All-American Presidential Forums on PBS" Moderated by Tavis Smiley

"When people are not aware of the need to have a healthy environment, in fact, they end up living in a very sordid environment. Their environment becomes polluted, sometimes people even throw pollution in their neighborhoods, because they know that those people are not aware. So it's very, very important for people to understand the value of the environment."
Wangari Maathai
Nobel Laureate
Environmental Activist

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ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

While most communities in the U.S. meet federal environmental standards, many low-income people of color live in grossly polluted areas. A recent study1 found that African Americans are 79% more likely than whites to live in neighborhoods where industrial pollution is suspected of posing the greatest health danger. These communities often lack adequate funds and resources to affect local environmental policy.

The issue of environment is also an issue of public health. Citizens in communities bordering hazardous waste dumps, polluted water and carbon-heavy areas of trade have some of the highest risks2 of developing cancer, as well as cardiovascular and respiratory disease. Children are especially vulnerable. Asthma rates among youth continue to grow in these areas, making the disease the leading cause3 for school absenteeism in the U.S. African American children are 5 times4 more likely to die from asthma than white American children.

On the minds of many Americans:

1 Health costs versus environmental costs—do the health costs we accrue as a nation due to poor environmental standards make it economically viable to clean up polluted areas?

2 Renewables and clean energy—how can new sources of cleaner energy be implemented to improve environmental and health conditions in America's communities?

3 Third-party involvement—with the majority of pollution in these communities being generated by third parties (not those living in the community), is this environmental issue also a human rights issue?

4 Limited time and resources—how do communities with limited time and resources mobilize to demand better environmental standards from the government?

5 Neighboring port communities—since trade is expected to triple in major U.S. ports by 2010, if clean energy is not introduced, how will neighboring port communities be adversely affected?

What do you think?

• Sources
• 1 MSNBC  (Visit website)
• 2 California Air Resources Board   (Visit website)
• 3 Children's Environmental Health Network  (Visit website)
• 4 Children's Environmental Health Network  (Visit website)