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Minorities Experience Pollution Inequity Caused by White People
Provided by: The Guardian |Published on: April 27, 2021
Articles/Websites
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Synopsis
This article describes environmental racism in the Bronx, including details about high levels of air pollution and high rates of asthma in neighborhoods that are primarily populated by people of color.
The study cited in this article is very clear, showing that "...black Americans are exposed to about 56% more pollution than is caused by their consumption, and Hispanics 63% more. Meanwhile, non-Hispanic whites breathe about 17% less air pollution than they cause, earning a 'pollution advantage.'"
Prerequisites
Mott Haven is a neighborhood in the South Bronx in New York City, New York. It may be best to familiarize yourself with the area before sharing the article with students.
Differentiation & Implementation
Social studies and geography classes could use this at the beginning of a class, using the guiding question "How does where you live affect your health?".
Your students could explore the EPA's EJSCREEN tool, where students can click anywhere in the USA to see 11 environmental justice indicators.
