Environmental Racism
Provided by: The Climate Reality Project|Published on: April 3, 2021|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Articles/Websites
Subjects: Civics, Health
Authors: The Climate Reality Project
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This article explains the historical and current impacts of environmental racism on the health and well-being of Black people and people of color.
- Students will learn that they can start fighting environmental racism by looking inside themselves, starting small, and connecting with environmental justice groups.
Teaching Materials
Positives:
- This article is very useful in introducing the concept of environmental racism.
- The language is straightforward.
- The linked reports and news articles provide students with concrete examples of environmental racism.
- Students can see that racist policies have led to people of color disproportionately bearing the burden of environmental hazards.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students will need a device to access the links.
Differentiation
- This article can serve as an introduction to the topic of environmental justice. After discussing the article, students can dive deeper into specific case studies of environmental racism.
- Civics or government classes could research environmental policies that protect people from environmental injustice and find out if similar policies exist in their community. If they do not, students could write to their elected officials to request that a policy be put in place to protect historically marginalized communities from environmental health problems.
- Other resources on this topic include this article on air pollution in the Bronx, this media literacy lesson on the connection between Black Lives Matter and climate change, and this TED video on the disproportionate effects of climate change on people who did not cause it.
This article provides the steps to disentangle the disparate effects of poverty and racism in a changing climate. Additional links have been properly cited, thus, the article provides a moral obligation for students and educators to act and end environmental injustice.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
