The Right to Clean Air
Imagine that as soon as a person comes out of their house all they smell are rotten eggs. Hydrogen sulfide is a chemical released by many factories that smells like rotten eggs. No one would like to live in a place that smells so horrible. Living in conditions like this is not appropriate for any human being. Unfortunately, this condition is what many people especially minorities have to deal with in their everyday life. Everyone has the right to clean air, but there are certain aspects of this country that almost makes it impossible. Capitalism contributes to the destruction of the environment through the lack of local and federal policies.
Capitalism is what eventually leads to the destruction of the environment. Capitalism is an economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately owned by individuals or groups, and the competition for business establishes the price of goods and service. In a capitalist economy people can buy as much as they want. The goal is to make as much profit as possible without losing any of their products. For instance a grocery store puts certain foods on sale when they are about to receive new food. Putting the food on sale will make people buy it, which will then give them room for the new food. Both the store and client are satisfied; the store made money with the sale and did not have to throw away the food and client is satisfied because of the low prices. The owner’s goal is to always earn as much as possible.
Capitalism does not always satisfy the owner and the client. Capitalism sometimes makes people forget about how dangerous the things they produce can be. This country is very industrialized. One way this country demonstrates industrialism is through the many factories and power plants seen in many communities, but these factories have targeted certain regions to establish themselves. The regions they decide to build their factory are in a low income communities. Companies tend to this with the excuse that it will bring job opportunities to the people of the community. Capitalism is so strong that even the government does not want to limit it so much. Government can limit capitalism by putting more regulations on companies. Companies do not want so many regulations because that can limit the things they can do. So if there were many regulations the company will leave and find another country that will not have so many regulations. Having big companies leave the country ends up affecting the economy of this country. In the book Diamond it states, “Regulation of oil and chemical plants in Louisiana was notoriously lax, and the governor instructed environmental and health officials in the state not to create problems for big industry…” (Lerner 45). This demonstrates how powerful capitalism can be. One rather has money over health.
Capitalism has brainwashed the government. It has even gotten the government to think that there cannot be both jobs and clean air. This results in the local and federal regulations to be violated. There can be many governors like Louisiana’s and because of governors like these big industries are easily able to violate the set of laws. This country has an agency named the Environmental Protection Agency that administers all of the government’s environmental legislation and the policies dealing with toxic chemicals. This agency does not always get the correct information from the companies. For instance in Louisiana the Environmental Protection Agency did a survey of 17 refineries and found “a valve leak rate of 5.0 percent-nearly four times the leak rate of 1.3 percent that refineries reported” (Lerner 43). Diamond also states “Texas, Louisiana, and California top list of most unreported fugitive emissions” (Lerner 43). There are so many unreported fugitive emissions, yet nothing is being done about it. This is happening in two of the largest states in this country, which means that numerous people are being exposed to toxics beyond the limitations the Environmental Protection Agency has set. Also, according to the article “Air of Injustice”, “In 2002, 71% of African Americans live in counties that violate federal air pollution standards, compared to 58% of the white population”. Everyone has the right to equal protection, but only a certain group is being protected from numerous toxics. It is ridiculous that even the people in charge of protecting the country and the environment are not doing what they have to do. If the Environmental Protection Agency is not making sure that every company follows their regulations then this problem is just going to continue. Allowing this to continue will result in an extremely polluted environment.
The capitalist society and the lack of regulations contribute to the destruction of the environment. Regulations were created to make our environment safer, but that does not seem to be working. The pollution causes global warming and global warming can lead to secondary problems. According to the article “Air of Injustice”, global warming causes drought conditions in some places and flooding in other places. The article also states that having so many natural disasters because of global warming “will also hit our wallets and lifestyle”. Natural disasters make people spend more money because they destroy people’s properties. It will also cause the prices of energy to raise because of the climate changes. This can affect the daily life of many people. For instance the crops farmers grow can be affected by the weather conditions. If they do not produce any crops then they do not sell anything. Farmers pay for their house expenses with the money they make when they sell their crops. Therefore everyone especially minorities will definitively be affected by this. Minorities will be the most affected because they are the less uninsured people in this country. The article “Air of Injustice” states, “The uninsured will hit the hardest, and the uninsured rate for African Americans is twice that of whites”. Power plants and other companies that pollute the environment are in the places where minorities live and they are the ones that get impacted the most by the pollution.
