Application 3
Section 1- (Important person in environmental history):
The important person in environmental history I am deciding to choose to write about is Robert Bullard. Robert Bullard is a scientist and considered the “father” of the Environmental Justice Movement. The Environmental Justice Movement was a movement started to address the unfair treatment and exposure to marginalized communities associated with resource extraction, hazardous waste. This is important to the environment because it was started to maintain and improve a clean environment, especially the people most affected. The people that are most affected by this would be the people closest to the pollutants source. “Environmental justice embraces the principle that all people and communities have a right to equal protection and equal enforcement of environmental laws and regulations.” (Dr. Robert Bullard.com). This quote and the next following quote were found on Bullards personal website. The website is speaking on his main ideas and words on the Environmental Justice Movement. Bullard talks about how no matter your class,race or social standing you should still have equal protection against the effects of the environment and the things that negatively impact the environment.” Individuals who physically live on the “wrong side of the tracks” are subjected to elevated environmental health threats and more than their fair share of preventable diseases.(Dr. Robert Bullard.com). Bullard is also well known for the work he did which showcased the pollution in minority communities while also speaking out against environmental racism. Bullard was the “father” of the Environmental justice movement and cared very deeply about everyone having equal rights for protection against pollution despite their race,class or social standing and economic standing. A quote from Bullard states “oday, people talk about criminal justice reform, talking about “I can’t breathe” in terms of policing. But we also talk about “I can’t breathe” when it comes to these industries that have been poisoning people. Even right now, people of color are more likely to suffer from the impacts of bad air, because we live in, unfortunately, those geographic locations where air quality is compromised.” (Taylor J. Young).
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_VjSGk8s18
Sources for section 1:
Section 2- (Describing and event or policy relevant to Robert Bullard)
Robert Bullard first became involved in environmental change when dealing with bean. Bean was one of the first lawsuits that challenged environmental racism within using the civil rights law. “he legal theory behind Bean was that placing landfills, incinerators, garbage dumps in Black communities was a form of discrimination because you were denying black people equal protection under the law.” (Jamil Smith). This environmental policy dealt with black communities and how they were being discriminated against because of the government putting landfills and garbage dumps directly in black communities. One of the things that Bullard would have a connection with when dealing with the Bean lawsuit would be the fact that it has to do with an environmental issue regarding class and race. A lot of Bullards work with the environment was also with the problem of race and class. Bullard cared a lot about the minority communities and how they are poorly impacted by environmental issues. He personally has a connection with the Bean case due to his work wanting to make sure that minority communities are taken care of and protected against bad environmental issues just because of their race and class. This event played a role in environmental change because the lawsuit was one of the first lawsuits dealing with environmental issues while also dealing with racism issues. The Bean lawsuit was such a big deal because it was accusing people of dumping garbage specifically in areas and communities of minorities. Bullard was also passionate about this because along with his work on being the “father” of Environmental justice movement it dealt with environmental issues and racism issues. “Over the past 30 years, too many African American and people of color communities have become environmental "sacrifice zones" where polluting industries expose residents who live on the fence line to dangerous emissions and releases into the air, water, and ground.” (Robert Bullard). “African Americans are 79 percent more likely than whites to live in neighborhoods where industrial pollution is suspected of posing the greatest health danger.”(Robert Bullard).
(Poster for Environmental Racism)
Sources for section 2:
https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/482/673/2095959/
Section 3- (Problem with what the person has done)
Some people may have a problem and disagree with what Robert Bullard has to say about environmental issues. Some people could disagree with his main idea which is that there is environmental racism. Especially when bringing up the bean lawsuit and how garbage companies were dumping the garbage in minority communities. Some people who might have a problem with this are people who do not agree that there is garbage being dumped in black and minority neighborhoods even though that is the case. Another problem some people could have with Robert Bullard is that climate change is not even real and that environmental issues are not important. People could claim that the environmental issues and his main idea of the Environmental Justice movement. When Bullard was trying to get his book published, the publishers said “You can’t say that there’s an environmental injustice, everybody is treated the same, the environment impacts everybody the same. So how can you say that there’s such a thing as environmental racism? You just can’t see it.” (Lauren J. Young). Big time publishers were ones to disagree with his ideas on environmental standing and how there indeed was such a thing as environmental racism. The Bean lawsuit that jump started Bullard in his career is a perfect example showcasing environmental racism. The people who would most obviously have a problem with environmental racism and Bullards ideas are racist people. People who are racist could argue to say that it simply is not a problem and there should be nothing done to fix anything because there is nothing to fix.
Video:
Section 3 sources:
https://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/robert-bullard-environmental-justice/
Section 4-(How this person could affect people in Keene)
Robert Bullard and his policies on environmental racism affect people living in Keene because there could be minority community neighborhoods that deal with the same issues of those in the bean lawsuit. Bullards policies I know would not personally impact me or my peers but there could be some people who do not even know they are being or have been affected by this. There are also a lot of homeless people in Keene and Bullards ideas on how everyone should be able to have a clean healthy environment can go hand in hand with that. Without this policy of wanting everyone to have a clean and safe environment despite class, race, or social standing the homeless people could be living in even worse conditions. I do not know much about Keenes diversity but I am pretty sure that it is not that diverse to the point that any of Bullards policies could affect the people here.
