Without focus on race, Biden effort on air pollution disparities will fail, report says
Without focus on race, Biden effort on air pollution disparities will fail ... The Washington Post
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The Biden Administration’s Efforts to Address Air Pollution Disparities in Communities of Color
Introduction
The Biden administration has pledged to address deadly air pollution disparities in communities of color that resulted from historically racist policy decisions. However, a new report argues that the administration’s efforts will fail if it dismisses race as a factor in determining where federal aid should be focused.
The Role of Race in Addressing Air Pollution Disparities
When the White House announced its effort to confront the problem last year, officials stated that the racial makeup of communities would not guide their decisions on where to prioritize government funding and programs. This decision was motivated by concerns that using race as a factor could lead to court challenges that undermine the administration’s plan to allocate 40 percent of environmental cleanup resources to disadvantaged communities under the Justice40 initiative.
A Colorblind Approach and Its Limitations
The administration’s environmental leadership aims to sidestep race and instead rely on a newly introduced screening tool to identify disenfranchised communities based on household income, unemployment, air quality data, and the location of pollution sources. However, the report argues that this colorblind approach may only lead to modest reductions in exposure disparities and may not effectively address larger disparities based on race and ethnicity.
The Impact of Racist Policies on Air Pollution Disparities
The report highlights that in most cases, race and ethnicity, rather than income, are the primary factors contributing to air pollution disparities. Racist policies such as redlining, loan refusal, exclusionary zoning, and housing covenants have historically prevented non-White individuals, particularly African Americans, from living in areas protected from major pollution sources. These policies have perpetuated environmental injustices.
The White House’s Response
The White House disputed the report’s findings, stating that the portrayal of how emissions should be addressed does not align with the implementation of the Justice40 Initiative. According to the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality, agencies use the screening tool to target investments appropriately and ensure that federal programs reach underserved and overburdened communities.
The Impact of Air Pollution and Disparities by Race-Ethnicity
Air pollution causes approximately 100,000 premature deaths in the United States each year, resulting in significant health damage. While the Clean Air Act has improved air quality for all Americans, racial disparities persist. The report specifically focuses on fine particulate matter pollution, which disproportionately affects African Americans, followed by Asian Americans, Latinos, and White people. Exposure to fine particulate matter leads to various health problems, including lung cancer, stroke, heart attacks, and respiratory issues like asthma.
The Future Impact of Federal Intervention
The report utilized a mapping tool to project pollution emissions with and without federal intervention over a 20-year period. Without stronger regulation, communities of color would continue to suffer disproportionately from exposure to fine particulate matter. Even with Justice40 intervention based on factors excluding race, air quality would improve significantly for everyone, but racial disparities would persist. This outcome raises concerns about undermining the goal of eliminating exposure disparities by race and ethnicity.
The Biden Administration’s Commitment to Environmental Justice
The Biden White House recognizes the role of race in environmental health problems in the United States. President Biden made environmental injustice a focus of his administration, issuing executive orders to incorporate environmental justice into all departments’ operations and appointing an environmental justice advocate to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA has also highlighted how climate change disproportionately affects people of color.
The Importance of Addressing Structural Components
Environmental justice expert Robert Bullard emphasizes that America’s pollution problem is intertwined with racial segregation. He argues that race-neutral metrics and tools will overlook a significant portion of the problem and fail to address the structural components that disadvantage communities of color. While the Biden administration’s decision to avoid explicitly using race may have been a strategic trade-off, it risks overlooking the core drivers of disproportionate pollution.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being – The article discusses the impact of air pollution on health, specifically mentioning lung cancer, stroke, heart attacks, and respiratory problems.
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – The article highlights the racial disparities in air pollution exposure and the need to address environmental injustice.
- SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – The article mentions the impact of racist policies, such as redlining and exclusionary zoning, on where people of color live and their exposure to pollution sources.
- SDG 13: Climate Action – The article touches on the disproportionate effects of climate change on people of color, including more deaths from extreme heat and property loss from flooding.
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination.
- SDG 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.
- SDG 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
- SDG 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Indicator for SDG 3.9: Number of deaths and illnesses attributed to air pollution.
- Indicator for SDG 10.2: Proportion of population living below the national poverty line, disaggregated by race and ethnicity.
- Indicator for SDG 11.6: Ambient air pollution levels in urban areas, disaggregated by race and ethnicity.
- Indicator for SDG 13.1: Number of people affected by climate-related hazards and natural disasters, disaggregated by race and ethnicity.
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water, and soil pollution and contamination. | Number of deaths and illnesses attributed to air pollution. |
| SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities | 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status. | Proportion of population living below the national poverty line, disaggregated by race and ethnicity. |
| SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities | 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management. | Ambient air pollution levels in urban areas, disaggregated by race and ethnicity. |
| SDG 13: Climate Action | 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. | Number of people affected by climate-related hazards and natural disasters, disaggregated by race and ethnicity. |
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Source: washingtonpost.com
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