There are many reasons that the world should strive to create a healthy and clean environment. Race and cultural justice are two of the most important.
It is no secret that America has had a long history of racial justice problems. We continue to struggle to address issues that have been present since the inception of the country. We also fail to adequately address long-standing environmental issues.
These two failures have overlapped consequences. Communities that suffer from racial injustice are also more likely to be affected by environmental issues.
This is not an accident. It is the result of years of racist redlining and zoning practices that created heavily segregated communities. These communities also have a gap in access to resources and wealth, with Black areas often being more poor than areas that are predominantly white.
