also be discrimination, antagonism or prejudice that is directed against individuals of certain races centered on the conviction that ones race is superior. Classism is favor of or prejudices against persons that belong to a certain social class. Racism and classism have both contributed to an upsurge of an environmental crisis (Eze et al., 385). Due to this, chemical factories and toxic dumps have been constructed and some relocated to poor neighborhoods. The essay, therefore, seeks to illustrate how racism and classism have contributed to emergence environmental crisis.
Each and every individual in the whole universe is in danger due to environmental degradation. Certain population, however, will continue to be more heavily impacted than others. In frontline nations, people have suffered more due to racism and classism as they have been devastated by genocide, imperialism and colonialism. Such nations have heavily been impacted by climate change, pollution and other sorts of environmental degradation. Most of them have been made dumping sites for wastes and toxins from other parts of the world including wastes from war. Individual, who inhabit in such nations, lack resources to aid them move out of danger but resort to adapt to the damages that climate change is causing. Due to this, toxic dumps and factories in most cases are located in the poor neighborhoods as the rich exercise their authority over the poor.
The effects of the environmental crisis brought about by Lead are devastating. When lead gets into the body stream of a child, it inhibits his or her mental capacity and therefore will end up performing poor in school. According to Ash et al., (620), the students usually affected by lead score lower grades than those who are not infected. Lead poisoning is higher in black Americans as a result of poverty whereby they are forced to live in substandard housing. Substandard housing is made of paints that peel off, therefore, rendering the children in this household a high risk of lead poisoning. Paints contain lead particles, and therefore the peeling off of such paints affects children as they play with, and some ingest such peels of the paints thereby releasing lead into their bodies (Laborde et al 209).
The chemical industry in Louisiana was producing immense pollution. The produced chemicals were massive, and they could have a great effect on the local population. The plan to build the factory was devised without the input of the local population and as a result, the students demonstrated against its establishment in the area. Throughout the world, people have demonstrated against the building of factories that emit hazardous substances and high amounts of greenhouse gasses and high it is the time that governments all over the world take it upon themselves and take care of the environment to avoid the wrath of Mother Nature. Taking care of the environment will alleviate environmental crisis that the world has experienced thereby making the world a better place to live.
Work Cited
Ash, Michael, et al. "Is Environmental Justice Good For White Folks? Industrial Air Toxics Exposure In Urban America Is Environmental Justice Good For White Folks? Industrial Air Toxics Exposure In Urban America." Social Science Quarterly (Wiley-Blackwell) 94.3 (2013): 616-636. Business Source Complete. Web. 8 July 2016.
Eze, Ikenna C, et al. "Association Between Ambient Air Pollution And Diabetes Mellitus In Europe And North America: Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis." Environmental Health Perspectives 123.5 (2015): 381-389. MEDLINE. Web. 8 July 2016.
Laborde, Amalia, et al. "ChildrenS Health In Latin America: The Influence Of Environmental Exposures." Environmental Health Perspectives 123.3 (2015): 201-209. GreenFILE. Web. 8 July 2016.
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