Besides global warming affecting people financially it will also affect them physically. For the moment the pollution is not really affecting everyone. The power plants and other companies have specific places to target. “More than 68% of African Americans live within 30 miles of a coal-fired power plant… By comparison, about 56% of the white population live within 30 miles of a coal–fired power plant”. The fact that minorities are the ones being exposed to hazardous chemicals means that they are the ones who will experience the physical affects right now. Global warming increases the levels of ozone smog, which increases health problems such as asthma attacks. According to “Air of Injustice”, “Asthma attacks send African Americans to the emergency room at three times the rate of whites” and “the death rate from asthma for African Americans is twice that of whites”. Asthma is not the only health problem that is caused by global warming. Since global warming can increases the temperature in certain regions, these regions will be exposed to more insects that like the warm weather. Insects carry many diseases such as malaria, which if not detected on time can be fatal (Author 13). Chemicals can tremendously harm people, but also it damages the environment of many animals. “Disposal of power plant unlined lagoons and landfills can contaminate groundwater as can mine filling. Power plants wastes are sometimes applied to agricultural fields, a practice that can directly contaminate the soil and can contaminate nearby areas with windblown dust” (Author 9). Water is a resource that both humans and animals depend on. Some animals live in the water. They cannot survive when they are living in water that is contaminated. This can then lead to extinction which will then affect other animals that depended on the extinct animal and then it will just continue to be an endless cycle. Drinking contaminated water can cause health problems and ultimately it will also kill people. Everyone, especially minorities and animals will be or are being harmed by perilous chemicals being exposed to them.
We unfortunately do not live in a perfect world. The reality is that minorities have been the disadvantage group of people. Before African Americans were fitting for their freedom and then to end segregation. Today their concern is whether they and their sons and daughters will survive. They take their children to the park and a few blocks from the park most likely what someone will see is a power plant. A power plant that promises a better economy for the neighborhood, yet the residents never see the difference. A power plants that says that they only emit a certain amount of chemicals a year when in reality is thousands more than what they actually said. A power plant that has gained so much control that the local and federal governments do not want to interfere with them. Ultimately what this power plant ends up doing is destroying the lifes of many people and many animals. The capitalism of this country leads to the lack of local and federal policies that in the end destroys the environment.
Capitalism is what eventually leads to the destruction of the environment. Capitalism is an economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately owned by individuals or groups, and the competition for business establishes the price of goods and service. In a capitalist economy people can buy as much as they want. The goal is to make as much profit as possible without losing any of their products. For instance a grocery store puts certain foods on sale when they are about to receive new food. Putting the food on sale will make people buy it, which will then give them room for the new food. Both the store and client are satisfied; the store made money with the sale and did not have to throw away the food and client is satisfied because of the low prices. The owner’s goal is to always earn as much as possible.
Capitalism does not always satisfy the owner and the client. Capitalism sometimes makes people forget about how dangerous the things they produce can be. This country is very industrialized. One way this country demonstrates industrialism is through the many factories and power plants seen in many communities, but these factories have targeted certain regions to establish themselves. The regions they decide to build their factory are in a low income communities. Companies tend to this with the excuse that it will bring job opportunities to the people of the community. Capitalism is so strong that even the government does not want to limit it so much. Government can limit capitalism by putting more regulations on companies. Companies do not want so many regulations because that can limit the things they can do. So if there were many regulations the company will leave and find another country that will not have so many regulations. Having big companies leave the country ends up affecting the economy of this country. In the book Diamond it states, “Regulation of oil and chemical plants in Louisiana was notoriously lax, and the governor instructed environmental and health officials in the state not to create problems for big industry…” (Lerner 45). This demonstrates how powerful capitalism can be. One rather has money over health.
