Environmental Racism: Looking to the Past, Present, and Future
In a 2022 research report written by FCSS-FESC Environment and Climate Change Policy Analysts Allison Lalla and Hayat Shariff, the publication addresses the current understanding of environmental racism from an interdisciplinary perspective, including both the natural and social sciences. Historic and contemporary causes of environmental racism are explored, such as the colonization of Indigenous Peoples and the use of modern institutions such as law and government policy that expose certain populations to greater risk. The publication also makes an assessment of the impacts of environmental racism and the measures taken to combat it using a cross-national comparative analysis of Canada, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
A PDF version is available for download as of 15 October 2022.
An accessible HTML version will be available below by the end of 2022
Bibliographic information.
Original publication date: 15 October 2022
Webpage publication date: 15 October 2022
Webpage last updated: 21 December 2022
Environmental Racism
Looking to the past, present, and future to measure progress towards environmental justice
First edition
Editors
Roman Ebadi
Husayn Jamal
Authors
Allison S. Lalla
Hayat Shariff
Copyright © Federation of Canadian Secondary Students / Fédération des élèves du secondaire au Canada (FCSS-FESC) and the Authors.
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Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Title: Environmental racism : looking to the past, present, and future to measure progress towards environmental justice / authors, Allison Lalla,
Hayat Shariff ; editors, Roman Ebadi, Husayn Jamal.
Names: Lalla, Allison S., author. | Shariff, Hayat, author.
Description: First edition. | Includes bibliographical references. Identifiers: Canadiana 2022041520X | ISBN 9781777894443 (PDF) | ISBN
9781777894450 (HTML)
Subjects: LCSH: Environmental racism. | LCSH: Environmental justice. Classification: LCC GE220 .L37 2022 | DDC 363.7—dc23
Land acknowledgement.
The Federation of Canadian Secondary Students / Fédération des élèves du secondaire au Canada (FCSS-FESC) acknowledges Indigenous Peoples as the customary keepers and defenders of the land on which we do our work. We recognize that much of Turtle Island, or what we now refer to as Canada, is unceded, unsurrendered Territory belonging to Indigenous Peoples whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
This report was developed across many traditional territories, including the traditional territory of the Kanien’keha:ka, the keepers of the Eastern Door of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. The island we call Montreal, called Tiotia:ke in the language of the Kanien'kehá:ka, has historically been a meeting place for other Indigenous nations, including the Algonquin peoples. It was also developed on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam Indian Band), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation), also called the City of Vancouver.
The FCSS-FESC honours and respects Indigenous Peoples' long history of welcoming many Nations to this territory and will work to uphold and uplift the voice and values of our Host Nation. We commit to creating spaces for Indigenous self-representation wherever possible and will never presume to speak on behalf of an Indigenous Person or Indigenous Nation.
Further, the FCSS-FESC respects and affirms the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land. The FCSS-FESC has and will continue to honour the commitments to self-determination and sovereignty of Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
We acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures, and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada and fervently believe our work contributes to the healing and decolonizing journey we all share together. We endorse the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's Calls to Action and commit to grounding our work in these principles. This land acknowledgment was developed by members of the Algonquin community in Ottawa and we thank them for their generosity and collaboration.
Introduction.
The ever-growing presence of climate change is a phenomenon that has been rapidly progressing for four decades.1 Characterized by more frequent and extreme weather events, droughts, floods, and a rise in climate injustices, the catastrophic impacts of the climate’s breakdown may soon outpace humanity’s ability to adapt to it.2
Changes in the Earth’s climate and climate systems have been observed throughout history with approximately seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat over the last 650,000 years.3 These glacial events act as indicators of the Earth’s continual cooling and reheating. Since the start of the industrial revolution in the 18th century, atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels have risen from approximately 280 ppm to approximately 420 ppm.4 This exponential growth in both CO2 emissions and atmospheric CO2 has directly been impacted by modern day anthropogenic activities. Processes such as fossil fuel combustion and other industrial practices are the main emitters of carbon dioxide, with agriculture, deforestation, and other land-use changes being the second largest contributors.5 As scientists, conservationists, and environmentalists sound the alarms in uniform consensus to the detrimental effects of climate change, humans and ecosystems alike have already begun facing its widespread effects.
Although felt on a global scale, the impacts of climate change have affected certain demographics disproportionately, including but not limited to individuals of lower economic strata, the elderly, and most notably, racialized communities.6 These communities are predisposed to climate related issues such as food insecurity, waterborne illnesses, and environmental toxicity. Environmental racism is a term used to outline the systemic racism that leaves communities of colour vulnerable to the hazards of climate change. The term is conventionally used to highlight discriminatory policies and practices that leave peoples and communities of colour living in unsafe situations, typically close to sewage works, mines, landfills, power stations, major roads, and emitters of airborne particulate matter. As a result, these communities suffer greater rates of health problems attendant on hazardous pollutants.7
In this report, the impact of environmental racism and the measures taken to combat it will be examined using a cross-national comparative analysis of Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
Endnotes.
[1] Earth Science Communications Team, “Climate Change: How Do We Know?” (Last modified 8 July 2022), online: NASA Global Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet <climate.nasa.gov/evidence/#:~:text=Earth's%20climate%20has%20changed%20throughout,era%20—%20and%20of%20human%20civilization)>.
[2] Kiley Price, “IPCC Report: Climate change could soon outpace humanity’s ability to adapt” (28 February 2022), online: conservation <www.conservation.org/blog/ipcc-report-climate-change-could-soon-outpace-humanitys-ability-to-adapt>.
[3] Earth Science Communications Team, supra note 1.
[4] Rebecca Lindsey, “Climate Change: Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide” (23 June 2022), online: climate.gov <www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-atmospheric-carbon-dioxide>.
[5] “Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data” (last modified 25 February 2022), online: United States Environmental Protection Agency <www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/global-greenhouse-gas-emissions-data#:~:text=Since%201970%2C%20CO2%20emissions,been%20the%20second%2Dlargest%20contributors>.
[6] “Who is most impacted by climate change” (last modified 24 January 2022), online: Government of Canada <www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/climate-change-health/populations-risk.html>.
[7] Peter Beech, “What is environmental racism and how can we fight it?” (31 July 2020), online: World Economic Forum <www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/07/what-is-environmental-racism-pollution-covid-systemic/>.