The Biden administration launched a brand new initiative. Map toolLast week, the United States launched an initiative to combat environmental harm in overburdened and disadvantaged communities. Following CaliforniasThe White House’s Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, a screening tool, will direct billions of dollars in federal investment to the most vulnerable communities and help guide federal environmental policy for many years to come.
Although the tool is supposed to be a way to protect and rebuild frontline communities it may not have what it was intended. This is because simply informing the public of social disparities doesn’t always increase support for reducing them. It can even undermine it.
A climate justice blindspot
Environmentalists are now facing decades of racism in housing and the exploitation by polluting industry. KatastrophesFrom hurricanes and extreme heat, to air pollution, low-income communities are affected by all kinds of natural disasters. Most difficult. Yet, Americans are unaware of these disparities.
In a 2019 surveyOnly 44% of U.S. teens reported that climate change will have a greater effect on those living in poverty than others, and only 27% indicated that it will be disproportionately impacting people of color. In a similar vein, October 2021Survey of Black and Latino voters in six battleground States found that more than two-thirds agreed that climate changes have an equal impact on all communities.
Climate change is seen by many as a problem of global reach, which can harm both rich and poor communities. This is why the Biden administration’s mapping tool is so important: it has the potential for broadening public awareness about climate inequities in every community.
However, it comes with hidden dangers.
Why facts aren’t enough
It is tempting to believe that data speaks for itself when it comes to reducing inequities. If people were to be aware of the extreme risks facing certain communities, they might support efforts to reduce them. Social science research shows otherwise. Research, for example, suggests that research It has been shownInformation about racial disparities within incarceration can reinforce negative stereotypes linking Black Americans to crime. This encourages more support for policies that worsen these disparities, such as New York City’s stop-and-frisk program and California’s three-strikes laws.
The same could be true for environmental disparities. A mock urban planning scenarioAmericans viewed majority Black neighborhoods (versus white) as more industrialized and blighted. They also supported the construction of a polluting facility close to a Black neighborhood than they did for similar property values.
Learn about the hardships of others can help us become less sensitive to physical suffering. A series of experimentsParticipants were more likely to perceive themselves as less vulnerable to emotional and/or physical trauma when they were informed about the financial and food security of another person. This bias, which is thick skin, the belief in what doesn’t kill makes you stronger, was seen among both low- and high-income Americans as teachers and mental health trainers.
These beliefs may be reinforced by the knowledge that some communities face environmental threats that are chronic. Worse, it could make it appear that these communities are responsible for their plight. This stigmatizes those who are in danger.
We need to know how people perceive the risks and their root causes in order to make sure these tools do not harm the communities they are meant to protect.
There are signs that the Biden administration may be aware of this need. The White House released a Friday press release. AnnouncementThe U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will be studying how to improve the new mapping tool and other similar tools. This research should capitalize on the National Academies social sciences expertiseTo understand how people respond, click here
Federal funding should also go to gathering vital public opinion data, especially at the local level, where climate risks are often felt. The following model is useful: Yale Climate Opinion MapsThe following graphic shows public concerns about global climate change at the county level. Similar tools should be created to track public understanding of climate injustices and the steps communities can take in order to address them. These could include improving access to cooling centers or establishing climate programs. volunteer networksTo assist residents during extreme weather.
Too many Americans don’t know the inequal consequences of climate change. Biden’s new climate justice screening tool shines light on this reality. But it is unlikely that simply informing people of social inequalities will solve the problem. It is as important to understand how people react to the tool as the tool itself.
Adam Pearson is an associate psychologist at Pomona College. He also serves as a member the Claremont Graduate University’s graduate faculty.
Jonathon Schuldt is an associate Professor of Communication at Cornell University as interim executive director of Roper Center for Public Opinion Research.
