Editing Environmental racism (section)

== History ==
[[File:Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. crop.jpg|thumb|upright|Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. coined the phrase "environmental racism".]]
"Environmental racism" was a term coined in 1982 by [[Benjamin Chavis]], previous executive director of the [[United Church of Christ]] (UCC) Commission for Racial Justice. In a speech opposing the placement of hazardous [[polychlorinated biphenyl]] (PCB) waste in the [[Warren County PCB Landfill|Warren County, North Carolina landfill]], Chavis defined the term as:<blockquote>racial discrimination in environmental policy making, the enforcement of regulations and laws, the deliberate targeting of communities of color for toxic waste facilities, the official sanctioning of the life-threatening presence of poisons and pollutants in our communities, and the history of excluding people of color from leadership of the ecology movements.</blockquote>Recognition of environmental racism catalyzed the [[environmental justice]] movement that began in the 1970s and 1980s with influence from the earlier [[civil rights movement]]. Grassroots organizations and campaigns brought attention to environmental racism in policy making and emphasized the importance of minority input. While environmental racism has been historically tied to the environmental justice movement, throughout the years the term has been increasingly [[Dissociation (psychology)|disassociated]].
Following the events in Warren County, the UCC and [[US General Accounting Office]] released reports showing that hazardous waste sites were disproportionately located in poor minority neighborhoods. Chavis and [[Robert D. Bullard|Dr. Robert D. Bullard]] pointed out institutionalized racism stemming from government and corporate policies that led to environmental racism. These racist practices included [[redlining]], zoning, and colorblind adaptation planning. Residents experienced environmental racism due to their low socioeconomic status, and lack of political representation and mobility. Expanding the definition in "The Legacy of American Apartheid and Environmental Racism", Dr. Bullard said that environmental racism:<blockquote>refers to any policy, practice, or directive that differentially affects or disadvantages (whether intended or unintended) individuals, groups, or communities based on race or color.</blockquote>

[[Institutional racism]] operates on a large scale within societal norms, policies, and procedures extending to environmental planning and decision-making, reinforcing environmental racism through government, legal, economic, and political institutions. Racism significantly increases exposure to environmental and health risks as well as access to health care.

Government agencies, including the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), have often failed to protect people of color from pollution and industrial infiltrations. This failure is evident in the disproportionate pollution burden borne by communities of color, with African American and Latino neighborhoods experiencing higher levels of pollution compared to predominantly white areas.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}

For instance, in Los Angeles, over 71% of African Americans and 50% of Latinos live in areas with the most polluted air, while only 34% of the white population does. Nationally, a significant portion of whites, African Americans, and Hispanics reside in counties with substandard air quality, with people of color disproportionately affected by pollution-related health issues.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last1=Perry |first1=Melissa J. |last2=Arrington |first2=Suzanne |last3=Freisthler |first3=Marlaina S. |last4=Ibe |first4=Ifeoma N. |last5=McCray |first5=Nathan L. |last6=Neumann |first6=Laura M. |last7=Tajanlangit |first7=Patrick |last8=Trejo Rosas |first8=Brenda M. |date=2021-11-17 |title=Pervasive structural racism in environmental epidemiology |journal=Environmental Health |volume=20 |issue=1 |pages=119 |doi=10.1186/s12940-021-00801-3 |doi-access=free |issn=1476-069X |pmc=8595076 |pmid=34784917|bibcode=2021EnvHe..20..119P }}</ref>

Although the term was coined in the US, environmental racism also occurs on the international level. Studies have shown that since [[environmental law]]s have become prominent in developed countries, companies have moved their waste towards the [[Global North and Global South|Global South]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=<!--editorial:no byline--> |date=2018 |title=Environmental racism: time to tackle social injustice. |journal=The Lancet Planetary Health |volume=2 |issue=11 |pages=e462 |doi=10.1016/S2542-5196(18)30219-5 |pmid=30396431 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Less developed countries frequently have fewer environmental regulations and become [[Pollution haven hypothesis|pollution havens]].<ref name="Schroeder">{{cite journal |last1=Schroeder |first1=Richard |last2=Martin |first2=Kevin St. |last3=Wilson |first3=Bradley |last4=Sen |first4=Debarati |year=2008 |title=Third World Environmental Justice |journal=Society & Natural Resources |location=Abingdon, England |publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]] |volume=21 |issue=7 |pages=547–555 |doi=10.1080/08941920802100721 |bibcode=2008SNatR..21..547S |s2cid=44016010}}</ref>