Climate Change Through the lens of Intersectionality
Defining Intersectionality
I first heard the term “intersectionality” in a TED Talk from American advocate Kimberlé Crenshaw. Crenshaw is a writer on civil rights, critical race theory, Black feminist legal theory, and racism. She defines this term as a lens through which you can see where power comes and collides, where it interlocks and intersects (Crenshaw 2017). I have come to understand intersectionality as acknowledging that everyone has their own unique experiences based on race, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, etc. This way of thinking has completely changed how I now view the world. I have realized that many pressing issues are interconnected.
Why is Climate Change an Intersectional Issue?
As the world has become increasingly industrialized, it has also become more polluted by toxic waste dumps, landfills, chemical facilities, coal plants, the list goes on. However, many people fail to acknowledge how detrimental these industrial polluters are to the planet. This utter lack of awareness is a classic example of out of sight, out of mind.
How an individual experiences and views climate change ultimately depends on their background. People of color and low-income communities bear the brunt of the climate crisis. Previous studies have shown that a disproportional percentage of African Americans live near a toxic waste facility. The question is, have others aimlessly placed toxic facilities that have attracted a specific community of people, or have they been placed intentionally in areas where low-income and people of color reside?
A particular study stood out to me when doing my research in hopes of answering this question. This study, conducted by Paul Mohai and Robin Saha, supports the disparate siting theory. Their study proves that there has been a pattern of placing hazardous waste sites and other locally unwanted land uses disproportionally in low-income and POC communities, thus bringing to light the issue of “environmental racism.” These communities are being discriminated against by others, intentionally placing industrial polluters that emit mercury, arsenic, lead, and other contaminants close to their homes.
As a privileged, white woman, I would have never realized the severity of the impact of climate change if I was not interested in environmental issues. Due to my race, I have not been subject to industrial polluters and the health risks of those polluters. Because of my white privilege, I do not have to worry about developing asthma, cancer, or heart disease from a toxic facility.
Summary
The fight for environmental justice is essentially just the fight for justice itself. Studies like the one that Mohai and Saha conducted have shown that race is a significant factor in determining where to place toxic waste facilities. Why is this so? Why should these select communities have to bear the brunt of environmental issues? These are questions that we should continue to ask ourselves. As a society, we should continue implementing new practices that reduce our carbon footprint while cutting out ones that are detrimental to the health of the planet and the life that walks on it. We should, additionally, fight to establish equality.
