Fenceline Communities | BE THE SOLUTION

When asked to envision pollution, most people think of cities with hazy air and smokestacks in the skyline. However, pollution no longer exists only in industrial centers. Climate change has seeped into every community, but specifically disadvantaged communities, nicknamed as “fenceline communities.”

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Myth: Cities are most impacted by climate change

Fact: Fenceline communities are defined as areas that are exposed to an above average amount of pollution, through landfills or power plants. They are typically comprised of lower-income families, and are disproportionately BIPOC communities. This is largely due to the privilege that comes with a higher income; when a natural disaster occurs, or a coal plant is commissioned nearby, those with the financial means to leave do so. As such, the people left behind are forced to live in dangerous conditions due to the inability to escape. Additionally, these communities are not necessarily cities. Power plants and landfills need large amounts of space, so these communities are as likely to exist in Nebraska as they are in Long Island. One example of a fenceline community is in the area between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana. This area is nicknamed “Cancer Alley” and contributes 25% of all petrochemical production in the United States. Research in the region has also found that black-dominant areas of the community are 16% more at risk for cancer than those in white-dominant areas, with similar numbers shown in economically opposite areas as well. While extreme, Cancer Alley is one of the best examples of a fenceline community: a smaller, rural region that is facing severe health effects from the pollution surrounding them.

Source: https://tinyurl.com/5y4nb3xn

Myth: Climate change only affects the environment, and humans are safe.

Fact: Humans are just as likely to experience adverse health effects from climate change as our forests and oceans are. In fact, climate change has direct links to our health, both directly and indirectly. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the more that the ground-level ozone layer is depleted from toxic chemicals in the air, the more humans will feel the effects. Diminished lung capacity, increased chances for asthma, and increased particulate matter formation are just three direct ways that human health is being affected. When air cannot effectively flow in and out of the atmosphere, taking unhealthy particles with it, humans will feel the difference.

An additional, indirect impact of climate change on human health is the increase in natural disasters, which threaten people everywhere. As climate change worsens, so will natural phenomena like wildfires, hurricanes, and tsunamis. With an overall hotter and drier planet, it’s more than likely that wildfires will increase in severity and frequency. Land will be harmed, but so will humans as their homes are threatened and their air quality diminished by the smoke that follows. Temperatures will swing higher and lower, and precipitation levels will rapidly increase — all of which effects humans as well as animals and ecosystems.

Some implications of pollution and climate change are more subtle. For instance, as amounts of plastic in our oceans increase, so does the amount of plastic present in ocean wildlife. Nearly 400 species of fish, majority of which are consumed by humans, have been discovered to have eaten some form of microplastics. Therefore, odds are incredibly strong that the majority of humans have indirectly ingested plastic from their food sources. This number will only grow, and similar trends can only be assumed to start appearing in different environments. While it may not concern most people to see a fish eat plastic, the cost becomes much more personal when they are personally ingesting the plastic themselves (plastics which have been linked to cancer and other fatal diseases when ingested).

Myth: Climate change is affecting everyone equally, since we’re all on the same planet.

Fact: This is untrue, based on instances of environmental racism that define fenceline communities. In a study conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency, community exposures to NO2 (a pollutant related to travel) was measured. What was found was that although overall exposure to NO2 has decreased in America, the disparity between exposure to white people versus black and hispanic people has barely decreased (from 40% in 2000 to 37% in 2010). This indicates that despite improvements, BIPOC communities are still experiencing the effects of climate change at a disproportionate rate. Clean air regulations are not reaching the entire population, and it is being reflected in increased rates of respiratory issues and cases of heart disease in BIPOC communities. This can be attributed to a history of racism in housing sectors in America, setting a trend of abusing BIPOC communities and placing hazardous facilities near them.

Environmental racism is not unique to America. It is present in every country, and in every industry. Acts of equality will be just as important as acts to end climate change. Ultimately, an unjust planet will be just as deadly as a polluted one.

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