Briana Patel’s Blog Post

A topic in environmentalism that I find very fascinating and which I believe does not receive enough attention is climate injustice. At first I simply thought of climate change as something that affects us all, which it clearly does, but I never thought about how it affects some of us more than others. I began to see this in a district in my hometown called Bayview, which is also known as “one of the worst environmental injustice in California history”.

The area originally became populated during racial segregation where African-Americans were evicted from other parts of the city. Today Bayview still has the highest population of African-Americans and the most people living below the poverty line in the city.

Considering all these factors, it is unfortunately expected that the neighborhood would face several environmental injustices. It houses a sewage facility and is surrounded by several highways which carry toxic fumes. Perhaps the most notable is that the neighborhood was formerly a site to decontaminate military equipment that had been exposed to radiation. The byproducts of this went into the soil in the neighborhood. Due to this, parts of Bayview have officially been considered toxic to human health by the EPA, but there have been no successful efforts to clean up the neighborhood despite loud calls to action by the residents.

Living in a different part of the city, I had always been aware that Bayview existed but was always told to stay away from there for my own health. It seems as though everyone in the city is ignoring the neighborhood and its needs. In order to change situations like this which are all too common there must be less silencing of effected citizens and more government accountability.

 

Reference: https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/Hunters-Point-is-a-textbook-case-of-environmental-12917354.php#photo-15426943

9 Replies to “Briana Patel’s Blog Post”

  1. The topic of environmental injustice goes beyond the Anthropocene and into human health. Even in neighborhoods, such as Bayview, people are dealing with “sewage”, “decontaminate military equipment” and toxic fumes from passing trucks. The overall argument establishes a great sense of pathos, in reminding others of also the racial injustice. To make the blog post flow better, you should incorporate more transition words (furthermore, for instance, however). Although, the beginning does have a “personal touch” when you state that Bayview is a district in your hometown.

  2. Environmental injustice is very upsetting, I remember learning about the role brownfields have played in discriminatory housing policies last year. Despite these areas being contaminated with toxic waste, property value is very cheap so the less fortunate do not have much of an option. In addition to this, because many of these developments began around times where sundown towns were still rampant, these communities consist of largely non-white Americans. These already disadvantaged communities now struggle with higher risk of lifelong physical conditions as a result of their location. They rely on programs like Superfund but are not being given the same urgency as cases in more privileged areas.

  3. Hi Briana! I really enjoyed reading your blog. Climate injustice is also something I am very interested in. You explained the topic very well with concrete examples. It seems very credible with the historical context. I am personally credible on the subject. Adding more sources might further strengthen credibility. Still very strong. I also like how you made it even more real with your own life example.? Thanks for your thoughts!

  4. This blog was very interesting and informative because no one has covered climate injustice yet, and you did a great job of explaining what it was. In addition, you provided your own personal example of it in your own hometown, which added credibility to your argument. You also had some great imagery that helped me visualize it myself.

  5. The topic you discussed in your blog about environmental injustice is very eye-opening. I agree with you that more attention needs to be addressed towards this topic. I also liked how you connected the topic to you personally which was a great use of pathos. Has there been any changes in the town within the past five years? Has it been getting worse or better? Good job

  6. I liked your blog on environmental justice because many people forget that families and communities are impacted because of their social status. Many low income neighborhoods in the US were built near large power plants and industries which puts them in the heart of pollution. I liked your story about Bayview and how it related to your life, but I think it would have been beneficial for you to maybe include some other major examples and maybe include some statistics.

  7. I like your topic about environmental justice because there are too many places are stay in high pollution. I’m not sure I understand you trying to talk about but I think it is helpful to change the environment from local places. It is not hard to change a small step and if everyone keep change a small step everyday, the world will be better.

  8. To be honest, this is the first time I’ve ever heard the word. I know that this situation has always existed in our society. But few people pay attention, because now the environmental problems are more and more, people also began to be unable to cope with the endless environmental problems. If you can add some data, it will make the reader more aware of your point.

  9. I really enjoyed reading your post. At the very beginning, I thought about AUxII because one of the units’ environmental injustices is discussed. I really liked that you used a location that you have a connection to because it makes the reader want to know more. When first thinking about environmental injustice, I think about Flint, Michigan. I think it was good that you chose a different location to inform the reader that these injustices happen in many different places. Good job!

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