(People protesting in Keene)
Optional Art work for section 1:
This goes perfectly with everything that Robert Bullard stands for and believes. It is art work that was made to spread awareness about environmental racism. It also talks about “toxic chemicals” which is specifically one thing Bullard talks about and is a big contributor to environmental racism.
Optional Art work for section 2:
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OPTIONAL addition to Section 1:
Beverly Wright is a scientist and the founder of the deep south center for center for environment justice. “The Center addresses environmental and health inequities along the Louisiana Mississippi River Chemical Corridor and the Gulf Coast Region.” (Beverley Wright). The center also provides education, health and saftey training and job placements for residents in environmntal justice and climate-impacted communities within the United States. Wright’s main focus seems to be to help the people who are impacted by climate change to get proper training and job placements. She does most of her work in environmental and health inequities along the Louisiana Mississippi River Chemical Corridor and the Gulf Coast Region. She again provides the people of louisiana who are affected directly from climaten change find jobs. Wright also manages “Hazardous Waste Worker Training Programs that embrace a work-based curriculum and a holistic approach to learning for young men and women living near Superfund and Brownfield sites resulting in their employment.” (Beverely Wright). Another thing that wright is involved with is environmental politics “has been appointed by President Biden to his White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council. In this role, Dr. Wright joins other appointees in advising President Biden and Vice President Harris on how to address current and past injustices to minority and low-income communities.” (Our Time Press). Wright was directly impacted by hurricane Katrina in 2005, which was one of the reasons she became a spokesperson on behalf of residents and people fighting for a safe community after Katrina. Wright also stated that racial justice may be at the center of Climate change justice and the effects of Katrina for underseved communities. Another thing that definetleey impacted Wright to get into this line of work that she is in was the fact that growing up she was direcety impacted by environmental racism. Wright grew up near “cancer alley” which was along the missipppi river in louisiana. “There were dozens if petrochemical plants loom over black communities and over three decades of fighting against environmental racism.” (New york Trend). She also advocated for climate policies that only take into account the health of black and brown communities. Wright stated “Racism becomes the driver when we’re dealing with climate change because it directs or pollutes our decisions. That’s why I want to make sure that young people understand… what we have to do to transform our society and save the planet.” (New York Trend). Wright and Bullard are actually very similar in the work they do due to the fact that both deal with environmental racism. Both Wright and Bullard deal with how climate change impacts black comunties more than it would white communites. They are both also very passionate about how everyone should have the right to a safe healthy environemt no matter what race and social standing you have.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiWj9CgXaXQ
Sources for additional section 1:
https://www.dscej.org/our-story/our-team/beverly-l-wright-phd
Optional additional to section 2:
One of the policies that Dr. Beverley Wright is a part of would be how she was appointed to be part of the white houses Environmental Justice Advisory council. This council was appointed by President Biden to help him and Kamila Harris to better help the current climate crisis we are facing. The WHEJAC is the council that she was appointed to by President Biden. “Vice President Harris’s commitment to confronting long standing environmental injustices and to ensuring that historically marginalized and overburdened communities have greater input on federal policies and decisions.” (Beverley Wright). Wright stated “I pledge to do all that is within my power to raise issues of concern to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast Region and to work tirelessly through WHEJAC to improve the health and wellness, including economic conditions, in communities disproportionately exposed to toxic pollution and climate-induced disasters." (Beverely Wright). Wright also speaks on how black americans are more lilkely to live near polluting facilities than those who are white. With that is the work she does to try and help those who are directly impacted by pollution that is a crutial fator to climate change. “Intersecting environmental, economic, and health burdens disproportionally impact people of color, so Wright says racial justice must be at the center of climate policies.” (Yale center of Environmental Communication). Wright is involved in with fighting for the black communties who are put more at risk beasuee of polluting. She has a connectio with this perosnsally because she talks about how when she was rebulind because of Katrina the black neighborhoods and houses were worth less than those in white neighborhoods. And with rebulind people were given money after Katrnia and since the black commnites houses were “less valualed” than the white commhnuites she received less money for rebuild. She was direcelty impacted by environmental racism, whihc is what she spends her career fighting for.
Optional Section 4:
The impact of Environmental policies positelvey effects the impact on helping to chage the environmental crisis we are currently in. By making and creating polcies like the ones talked about above in this assignment it makes for improving in digging ourselves out of the deep deep rut we as a society have put our selves in. For example, the council that Wright has become a part of appointed by President Biden was created to help him and the Vice President in improving the effects of climate change. We as a society have basically destroyed the only home we have and some people still think it is something to not be concerned about. This council should hopefully really help to improve the devastation of what has already happened to our planet because of climate change. The most popular and well know policies for a better environment are ; he Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Montreal Protocol, the Clean Water Act, and Reformation Plan No. 3 of 1970. The clean water act “stablishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and regulating quality standards for surface waters.” (EPA). This in my opinion is one of the most important acts created to help better the environment. Having clean water is needed for everyone to be able to survive and without clean water we would not be able to have and do a lot of things.
Sources for optional section 4:
Advocate-and-scholar-wants-to-put-justice-at-center-of-climate-policies
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