Capitalism has brainwashed the government. It has even gotten the government to think that there cannot be both jobs and clean air. This results in the local and federal regulations to be violated. There can be many governors like Louisiana’s and because of governors like these big industries are easily able to violate the set of laws. This country has an agency named the Environmental Protection Agency that administers all of the government’s environmental legislation and the policies dealing with toxic chemicals. This agency does not always get the correct information from the companies. For instance in Louisiana the Environmental Protection Agency did a survey of 17 refineries and found “a valve leak rate of 5.0 percent-nearly four times the leak rate of 1.3 percent that refineries reported” (Lerner 43). Diamond also states “Texas, Louisiana, and California top list of most unreported fugitive emissions” (Lerner 43). There are so many unreported fugitive emissions, yet nothing is being done about it. This is happening in two of the largest states in this country, which means that numerous people are being exposed to toxics beyond the limitations the Environmental Protection Agency has set. Also, according to the article “Air of Injustice”, “In 2002, 71% of African Americans live in counties that violate federal air pollution standards, compared to 58% of the white population”. Everyone has the right to equal protection, but only a certain group is being protected from numerous toxics. It is ridiculous that even the people in charge of protecting the country and the environment are not doing what they have to do. If the Environmental Protection Agency is not making sure that every company follows their regulations then this problem is just going to continue. Allowing this to continue will result in an extremely polluted environment.
The capitalist society and the lack of regulations contribute to the destruction of the environment. Regulations were created to make our environment safer, but that does not seem to be working. The pollution causes global warming and global warming can lead to secondary problems. According to the article “Air of Injustice”, global warming causes drought conditions in some places and flooding in other places. The article also states that having so many natural disasters because of global warming “will also hit our wallets and lifestyle”. Natural disasters make people spend more money because they destroy people’s properties. It will also cause the prices of energy to raise because of the climate changes. This can affect the daily life of many people. For instance the crops farmers grow can be affected by the weather conditions. If they do not produce any crops then they do not sell anything. Farmers pay for their house expenses with the money they make when they sell their crops. Therefore everyone especially minorities will definitively be affected by this. Minorities will be the most affected because they are the less uninsured people in this country. The article “Air of Injustice” states, “The uninsured will hit the hardest, and the uninsured rate for African Americans is twice that of whites”. Power plants and other companies that pollute the environment are in the places where minorities live and they are the ones that get impacted the most by the pollution.
Besides global warming affecting people financially it will also affect them physically. For the moment the pollution is not really affecting everyone. The power plants and other companies have specific places to target. “More than 68% of African Americans live within 30 miles of a coal-fired power plant… By comparison, about 56% of the white population live within 30 miles of a coal–fired power plant”. The fact that minorities are the ones being exposed to hazardous chemicals means that they are the ones who will experience the physical affects right now. Global warming increases the levels of ozone smog, which increases health problems such as asthma attacks. According to “Air of Injustice”, “Asthma attacks send African Americans to the emergency room at three times the rate of whites” and “the death rate from asthma for African Americans is twice that of whites”. Asthma is not the only health problem that is caused by global warming. Since global warming can increases the temperature in certain regions, these regions will be exposed to more insects that like the warm weather. Insects carry many diseases such as malaria, which if not detected on time can be fatal (Author 13). Chemicals can tremendously harm people, but also it damages the environment of many animals. “Disposal of power plant unlined lagoons and landfills can contaminate groundwater as can mine filling. Power plants wastes are sometimes applied to agricultural fields, a practice that can directly contaminate the soil and can contaminate nearby areas with windblown dust” (Author 9). Water is a resource that both humans and animals depend on. Some animals live in the water. They cannot survive when they are living in water that is contaminated. This can then lead to extinction which will then affect other animals that depended on the extinct animal and then it will just continue to be an endless cycle. Drinking contaminated water can cause health problems and ultimately it will also kill people. Everyone, especially minorities and animals will be or are being harmed by perilous chemicals being exposed to them.
We unfortunately do not live in a perfect world. The reality is that minorities have been the disadvantage group of people. Before African Americans were fitting for their freedom and then to end segregation. Today their concern is whether they and their sons and daughters will survive. They take their children to the park and a few blocks from the park most likely what someone will see is a power plant. A power plant that promises a better economy for the neighborhood, yet the residents never see the difference. A power plants that says that they only emit a certain amount of chemicals a year when in reality is thousands more than what they actually said. A power plant that has gained so much control that the local and federal governments do not want to interfere with them. Ultimately what this power plant ends up doing is destroying the lifes of many people and many animals. The capitalism of this country leads to the lack of local and federal policies that in the end destroys the environment.