Earth Day and Black History Month: Crossing the Divide Between Causes

by Kim, April 20, 2009 at 3:14pm

In their ongoing discussion of whether Earth Day is meaningful, Grist  had a post,  "Broadening the Earth Day tent", about race and the environmental movement:

Like Earth Day, the very existence of Black History month is a signal that something isn't right with the rest of the year. But how are the two occasions related? One response to allegations of "environmental racism" is to counter that the green movement is about all of us walking on the same planet, each of us equally vulnerable to shifting ecosystems. This calls to mind the tension that exists between global and local solutions, as expressed in the old saw "think globally, act locally." Just as environmental sustainability takes into account that areas threatened by flood do not demand the same response as those suffering drought, the only way to find the level where all humans are linked by the human condition is to look at where each human exists in particular. Any movement that tries to paint every individual with the same, broad brush tends to miss a spot.

Such a generalized perspective doesn't take into account that environmental degradation--like groundwater contamination and air pollution--tend to disproportionately affect minorities here in the US. How does your community compare to others? Get a detailed report on your area's pollution levels using this Scorecard.